The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-09-10
DIRT FLIES
ON FORT SITE

The dirt IS flying on the side of
Diamond Head on the spot selected by
the army experts as the place from
which the first welcome viii be given
to any foreign war vessels approaching
Honolulu around hoko Head with any
hostile intent. This spot is on the
slope OF the crater close TO where the
Diamond Head road ceases TO climb and
dips away II the direction of Waialae
bay. the waters Of which viii be com
manded by the great guns and heavy
mortars 10 be planted there. Except
for the section protected by the crater
itself. for the guns are 10 be planted
on the mauka edge OF the rock circle,
the battery al Kaimuki will be able TO
sweep the seas from Barber Point TO
Roko Head. The approach toward the
harbor protected from these guns by
the crater walls will be otherwise look
ed after.
At the present time good start
toward preparing the ground for the
batteries has been made. A road has
been built from the main Diamond
Head road 10 the scene of operations
and many wagon loads OF lumber have
been hauled up there and piled up ready
for the making Of easlngs for the con-
crete work. So far one hundred and
twenty-seven thousand feet OF lumber
and timbers have been taken 10 the
site OF the fortifeations, most of which
will be used for the building of cases
for the forming of the concrete gun
bases. This viii give some idea of the
amount OF concrete work which the
plans of the army engineers call for.
The commencement OF this concrete
work rests with the delivery of crushed
stone on the fortifeation sites Adver-
tisements for bids for the delivery of
this rock are now out, the bids to be in
at the end of the month. It will be at
least another month before the bids are
gone through and the contract awarded,
so that the work OF delivery viii not
commence probably until the beginning
OF November. The work of preparing
the cases will be started next week,
however, so that once the concrete mix
ers get TO work the gun foundations
and the magazine walls ought TO 60 in
pretty quickly.
At the present time about twenty
men are employed around the fortifca
tion site, exeavating and preparing the
framework for the necessary buildings
for the battery troops. The majority
of these men are Portuguese. Another
gang OF men is at work at present in
repairing the Diamond Head road so
that the heavy loads can be drawn over
IL This road has been allowed to get
into a state OF bad repair and the worst
Of the ehuek-holes are being filled in.
1t is possible, too, that the Federal
government will find it necessary to
repair the storm drains which carry
the water from the hillside TO the lower
side OF the road. Just now the stone
work put in on the lower side of the
drain entrance. TO back the water up
and force it through the drains, have
been washed out and the next heavy
rain will probably wash out some sec
tions of the road altogether.
It will be at least year from now
before the first gun booms out from
the Diamond Head easemate, but when
the guns are mounted and ready for use
that part OF the defensive scheme for
Honolulu will be as complete as any
thing OF its kind in the world. a
mortar battery will be in place and
there viii be both twelve and fourteen
inch guns, the latter something alto
gether new in shore battery fixtures.
Both the great guns will be of the 1905
model, the very latest, and the Diamond
Head battery viii hold the second of
the kind to be installed so far by the
United States government. a few
months ago a battery of guns of this
model was mounted in Cuba, none SO far
elsewhere.
In addition to this battery two others
are TO be mounted at Pearl Harbor,
with range sweeping all of Waikiki
bay. while between Diamond Head and
Pearl Harbor viii be another battery
mounted, probably in the harbor of Ho-
uolulu itself or very close TO it. 1t is
also probable that battery viii be
placed upon Punchbowl, the board of
officers recently named at Washington
to select permanent military reserva-
tions in Honolulu having instructions
10 locate what areas OF Punchbowl are
considered necessary.
CAMPBELL RESIGNS.