Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-12-26

That Oahu will be the Gibraltar OF
the Pacific, seems TO be the ultimate
result, IL all plans and specifications
armament and defenscs are carried
out by the government as are on the
books at the present moment. The
estimates for forts adjacent to this
city reach over S3,0OQOOO, and there
seems TO lie no practical reason why
this amount will not be spent on that
lass of work appropriations by
Congress to the amount of $3.50, 900 Is
III the hands of the War Department
1t present, to be used on battery con.
struction here, while a recommends.
lion Of $3,254,2i4 to be paid out of
the general funds Is made, and this
sum to be expended according to dl
rections of the Chief of Ordnance and
Chief of Engineers.
From the report of the National
Coast Defense Board, regarding the
%ctual shooting irons" for oahu, the
following comprise the defense bat
terys for Honolulu and Pearl Harbor:
Six 12.inch rifles. four 6.inch rifles,
and sixteen Pinch mortars. With
batteries consisting of such strength
the city of Honolulu will be strong
in front For the cost OF guns, car.
riages and emplacements, the enor.
NOUS sum of $2,544,39O is recon.
mended
The War Department has also set
aside the sum of 1925 .26O from its gen.
cral appropriation for the placing of
submarine mines. An appropriation
of $4,000 is made for the installation
and keep of searchlights.
For all of these death.dealing ma.
chimes, searchlights, machinery, etc,
there must be power plants and ware
houses. For these items alone the
sum of SGS,93S Is recommended
Locating stations, that is, stations
where men will be placed for the pur.
pose of directing the aiming of bat.
terry that might be concealed behind
Diamond Head This would be done
by telephone from stations located at
points some distance from the bat.
teries.
In the matter of expense In the first
instance ON guns the following may
re of interest:
The 12-inch guns which are referred
10 cost for gun steel, $i3,iG5 apiece,
Gun nickel steel for them costs SOL;
900, the carriages are worth $4,000
and the general average of emplaCe
ment work costs 100000.
For the l2.inch mortars, of which
sixteen are recommended for use in
this island, $1,000 is needed for the gun
steel. $4,000 for each carriage and
Sl2O 900 for the emplaccmcnt work on
each battery Of eight guns.
Honolulu comes fifth on the list of
recommendation in the size OF appro-
priations. The largest recommended.
ton of all Is for Manila, which is
placed at s6,16S,S19. Next comes that
Tor Chesapeake Bay with $Gl02,S7l.
Puget Sound and Long Island follow
with a little over $4,000, 900 apiece and
then comes Honolulu. with its expense
bill set at $3,254,24i. This is closely
followed W San Francisco with 49,
l19,242.
The effective classification of the
big guns is made by the Board as Col
.Cws:
THAT the gun defense Of a port
of the first importance should consist
of guns of not less than l2.lnch cal
iner, 12.inch mortars, and suitable
rapid fire guns for the defense of the
mine fields.
"2.-That lO-inch guns are sufficient
TO cover channels liable only to cruis-
err attack.
"3.-That G.lnch guns should be
used for the protection of places sub,
lect to naval raids and the special
case of mine fields at distant ranges,
"4.-That 3inch guns be used for