The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-17

In the absence of President Clinton
J. Hutchins of the Wireless Telegra phi
Company of this city. Manager Balch
acknowledges receipt of a communi-
cation from Rear Admiral Sperry, u.
S. N, which, in part, reads as fol-
lows. bearing out the story foreshad-
owed in yesterdays Advertiser: Re
ferring to yours addressed to the Sec
rotary of the Navy, in regard to the
use of the commercial wireless tele-
graph system while the vessels of the
Atlantic Fleet are in the vicinity of
Hawaii, the letter has been referred
to Rear Admiral Sperry. as he will
succeed to the command on May Is.
The Atlantic Fleet will undoubtedly
be divided between Honolulu and an
anchorage under the Island of Maui
for the purpose of coaling, and inn
be imperative.
THE Wireless Telegraph Company
is to recognize the urgency of any call
sent out from the fleet during the day.
light hours, to give it the right of way
and to leave the hours between 6 p.
m. and a. m. for the use of the fleet.
Between the hours of a. m. and
s D. M, except on Sundays, no vessel
except the senior officers ship, in
either of the places between which the
fleet is divided. is to send out any
message or signal.
'As it is necessary for the COM
mander-in-Chief to communicate while
approaching Honolulu, the above reg
ulations should come into force as soon
as the fleet comes within range of the
naval wireless station at Honolulu.
"A copy of this letter has been sent
to the Commandant of the Naval Sta
ton, Hawaii, with the request that he
consult with the president of the Wire
less Company.
i"Between Z a. m. and 6 p. m. no
messages are to be sent out by the
senior officers ships unless they re-
late either to illness or death or to
official business which can not be de-
layed without serious interference
with the administration of the fleet"
This would indicate that eight of the
battleships of the Atlantic Fleet will
be coaled from GOLFERS in the lee of
the Island of Maui, while the other
eight are coaled alongside the wharves
in the harbor of Honolulu. While the
entire sixteen battleships, according 10
the conveniences at the Naval Station,
could be ccaled in this harbor inside
of five days. it seems that it is the
intention of the Navy Department to
give the Atlantic Fleet still further
practical experience in emergency
nj bo
Honolulu is to lose in the matter of
half the fleet will be Maui's gain in
that respect.
Already there is talk of excursions
from Honolulu to the other islands
during the week that the fleet is in
this port, and if Honolulu is to get
only half the fleet, and Lahaina the
other half, it is very likely that there
will be Inter-Island boats with excur-
sions to Maui to give tourists the OPP
portunity to view the Maui half.
President Clinton J. Hutchins of the
Wireless Telegraph Company some
time ago wrote Secretary Metcalf of
the Navy to arrange for the time of
commercial messages by wireless while
the fleet Is in port. 1t is generally
recognized that while a fleet equipped
with wireless is in port there must be
some understanding between the COM
mercial wireless system and the oper-
atfons of the boats of the navy. Hence
the letter of inquiry from HutchinS of
the local wireless to the Secretary of
the Navy, the latter referring the
matter to Rear Admiral SDerry, who
took command on Friday and whose
letter is received by Manager j. A.
Balch of the local wireless in the abb
sence on the Coast of President c. J.
Hutchins.