The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-07-16
THE MORTARS
WERE LET
co
cF4om Thursdays Advertlsero

terry was maue yesterday alIerhooh,
when all of the huge coast defenders
were discharged in the direction Of
Waialae. Full service charges were
not used, but the guns will be fully
charged today for the conclusion of
the tests.
Half and three.quarter charges were
used yesterday, the angles of elevation
being sixty and forty-ive degrees.
Major Winslow expresses himself as be.
ing fully satisfied with the results OBJ.
tanned.
Some people in the city knew that
the guns were to be fired and made
preparations accordingly, opening their
windows and removing choice glass
ware and brio a. brac from shelves from
which it might be thrown by the con-
cussion. But many others were taken
entirely by surprise. 1t made no par.
ticular difference in any case. The dis
charge of the big guns caused little
more commotion than does the blasting
that goes on daily along the water
front and at Kaimuki. No damage of
any kind was done and comparatively
few people who heard the shooting
knew that the Diamond Head mortars
were being discharged. They attribut-
ed the noise to the usual blasting ana
thought no more of it.
Considerable apprehension had been
felt by residents of Waikiki and Kai-
muki that when the guns were fired,
cut glass and window panes would
suffer. They were agreeably disap-
pointed; nothing out of the way hap
pened
Down town the shots were heard only
by those who happened to be ut-of-
doors or who were in quiet places. And
even they, except those who had been
forewarned, had no idea what was 60
ing on. They supposed that more blasts
in the coral were being set off. There
was only comparatively faint noise
and no shock whatever.
The test of the guns was made under
the direction of Captain W. P. Plat
of the Ordnance Department of the
Army, who arrived Tuesday afternoon
on the transport Thomas. Each of the
eight guns of the mortar battery was
fired. -Four of them were fired singly,
the other four simultaneously. In the
latter case the four shots were seen to
strike the water almost at one time,
about one minute after the discharge,
and at approximately the same distance,
huge volume of water being thrown
up by the bursting shells.
Governor Frear and Secretary Mott
Smith had been invited to be present
at the test and both were on hand to
see how Oahu's coast defenders would
act when loaded with powder and shell.
Each was greatly surprised at the small
degree of shock experienced, even when
four of the guns were fired at one
time. In case of war it might be con-
sidered advisable to discharge the en-
tire battery of eight guns at one time,
but this is hardly probable, and the
officers in charge do not figure on more
than four of their monstrous pets being
let go simultaneously.
When four of the guns were let go at
one time, big cloud of dust arose
about the fort.
Governor Frear states that there was
a surprising absence of conclusion when
the mortars were fred. He said chat
the full service charge was not used,
but that even if it had been there was
small possibility of any of the houses
nearby being affected by the discharge
"Four of the mortars were dis shal G.
ed at one time when we were in the
coming tour said the Governor, "and
the most noticeable effect was the cloud
of dust that followed the discharge of
the guns. A vacuum was created and
because of the unfinished condition of
the works the dust was drawn up in
clouds. When the four mortars were
fred together the shots struck the
water at about the same time and a
splash of large dimensions followed. |"
Governor Frear stated that there
seemed to be little ground for the
fears of some residents in the vicinity
that their houses would be seriously
shaken when the big guns were dis
charged.
Houses situated between the base of
Diamond Head and the racetrack suf-
fered no loss of glass. As general
thing the fact that the guns were to
be fred yesterday had leaked out and
residents had taken the p'ecaution, so
frequently advocated in the Advertiser,
of keeping their windows open, and by
so doing had minimized the DANCE. of
shock to their glassware.
At the Moana Hotel no untoward re-
suits were experienced. The hotel peo-
Pile stated last night that the shock
of the firing of the guns appeared to
them to be but little moe severe than
the shocks occasioned by The recent
blasting at Kaimuki.
At Kaimuki there were no complaints
of damage or even inconvenience ex.
perienced when the heavy charges were
fired from Oahu IS coast defenders. Some
folks knew that the guns were going
TO be fred yesterday and prepared ae.
cordingly. The many, however, when
they heard the reports and felt the
conclusion, attributed them to some
heavier blast than usual in the neigh.
borhood,
Paul Isenberg's place was called up
but no reply could be had on telephone.
A few people watched the firing from
the roof garden OF the Young Hotel.
-s-%-s-
A CERTAIN CURE FOR BOWEL
nAHHDV A FNJm