The San Francisco call., 1909-01-17
GUNNERS' GROUNDS
IN CRATER'S BASIN
Tunnels Being Driven Through
Extinct Volcano
Especial Correspondence Of The Call

lOpeCtdl correspondence Og 4 Hc SotAl
HONOLULU, Jan.--Two parallel
tunnels are being driven through the
lava sides Of the extinct crater OF Dia
mond head by the engineers construct
ing the Diamond head coast defense
battery, and the great basin OF that
dead crater will be used as grounds for
the quarters for the gunners. On the
topmost rim OF the crater is being con-
structed a fire control station. which
Will be connected through the tunnels
Thus the men OF the battery will be
able to pass back and forth between
their mortars and their camp without
exposing themselves to the fire OF a
possible hostile fleet The crater Of
Diamond head incloses an area Of
about 80 acres, the inner level being
only slightly higher than the outer
level upon which the battery Is built
A small lake. fed by rains. Is inside the
crater.
Good progress is being made IN the
installation OF the battery on the east
ern edge of Honolulu The four NOR
tars here are IN place and the pit and
foundations are ready for the second
four mortar battery planned. Work is
being rushed In order TO have the NOR
tars in readiness for testing when
General Murray arrives.
Major Winslow, who is in command
of the corps of army engineers sta
toned here, is carrying on a series Of
tests at Waikiki, near the famous
swimming beach of Honolulu, where a
battery Of 13 inch guns is to be placed.
The site originally selected for the bat
terry pits may have to be abandoned,
the test drilling having located a sub
terranean lake beneath the coral belt.
Testing is now being done to ascer-
tain what bottom this lake may have.
Piles are being driven, and If a solid
bottom is found within a reasonable
distance Of the surface, the battery
may be installed on driven pile foun-
dation. Major Winslow says that the
weight Of the guns and concrete walls
and bottom of the pit combined will
be 40, 900 tons. This will require some
thing solid to support 1t, although
Major Winslow points out that this
weight is only that of two battleships
and that If necessary the batteries can
be constructed on any kind of a bot
tom. Tests are being made in other
places on the land being condemned for
army purposes. however.
The finding Of this subterranean
lake, or whatever 1t may be, is spoken
Of by local scientists as a confirmation
OF the theory that the various islands
Of this group are mushroom shaped,
with the big end UP, formed thus by
the coral insects
Rapid progress Is being made IN the
work Of doubling the barrack accom-
modations at Fort Shafter. Quarters
for two additional companies are about
half built and seven more officers
houses are going up. 1t is thought at
the fort that within short time the
force there will be increased to full
regiment Of infantry.
On the Leilehua plains. about 20
miles out of Honolulu, where the Fifth
cavalry will be stationed, q temporary
post Is ready. Canvas stables have
been put up, tents for the men and OFF,
GERS are pitched and a water ditch has
been run through the camp for water
supply.
The opinion here respecting the dis
position of the marines, due to arrive
next month on the cruiser Buffalo, is
that they will also have TO go into tenn
porary quarters at Pearl harbor. The
marine quarters at the local naval sta
ton in the city have long since been
overcrowded and the men are now in
canvas quarters at Camp Very, on the
naval reservation alongside the Homo
lulu harbor.