Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-08-21
DIAMOND HEAD.
Uncle Sans Great Volcano Fortress
In the PACIFIC Ossan.

Uncle sam Great Volcano Fortress
In the Pacific Ocean,
Since England Instituted TIER vast
uud mysterious system uf d,,rt',r~ iu
the great rock of Gibraltar TIE W"id
has witnessed no project uf military
fowiliCHliun 81 Important rs tat
which has hcru undertaken by the
United states In the i-I.ud of Onlu
Of the Hawaiian group,
In the belief that the Pacific ocean
Is Ia hr the lhcalcr Of the next great
International struggle for commercial
ANA territorial control the American
government has entered upon project
which Is destined to give II an invuci-
hlc base ANA outpost IN midOcrlu nj
Hawaii To that end II has begun 10
iurtifN what is known as Diamond
head witch r. II vast extinct volcano
IN Oahu. ON which Honolulu Is built
ANA when the works are completed
the place win Ice Justly entitled to he
called eth" Gibraltar of the Pacific"
Situated rs II Is at the lower ey.
trcmity Of the island, with. its northern
slope forming part of the city of Homo.
lulu. says Edward r. Irwin In the
World Tudny, Diamond head com.
mHudS tho seward approach from all
directions to the city, aud the fire of
it's guns, comhiurd with the cross tire
Of the Pearl hnrhur rortlncutions seven
miles away on the other side of Homo.
lulu, Is sufficient to render the town
SAT" from attnce
!hr crater itself Is comparatively
shallow, being only couple of hun.
drrd feet deep. But the walls are
steep ANA rugged. and 1t would be
practically impossible for ship ut
sea To drop Il shell into the cavity.
This is being taken advantage of to
form n safe shelter for the gunners
who are Ia man the battery.
The guns themselves, eight Pinch
mOrtarS OF the newest and most DOW
crfuI type. are not located in the era
ter Itself, hut are mounted ON the
LvHli slope, toward Nnimuki, behind
tn" mountain. Should there he oCcu-
sion tn use them in time of war the
gunnrrS would not sec the vessel ut
which they were firing. but would d-
rect their aim according to the telc-
phoncd instructions of the range find
circumference OF the cratcr'S rim
such Is modern Eunn"ry. n matter of
mathematics rather than of accuracy
of vision. But TO such II degree of per
lection has the modern science of gun.
merry attained that the crews of the
Diamond head battery would be able
10 drop on to the deck of battlcshlp
miles distant and completely out OF
their rance of vision Il prOirctile which
would sink the vessel before ever It
had Il chance to got close enough to
the island to use its own less powerful
guns.
Through the thick rock walls of the
volcanoes crater grimy workmcn. I'M
der the direction of United States mil
itarE engineers, are driving n tunnel.
This Is to form pasSH Gcway to and
from the batteries for the officers and
range finders and, should occasion
ever arise. for the crews of the NOR
tar battery.
The sides of the volcano are very
steep and cannot be scaled except In
few places where narrow paths lead
up the PERCEPTIONS heights. A few
'ihemcn and machine guns could east
y defend these passes against a force
many times their number.
About the only way the volcanic
'ortrcss could be captured would be
~ starving the defenders out. Water
would be the most difficult thing for
defending force to obtain, but 1t will
% no insuperable task to provide
plentiful supply
When this is finished Hawaii will
ave the most novel and at the same
ime one Of the strongest fortresses in
he world~-a fortified volcano.