The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-25
RUDOLPH LEEDS
TELLS Of TRIP
ACROSS PACIFIC
Made the Trip From San Fran
cisco to Honolulu, 2,1OO
Miles, in Six Days, a Very
Quick Voyage.
DIAMOND HEAD WILL
SOON BE GIBRAL TAR
This Coast Mountain, the Key
To the Pacific, Is Being
Rapidly Fortified by the
American Army.
BY r. g. Leeds.

AAVAO1uAus uAICA lC.@Ou 0WoR1uS
aboard the good ship "Korea" this
morning, I looked out the port hole
and saw land and realized that our
trip as far as crossing the ocean was
concerned, was nearing the end. OFF
to starboard were two tiny dots OF
land, showing above the oceans broad
bosom. and when went above on deck
I saw dead ahead of our steamer, and
possibly ten miles away yet. the island
OF Oahu, our objective. Oahu u third
in size of the islands composing the
territory of Hawaii and on 1t 10 stu
ated Honolulu, the capital of the
group.
The voyage over. from beginning to
end had been very enjoyable. Leav-
ing San Francisco on March Q. on the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
liner Korea" We had crossed the in
tervening ocean to Hawaii. 400 miles
away, in six days. En- route we were
bothered by very little rough weather
and passed away the time playing such
typical aboard-ship games as
rings" and shuttle board firing
of these games, we would lie back In
our steamer chairs and read, or else
let our thoughts drift hack to good old
Richmond and the dear ones and
friends there.
Diamond Head.
Meantime the coast Of Oahu was
drawing steadily nearer and 1t was not
long before we were rounding famous
Diamond Head, q coast mountain that
Uncle Sam is rapidly fortifying and
making second Gibraltar of, and
there stretched before our gaze. beau
tiful Honolulu and its environs. Tho
city Is located on q coastsd plain that
slopes from the mountains to the
sea and its dwellings are buried in =
mass Of tropical foliage.
! Honolulu harbor IL about five miles
from Diamond Head and our ship
stopped off the entrance In quarantine.
| The health officers were soon along
side in their launch and boarded the
Korea. After the formalities had
been gone through we were given q
clean bill of health and allowed to pro-
coed to the wharf. AS the great ship
slowly made it's way IN, 1t was follow
ed by q number Of native boyS swim
ming alongside, all willing and anx-
ious to dive after coins thrown In the
water by passengers from the steamer.
Despite the fact that the water Of the
harbor was stirred to q muddy color.
not a coin escaped these little human
fish.
| "steamer Day."
AS we neared the wharf there were
plenty of indications that steamer
day" is a big day In Honolulu. The
wharf was lined with hundreds Of ma
tive Hawaiians japanese. Chinese and
not q few white people. We learned
later that station IL maintained near
Diamond Head. from which . lookout
reports upon sighting steamers from
America. The good news Is then sig
nailed over the city by the blowing OF
a steam whistle. shortly after which
the people begin to stream down to
the waterfront to gaze at the big ship
and its cargo of tourists.
At the wharf we engaged IN automo-
bile to take us to the Moana Hotel.
which Is located on famous Waikiki
beach, about three and one-half miles
from Honolulu. towards Diamond
Head Going there. our automobile
whSz9ed 10 through the japanese and
Chinese quarters, picturesque in the
gayly colofed and varied husd gar.
ments Of the Inhabitants, the pleasing
sight OF which. however, was more or
less Offset by many peculiar odors.
though fancy such are always notice
able In foreign quarters. On up
King street, past the government ex-
scutive building, formerly the palace
under the old monarchy: by the Judi