The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-12-20

maintain vegetable gardens within the
crater.
Estes Gets New orders.
Capt George H. Estes, Jr., Twentieth
Infantry, has been detailed to fill the
vacancy in the subsistence department
cause by the resignation of Capt.
Thomas Franklin, who is serving a sen.
tence at the federal prison at Atlanta
for embezzlement. Captain Estes ar.
rived n short time ago from the Philip.
pines, and has been on duty at Fort
Shafter with the battalion.
Marine Barracks Must Wait.
According to private advices received
here yesterday from San Francisco
correspondent the marine barracks for
Pearl Harbor may not be built for some
time, as the department has been un-
able to make any changes in the orig.
NAL specifications whereby the bar.
racks could be built for the original
amounts appropriated. The correspond.
ent states that probably nothing will
be done until the next congress con.
venes when larger appropriation will
be asked for so that the barracks may
he built on the original plans.
Drill Shed for Territory.
Neither Colonel Jones, adjutant.gen-
eral of the National Guard of Hawaii,
nor Captain Falls, depot quartermaster,
U. S. A, have heard anything of prop
osition for the war department to re.
tain possession of the drill shed lot,
acquire additional property adjoining
and erect a effort" there First of
all the war department would not build
a fort, the most it could do being to es-
tablish post and garrison it.
In the second place the federal gov
eminent is under promise to convey the
drill shed lot back to the Territory.
President Taft; when secretary of war,
having so promised, and in the cor.
respondence between Governor Frear
and the government at Washington
since, the matter has narrowed down
to a ewap of lands which the federal
government wants on which to erect
deDci quartermaster' IS building and six
storehouses, leaving the Territory the
use of the drill shed lot for national
guard and armory purposes.
There is an understanding between
the Territory and the federal govern.
ment," said Colonel JONES' ''to carry
out the original promise of Secretary of
War Taft that the Territory should
get the drill shell lot for armory pur-
poses, as soon as the war department IS
able to acquire other property and con.
struct offices for the quartermaster 5 de-
partment. There have been negotia-
tons extending over several years and
the war department has practically
stated they would give it back to us. I"
The Territory is negotiating for
trade of land, and eventually the war
department will have full control of the
present channel wharf for transport
purposes. According to Captain Falls
the transports will not go to Pearl Har-
Lor, but will always use the Honolulu
docks, the same as passenger vessels.
The Pearl Harbor wharves are to be
used almost exclusively for warships.
The principal reason why Pearl Harbor
is impracticable for transport service
lis that it is toO far from Honolulu
II transports were to be sent to Pearl
Harbor, they might as well, also, be
sent to Mare Island, when the troop
ships arrive in San Francisco bay.
Guns Have Been Inspected.
- Lieutenant-C Colonel Benet, ordnance
U. s. A., who came here
u week ago to inspect the defenses and
Notifications, has completed his work
and will return to San Francisco by
the Matson steamship Lurline leaving
here today. He inspected the murtars
at Fort Ruger. The four guns which
were put out of commission on account
of the cracking of the cast iron races
upon which the mOrtars operate, are
not yet ready to be again proven by
the fire test, as the mechanics are still
at work putting in the steel races
which replaced the broken ones. He
also inspected the fire control, and
| found that it was entirely complete as
far as the Fort Ruger guns are con-
cerned. There are no guns at De Russy
yet and Colonel Benet has no infor-
nation as to when they will arrive here
from the mainland.
He inspected the two big l2-inch
guns at Fort Kamehameha, Pearl Har-
Dor, but did not have them fired. This
was dIe to the fact that the concrete
works are not yet entirely hardened
and to fire the guns now would weaken
them. Everything was in readiness for
firing them, and ammunition is on hand.
The other battery which is being
erected at Pearl Harbor some distance
from the l2-inch guns is to be equipped
with a battery of eight mortars. The
works are under construction, but the
mortaTs have not yet started from the
arsenals.
As to troops to support these works
Colonel Benet stated that a company il
supposed to man each battery, but un
der the present lack of troops the com
! panies have TO be divided up to look
after the guns, and those which can not
be attended TO constantly are oiled and
CREASED to preserve them
He states that the small caliber guns
for Fort Armstrong at the mouth OF
Honolulu harbOr will be installed thi,
week, the Notifications having about
reached the completion stage,
Target practise with the Fort Rugel
mor.ars will probably take place In
March, although they may be tested Ia
Janaary'
o'oonnOT for Colonel
with the promotion Of Col. W. NJ
Schuyler TO a brigadiership In January
there will BIO a yaoancy IN tho command
~ the Fifth Cavalry, stationed NJ lei
lehua, Tho senior Lieutenant colonel ~
tho cavalry " O'rnnnor 81 the Eightl
Z Cavalry, and he may he promoted 4,