Arizona republican., 1910-07-30
GIBRALTAR OF THE PACIFIC.

Pearl I1arbOr IS destined tO pc lhS most strongly fortified naval base on the Pacific. if not in the world. says Marshall D. Taylor in the Los An gelcs Times The immense land locked harbor is only twelve miles from Honolulu and when the chan nel leading to the east middle and west lochs has been dredged the en- tire fleet of the United States will be able to ride at anchor in perfect safety on the placid waters of this strategic arm of the sea.
 Millions of dollars twill be spent before this gigantic project has been completed. Twelve years of incessant work will have to be undertaken before the island of Oahu is made impregnable.
 Already hidden forts are nearing completion at the base of Diamond Head. where disappearing guns of the most modern pattern have been installed These are. capable of hurl- ing death dealing proiectiles at an enemy miles at sea. Smokeless pow der will be used, so that the enemy will find it difficult to locate the exact position from whence these missiles are fired. The possession of Hawaii enables our government to keep it's mailed fist" stretched long way out into the Pacific. as a protection both to our oriental pos sessions and to our own shores. Now that Uncle sam has decided to fortify Pearl Harbor. no half way measures are being adopted.
 A party of us. including pr. Philip Frear. brother of the governor or the territory. chartered the yacht Helene for a days cruise in Pearl Harbor Commodore Wilder. who is to cap tain the yacht Hawaii in the forth coming Trans Pacific yacht from San Pedro to Honolulu, was our skipper From the moment we passed the outer buoy light to the time our anchor was dropped in Pearl Harbor we were afforded a splendid oppor- tunity of noticing the work being carried on.
 Most of the work on the bar is in the hardest kind of coral, but the results will be permanent and there will be no dredging required to keep | inc channel free To open the ap- I | 4 800 OOO cubic yards of coral rock will have to be removed. The solid character of this coral will afford a stable foundation for the graving dock
 The Pearl Harbor dry dock has been planned on a great scale. AL though photographs were not allowed to be taken of this work, yet we sailed near enough to sec the progress
 that had been made for overhaul ing the warships of Uncle Sam's in vincible fleet.
 This is the age of Dreadnaughts and super -Dreadnaughts. Admiral | Admiral Hollyday. chief of the
 bureau of yards and docks, very
 wisely has submitted memoran-
 dunn to the secretary of the navy,
 contending that it would be grave
 mistake to build dry dock at feari
 Harbor just long enough to take the
 Wyoming. the largest battleshlp or
 our navy. considering its future chleI | importance in the sphere or Pacllic | coast defense Pearl Harbor must or
 q necessity be equal to any demand
 that may be made upon 1t Tor dry
 dock facilities in the next generation. | Matters are now pending before con
 gress which thought fit to cut down
 the estimate, to make the abridged
 dock one hundred feet longer.
 The first specifications for the ory
 dock provided for length or eZV
 feet. a width of 104 feet and a depth of fifty feet Congress is now de-
 termining the advisability of making
 this dock 72O. feet in length, 1lO feet
 Tn width and 56 feet in depth.
 To lessen the possibilities of attack from the rear, military officials deem it absolutely necessary that large
 permanent garrison should be maln-
 tained to furnish regular troops as | supports for the Notifications. Hawaii has the advantage over the Philippines as a naval base of being
 nearer home, in consequence of which our warships can get to the Pafiflc
 coast coaling stations in short time
 in the event of hostilities breaking
 out. Now that it has been decided
 to fortify the Panama canalI Pearl
 Harbor is well located to guard it's l Pacific approach.