El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-09

/ down TO the shores OF lake OF IRE
! and birthstone. That is what we have
! in Kilauea. and all around in the
/ country about are picturesque pit era
/ ters, banks Of sulphur and lava trees,
/ tree ferns and forests OF many Varie-
I ties. The government viii establish
a volcano and earthquake observatory
there, and IT viii preserve the scien-
tific aspects of these wonderful nat
ural features from vandals and bust
ness intrusion.
The crater Of Kilauea is eight miles
in circumference and the pit Of blazing
fire is 1000 feet in diameter and Ii lies
perhaps 1000 feet below the mouth OF
the crater 1t is usually safe, but II
has had some mighty eruptions when
stones, and volcanic ashes have been
spread over the country for miles
posed to have gone out under the earth
to the sea, the floor Of the crater rising
and sinking with its discharge
The crater IN the other reservation
on the top Of Maona LOa measures
about nine and one-half miles in cir
conference 1t Is pit crater with
walls almost vertical and about 800 feet
deep When the mountain goes into
eruption 1t spOuts forth columns OF
flames and clouds OF vapor and the
lava runs in streams down the noun
tains. The last great eruption was In
1907, and was attended by an earth
quake Ihe one In 1858 raised huge
sea waves 40 feet high, which broke
on the shore and destroyed many VII
lagos.
Our Bird Reservation in 1Iid-Paciffc.
Uncle sans bird reservation, which
has been set aside BY the government
, and placed under the biological survey
OF the department OF agriculture, is an
ocean park covering hundreds Of miles
In which are many small islands, rocks
and reefs They belong 10 the Hawaiian
group, but they stretch far off to the
westward in the direction Of Japan
These Islands have no human life
upon them, but they contain a DOpula-
ton OF sea birds which in variety and
extent is unequaled In any other part Of
the earth. There are tens OF millions Of
birds which make their homes on those
lonely lands. They come there to breed.
and at times theisIands are covered with
nests. The ground is one mass Of
eggs, and in the past these have been
gathered in WheelbaTrOWs and carts
and carried away by the boat load
The birds feed on the fish which
swarm about the Islands and upon 9th
er kinds OF sea life which live on the
reefs and along the shores There are
some plants, and Just now the reserva-
ton is suffering from an invasion Of
which, II not dealt with, may destroy
the bird life.
Moreover. the japanese have been
raldlng the Islands in order to kill the
albatrosses and cure their skins for
millinery purposes The group should
De Watcned oy our revenue cutters and
the reservation should have permanent
OFFICIALS there to care for it.
Preparing for Panama.
Uncle sam is doing much to prepare
the ISLANDS for the increased traffic
which viii come with the Panama ca
MAJ me ports have been cleaned and
the chief harbOrs have all modern ia
cllIes Ior the handling of freight. a
very important work Is that which is
going on at Pearl harbOr.
The general board Of the army and
navy mas declared that this place should
pc maze a naval base, and plans have
been prepared which viii involve the
spending of $4,000. 900 in improving I'll
Inere are 70 be also posts and fOrtifi-
cations which are to cost 100000
more, and altogether we shall erect a
little Gibraltar away out there in the
middle Of the Pacific. The islands have
already been made a separate military
district, and general officer has been
assigned to the troops stationed there
We are putting in a huge dry dock ar
Pearl herbor, and connected with 1t viii
be repair shops for our gunboats and
other vessels OF war.
The opening OF the canal will greatly
increase the importance Of these Is
lands as the metropolis OF the middle
Pacific. They lie you know, at the
crOssWay Of the main travelled routes OF
that ocean. They are 200 miles from San
the east coast Of Asia They are 400
miles from the western end OF the
Panama canal, $500 miles from New
zealand, 3400 miles from Japan and
about 240o from Seattle or Vancouver.
They are the halfway house to almost
anywhere in the Pacific. and their fu-
Better Shipping Facilities.
As il is the transportation Facilities
nave increased since we took posses
sion There are now Is steamers which
90 regularly from island TO island. and
lney carry several hundred thousand
tons OF freight every year. There is a
DlB uaIIlc between the United states.
Australia and Mexico and there are
many vessels which call at Hawaii on
their way to and from Japan and China.
Ihis Is so of our transports en- route
ulesn NeSseis bound for New zealand
The American Hawaiian Steamship
company mas now a freight line from
honolulu TO New York. This Is BIZ the
way OF the Isthmus Of Tehuantepec In /
southern Mexico, the freight being car
rled across that fsthmus by railroad. I
The company has some steamers Of H.
90V tons each, and IL Is now carrying
100000 tons Of sugar a year
There are 10000 and 900 tons yes
selS Nnlcn ply regularly between san
francisco and Honolulu, ansI some Of
the biggest greyhounds Of Eie Pacific I
and the Togo kisen Kafsha stop at
honolulu on their way to and from ia
pan There are also a number of sailing
Vessels which go from Hl wall down I
around South America and thence to
New York and Europe, ana there are
many tramp steamers which call at the
Health and the T4rpers.
The government has done much TO
improve the health Of the Islands They
now have bureau OF hdalth, which
spent last year more than tS13.00O and l
mere Is sanitary commission which