The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-03-12
G. SAM
IN
How the Islands Have Improved Since They Became a United
States Territory.
By FRANK G.. CARPENTER.
States Territory.
By FRANK G. CARPENTER.

ldbllSn q volcano and arthQuaE oh
serNatory there, and it will preserve
me sclentlnc aspects Of these wonder
ful natural features from yandals and
business intrusion.
The crater Of kilauea is eight miles
IN circumference and the Dit Of bIaZ-
ing fire is 1000 feet in diameter. and
II hes perhaps a thousand feet below
tne mouth OF the crater. 1t is usually
SaIe, put 1t has had some mighty
eruptlOns, when stones and volcanic
ashes have been spread over the
country tor miles around. In recent
times h lava is 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
the top Of Mauna Loa measures
ABOUT nine and one-half miles in cir
culnference 1t is a pit crater With
walls almost Vertical and about
900 feet deep. When the mountain
goes into eruption it spouts forth
columns Of flames and clouds of Va
por and the lava runs in streams
down the mountains. The last great
eruption was in 1907, and was at
tended by an earthquake. The one
in 1868 raised great sea waves forty
feet high, which broke on the shore
and destroyed many villages.
Our Bir Reservation in Mid-Pacifjc.
lncle Sans bird reservation
which has been set aside by the gov
and placed undeh the bio
logical survey of the Department Of
Y Agriculture, is another natural Won
der. 1t is d great ocean park. over
ing hundreds of miles. in which are
many small rocks and reefs. They
long TO the Hawaiian group, but they
stretch far off to the westward in the
direction of Japan.
These stands have no human life
upon them, but they contain a popu-
lation of sea birds which in variety
and extent is ~unequaled many other
part of the earth. There are tens OF
millions of birds, which make theil
homes on those lonely lands. They
come there to breed and at times the
islands are covered with nests. The
ground is II mass Of eggs and in tht
past these have been gathered il
WheelbarroWs and carts and carriet
: away by the boat load.
The birds feed on the fish which
swarm about the islands and upo1
other kinds Of sea life which live OF
p. the reefs and along the shores. Their,
L are some plants, and Just now tn,
reservation is suffering from an in
' vasion Of rabbits, which feed on tn,
; plants and which, if not dealt with
! may destroy the bird life.
!, Moreover. the japanese hay bee
y raiding the islands in order to kill tn
q albatrosses and cure their skins 70
2 millinery The grOu'
y hound be watched by our reyenu
cutters. and the reservation Shout
have permanent officials there to car
y for it.
II Preparing for Panama.
. Uncle Sam is doing much to pre-
pare the islands for the increase
tratfic which will. come with tn
Panama canal. The ports nave bee
cleaned and the chief harbors hay
all modern facilities for the handlin
IL of freight. a very important work
9 hat which is going on at Pear hal
Dor.
The general board of the army an
re navy has declared that this plae
Z should be made a naval base, an
H. plans have been prepared which Wi
OIL involve the spending of $40, 600. 600
y improving it. There are to be ais
~ posts and forIitications which are
rS cost $4,000, 900 more, and altogeth'
IN we shall erect a little Gibraltar awe
ne out there in the middle of the Pacifi
The islands have already been made
OF separate military district and a eel
to eral officer has been ASSIGNED to t
of troops stationed there. We a
tic putting in a huge dry dock at Pea
m harbor. and connected with it "
ar be repair shops for u Sunboats al
re other vessels Of war.
,st The opening Of the canal "
er greatly increase the Importance
"a. these islands as the metropolis Of Il
as middle Pacific. They lie. OF kno
1t at the crOSSWay of the main travel
routes Of that ocean. They are Il
nd miles from San Francisco, and abe
Of 5000 miles from the east coast
"a. Asia. They are 400 miles from t
he western end Of the Panama can;
3.SO0 miles from New Zealand. "a
ed miles from Japan and about "a
from Seattle or IN
are the halfway house to
hit mos. in the Pacific. a
ire their future trade will be enormOl
We Better Shipping Facilities.
Ia Il ic The ira nSnOrtaliOn 1acl