The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-08-08
MAJOR WOOTEN
VIEWS HILO WORK
Finds Progress Being Made on
Breakwaier Core Wall, But
Cap Rock Still Scarce.

Major Mooton, the army engineer
Nho has charge Of the federal harbor
improvements, visited lllo last Thurs
day, in company with Engineer Quinn,
for the purpose OF making a general
inspection OF the worn whirh Is being
done on the broakwater, retaining TO
uonoluiu Friday.
MAJ. Mooten stated, when asked what
ne thought of the progress nav being
made ON the structure, that tho work
was getting along very wcil,a and thai
the construction Of the thousand fcct
OF core wall, which the Philadelphia
Breakwater Company has been allowed
to build out ahead OF the completed
structure, would be finished in about
six weeks. The company was allowed
to build core wall so far ahcnd in order
that it might get time to develop big
rock which is needed for tue top and
side surfaces of the breakwater. The
core wall demands only smaller stone.
Not only has the company been allowed
10 build a thousand feet of core wall
ahead of the completed structure, but
& has been allowed TO continue to build
= thousand feet ahead.
Cap Stones Scarce.
The question of rock, which has over
been the troublomakcr in the history Of
the breakwator, was also taken up by
Major Wooten. He said that at present
but little rock of the size required
for cap stones was being developed in
the quarry Mt Waiakea, which the Phil
adelphia Breakwater Company is using.
Furthermore, unless the character of
the stone taken out thercfrom improved
very much indeed, there was no great
probability that it would be possible
to secure sufficient of the big stone
needed for top and surface from that
quarry.
No attempts had been made to secufe
from Major Wooten Is office reduction
of the size specified in the contract for
such rock, namely n minimum of eight
tons, and Major Wooten stated posi-
lively that he would make no recon.
mendation for any such reduction. as
It was his opinion that the government
ought to demand and obtain lust as
good breakwater as the specifications
called for. As u matter of fact. he
did not think, judging from present in.
dicatlons, that the Waiakea quarry
would be able to supply the big rock,
even if the size specified were reduced
from eight to five tons.
Question for Contractors.
Where the big rock could be obtained
was question for the contractors to
settle, not the engineers. Major Woo
ten knew nothing about the movements
of Lord & Young and others in the
way of selling rock from other quar-.
ries to the Philadelphia Breakwater
Company or to take sub.contract un.
der it. The government in such mat.
tiers dealt only with the original con.
tractor, he said, and while that concern
might have its work done by sub.con.
tract, the government did not deal with
sub'contractors. 1t would always look
TO the original contractor, and, If he
failed, to his bOndsmen.
With regard 60 the contract for the
dredging out of the shoa which blocks
the entrance to Kuhio Bay Major Woo.
ten stated that the contract had been
awarded to the Hawaiian Dredging
Company. II had been sent to Wash.
ington for the approval of the author.
tiles there. Work on this contract
would be begun in either January or
February, and as it would take only
three months, the work would be finish.
ed before July ], 1914.