The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-02-28
SOFT MUD FOUND
UNDER CONCRETE
Divers at Pearl Harbor Explore
Bottom Through Great
Floor Crevloes.
LTfom wendno.day AdverLIrerl


Divers succeeded in slipping between
cracks in the concrete base OF the Pearl
Hartor naval drydock yesterday and
examined the restricted area beneath.
They found an ooze bottom, the ex-
istence of which may necessitate the
appointment of general naval loard
10 visit the Hawaiian Islands TO make
critical and expert inspection of the
problem presented. The question OF
building again upon this lava mud bot
tom OF the dock basin viii be one OF
the hardest nuts to crack ever tackled
by the naval authorities, and may re-
suit in the adoption of an entirely
new method of construction.
1t has been aseeTtained that crib No.
went beneath crib No. 2, and that n
portion of No. also slipped into the
same hole, the timbers being piled into
an almost inextricable mass.
The divers have found it extremely
difficult to work beneath the wreckage
and have had to move cautiously, but
yesterday one went down and landed
upon the concrete flooring which us re
ported to have settled back again about
, five feet above its original position.
This had cracked open and through
one of the assures the diver passed, un-
til finally he was beneath the floor.
He explored within a limited area and
is reported to have found that the mass
beneath is lavamud.
Admiral to Revisit
Admiral Cowles may visit the dry
dock site again today when all the
naval officers will make another exam
ination of the wrecked work and 90
over their figures. The findings of the
diver yesterday will be Incorporated
in the report of the admiral to be sent
to Washington. There is a strong
likelihood that the disaster will be re-
garded of such Importance to naval de-
velopment, that a board of officers will
be appointed at Washington and sent
down here to make n detailed investi-
cation of the character of the lava
stratas at Pearl Harbor. That there
are dangerous pockets of lava,mud at
Pearl Harbor is now regarded as GER
tain. These, naturally, give dock
bottom a yielding surface and the
problem of circumventing this will be
a matter of deep study.
Contractor Due Tomorrow.
President Hines of the San Francis
co Bridge Company, will arrive here
tomorrow on the japanese liner Nippon
Maru. To travel upon this vessel Mr.
Hines will be compelled to pay fine
of 5000 which is assessed against the
steamship company by the United
States government. In all probability
the fine will be RENTED, owing to the
! fact that this is an emergency matter
and is practically on government ser
vice.
President Hines is coming as an off
Ger of the San Francisco Bridge Com
Ipany, Francis p. Smith being only the
engineer of the corporation. w. F
Dillingham; president of the Hawaiian
Dredging Company, who is also an off
Ger of the San Francisco Bridge Com
pany, is now on the Coast. Instead
of returning to Honolulu he may. await
advices from here which may neces
state his going to Washington to con
fer with the navy department Officials
respecting the future of the dock.
IT Told You So"
Now that the great dock work ha
utterly collapsed Honolulu has sudden
ly developed n battalion of men VIII,
know just how the dock should b,
built. One mas suggested a plan o
lining the entire dock basin with iroi
or steel plates, riveted together ik,
the hull of ship and upon this la,
the concrete.
Another has suggested that tunne
be bnilt to drain Off the water from
the basin which should be blocked u
at the harbOr end.
Still another states that the onl,
way should be to fill the entire 1000
foot length with concrete, solid mass
and after it has settled to hew out tn
concrete that is unnecessary. Tn othe
words. carve the dock out of the con
crete block.