Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-18
Fort Shafer Notes

Il
/ FORT SHAFTER, July IL. - Major
b. f. Cheatham visited the post on
Wednesday and in company with Col.
French made an inspection of the
ground wherein il is proposed to con-
j struct the cantonment for the troops
lowing toethe increase in the size of
the companies from sixty-fiye to one
hundred men, material changes in
previous plans for the cantonment will
be neeessitated, both as regards the
size of buildings and the location of
the same. As has been stated pre-
yiously in these columns. the buildings
/ will be located on the fairly level Dla-
teau on the eastern side of the reser-
walton, practically on the site of the
present camps of the engineer and
signal companies A desirable and
Eactually necessary sbuilding for
amusement purposes for the nse of
the enlisted men is not included in the
present pans, owing to the lack of
funds; but Col. French has represent
4 ed to the authorities. the need of such
structure and it is hoped that funds
may be found available to provide the
same. At present, with every room in
the post filled to capacity as a dormi-
tory for the men, none of the amuse-I
ment rooms are available for their
purpose. The gymnasium is used as
quarters for the band and the COM
pany reading rooms are filled with
hunks. An expedient to fill the re-
uirement for company billiard tables
and reading tables has been to place
these entertainment arrangements in
] tents alongside the various barracks,
but the plan is, as whole, quite un-I
satisfactory. The men are therefore
practically without means of diversion
| and in consequence seek it without the
garrison limits A building suffi-
iciently large to accommodate goodly
percentage of the enlisted men and
suitable for use as moving picture
theater with pool tables and reading
rooms as additional features is pos
tive necessity and good policy would
seem to demand that an allotment of
funds be made therefor. All work and
no play, or the lack of facilities for the
latter has large influence for discon-I
tent or aimless wandering along the
city streets.
| Owing to the limited amount of
funds available for salaries for fire.
/ men and engineers at the post pump
ing station but one shift of employees
is at present employed. In conse-
quence the amount of water that can
be pumped into. the reservoir during
| the tour of one shift is seldom suf11-
! cient to supply the extraordinary de-
mands of the increased garrison. An
additional sum has therefore been re-
quested to be asked in employing adj
| ditional help
An example that shows the necessi-
| ty for this was furnished on the 18th
when for over an hour in the early
morning no water was in the reservoir
| though eleven and one half feet mad
been in storage at four O'Clock on
| Wednesday afternoon. Fire protection
alone would demand the funds called
for to say nbthing of the ordinary
needs. of the lgarrison with its elab-|
crate system Of layatories and bathing
| facilities for the more than fifteen
hundred people in the post.
There is mo- lack of water available
for the big aftesian well supplies an
abundance but employees cannot work
daily the necessary extra hours to.
pump the needed supply.
- -
The Third Battalion returned from
field duty Oh Wednesday and will
now devote assgreater part of its time
/ to the work *of preliminary instruc-
ton of its recruits, preparatory to go
ing on the target range. No acct
dents or mishaps occurred during its
tour of mountain work, but much
hiking for ali of the companies was
| the rule. Company K, under Captain
| p. B. Malone, was especially success
| full in its efforts at crossing the Pail
from the windward side. Leaving
their camp beyond the main ridge at
! IAN early hour on Wednesday the COM
pany, with arms and field equipment,
climbed to the, backbone of the bar
rier in a little over two hours. From
thence the descent to the head of the
Kalihi valley was, in comparison, an
easy march and they reached the post
by noon 1t is believed~that this is
the first time a full organization with
complete equipment has made the
ascent of the almost vertical slopes of
the Pail section of KooIau.
~ -
The Second Infantry exchange, as
is well known, built handsome
amusement building at Schofield Bar
racks and at cost of over $1,000.
lnasmuch as the cost of this strue-
ture has not as yet been paid back
to the Second Exchange by its pur-
chasers, owing to lack of time, the
Second is not now financially able TO
undertake the construction of SINH
lar building at Shafter, profitable as
such a venture would undoubtedly
prove.
y q
Mrs. Fred A. Cook os the garrison
has sent out cards for an afternoon
at bridge in honor of Miss E. l.. Coo
ley, of New Orleans, who is the honor
guest of Mrs. Franklin p. Jackson.
E.