Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1913-12-30
Guns IN A CRATER
Diamond Head, Uncle Sans Lava
Fortress In Hawaii.
GIBRALTAR OF THE PACIFIC.
THE Mighty Defenses of Oahu Make
That Lovely Island veritabIe Fire
Lined Wall of Steel, Behind Which
crouches "the Lion of Hawaii

That Lovely Island VeritabIe Fir
Lined Wall of Steel, Behind Whic,
crouches "the Lion of Hawaii
Diamond Head. that monumental ele
vGtion of lava which stands out s,
prominently on the Honolulu side O
the lovely island of Oahu. Hawaii. il
the one and only original crater in tn,
world which is being devoted to til,
use of the army of a great power.
The island of Oahu is the key to The
Pacific, and Uncle Sam carries thai
key on Il chain in his capacious pocket
at any time war breaks out Uncle
Sans hand. which has not lost its
cunning. will go to that pocket witt
/ the swiftnesS of western sheriff. and
the result will be roar of guns which
will be heard around the world. The
roar viii be contributed to by the guns
OF Fort Kruger. which are at the base
OF Diamond Head on the landward
| side
| From Diamond Head. called by poets
'the Lion of Hawaii to Pearl Harbor
named by newspaper writes THE Glib
raltar of the Pacific" there is chain
of forts which makes Oahu one of the
greatest fortreSSes in the world. When
IN Honolulu the writer had the pleas
ure of working with Albert Pierce
Taylor. who has been spoken of as
the recognized literary authority on
things pertaining to Pearl Harbor and
the defenSeS of Hawaii" He said on
one occasion:
Uncle Sam has declared TO the
world that be is on guard in the Pa
citic. At Pearl Harbor is Fort Kane
hameha. with its battery of twelve
Inch guns: ut the mouth Of Honolulu
larbOr will be battery of small guns:
at Fort De Russy. Waikiki. a battery
of fourteen inch gums. while ut Dia-
mOnd Head Il battery of eight moftars
has been manned for some few years.
Within the extinct crater Of Diamond
Head Gihraltarlike galleries have
been constructed. and i'm one of them
an observatory has been established.
The fire control for all the Oahu coast
batteries has been located in this gal
lery. From this station tile fire of the
guns of all the forts can be directed by
the electric telegraph. The guns OF
Pearl Harbor cross those OF Diamond
Head and with the batteries between
make Il veritable wall of steel
After inspecting the guns mt Fort
Kruger two of us, with soldier guide
walked to the entrance of the gallery
which has been bored through the lava
and sandstone which compose the
steep sides of the crater Of Diamond
Head 4 sentry barred the way. The
permit WAS produced and proved the
open sesame
The heavy iron door at the entrance
TO the volcanic passage was swung
back. and. with Il soldier in front and
another in the rear. the visitors started
down the gallery. \ single narrow
gauge track ran the entire length of
the passage On this steel small trucks
had been pushed 10y the soldiers. who
loaded and unloaded the debris which
army comrades had dug from the walls
of the crater The ties were broken in
places and the guide issued warning
to step carefully.
On first stepping into the gallery the
darkness. after the tropical sunlight
was of the Kind that Milton described
as visible. Only Il few steps had been
taken before the light at the far end
of the gallery WAS easily seen.
Instead OF the barren lava bowl,
hard as flint and as smooth as glass"
as the picture man SO picturesquely
puts it. the inside of the crater was
found to be grass covered, with trees
and bushes standing here and there
which drew their moisture from tue
liquid sunshine" as the Honolulu peo-
pie charmiugly describe the rain.
The guide pointed out the observa
tory high up on the Eva side of the
crater from which officers direct the
shooting by the men who man the big
guns Mt the fort outside the crater.
Those men never see the target at
which they aim far out at sea The
projecties from the high power "a guns
pass over the crater, and by telephone
from the observatory the men learn
whether they have made a hit or miss.
They generally score a hit.
In the event of a war involving the
United States on the Pacific the crater
of Diamond Head may indeed prove
"the Lion Of Hawaii" as Frances |
Bent Dillingham;. a Honolulu poet. has |
described it. and ''if once stirred his
paw could sweep a navy to its death |
If once aroused his roar would soon
be heard across the sea and echoed |
from the ky.'-Harold Sands in Los |
Angeles Times