The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-02-18
AWAITING WORD
TO BEGIN WORK
Continued From Page One,
Only Mud Under Coral.

Only Mud Under Coral.
There appears to he no bottom, -
said Engineer Francis B. Smith Of the
San Francisco bridge Company. sur.
veying wreck yesterday. "There is just
a thin startum Of coral, apparently, and
beneath that mud and n few coral
boulders. These boulders are sufficient
to make il difficult to drive piles
through II, but insufficient to form a
bottom.'
There was fear more than year
ago, when the bottom began to rise un.
der section one, that the entire plans
of the navy department would have to
be changed, and fear was also express.
ed that the drydock site would have
to be changed. The naval engineers
appeared satisfied wi.A the formation
however, and when the additional 200.
foot was authorized. recommended that
it be added to the harbor end rather
than the land end of the SO0-foot exca.
walton.
Will Lay Of Hundreds.
The disaster yesterday may result
temporarily, at least, in the laying off
of hundreds of employees. The expert
work which a large number have been
performing cannot be resumed for some
time, while there is strong possibili.
ty that 1t may be weeks and possibly
months before any work is resumed, as
the navy department has soon to face o
Democratic Scongress, whose attitude
toward the Pearl Harbor work has YET
to be, ascertained
Congressional Inquiry.
That the disaster may have far-reach
ing results is believed in service circle.
and it is also believed that the navy
department will send some of its rank
ing officer experts here to make an in
vestigation, while congress may also. bC
expected to send a delegation here
representative Padgett, chairman Of
the naval COMMITTEES of the house, has
already inspected the work, but con
gress may decide to have further lool
into the work.
Without a drydock the naval station
will be nothing. Within the past yea
! seven great industrial buildings hav
been erected and only recently requi
sition for 100000 worth of machin
cry was made by the navy department
for installation in those buildings. TIL
administration building, storehouse an,
officers quarters are in course of con
struction, while the marine barrack
and officers quarters will be complete
in few months.
The opportunities for the Pacifi
fleet remaining any length of time i
Hawaiian waters is dispelled by We.
terday's disaster, for until the dock
ready the cruisers and torpedoers wi
continue to hug the Pacific Coast.
Not Original Plan.
The drydock as originally planne
was to be 6)0-foot square-head doe
without pile foundation. On July .:
1910, the length was increased to SO
feet and a circular head provided. o
August 5, 1911, it was decided to pill
the entire length of the dock, retain
ing the circular head and SSl-foc
length. The extra compensation of tn
change was fixed at $150,642, and til
time of completion extended from n,
vember %, 1912. to May -, 1913. The
came the delays consequent upon I'll
change of concrete mixture and the a,
ditional 200 0ftet, for which milo
dollars additional has been appropr
ated. The original appropriation W,
nearly $2,000,O00
The present dock, as modified. WI
to have been completed and turne
over to the navy department for use
the spring of 1915. The disaster wi
prolong the completed dock for sever
, years, and it may he 1917 before
warship will enter the dock, should
be dock of the present constructio
n floating dock, it may be ready
, 1915,