Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-02-05
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 vsritabie Fire
Lined Wall Of Steel, Behind Which
crouehes ''the Lion Of Hawaii"


That lovely Island Vsritabie Fire
Lined Wall Of Steel, Behind Which
crouches 'the Lion Of Hawaii.S
Diamond Head. that monumental elo
Walton Of lava which stands out 20
prominently on the Honolulu side OF
the lovely island of Oahu. Hawaii. il
the one and only original crater IN the
world which is being devoted to the
Gsesof the army OF a great power.
The island Of Oahu Ii the key to the
Pacific. and Uncle Sam carries that
key on a chain in his capacious pocket.
At any time war breaks out Uncle
Sans hand which has not lost Its,
cunning. viii go to that pocket with
the swiftness of western sheriff, and
the result will be u roar of guns which
will be heard around the world The
roar will be contributed to by the guns
Of Fort Ruger. which are at the base
Of Diamond Head on the 4landward
side.
From Diamond Head, called by poets
the Lion of Hawaii to Pearl Harbor,
named BY newspaper writes 1.-The Glib
raltar of The Pacific" there Is a 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 he is on guard in the Pa
cffc. At Pearl Harbor is Fort Kane
harneha. with its battery of twelve
inch guns; at the mouth Of Honolulu
harbor will be battery of small guns;
ut Fort De Russy, Waikiki, battery
Of fourteen inch guns. while at Dia-
mond Head battery Of eight mortars
has been manned for some few years.
Within the extinct crater of Diamond
Head GibfaItar-like galleries have
been constructed, and In 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 the 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 a veritable wall Of steel.''
After inspecting the guns at Fort
Ruger 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. A 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 soldier In front and
another in the rear. the visitors started
down the gallery. A single narrow
gauge track ran the entire length OF
the passage. On this steel small trucks
had been pushed by 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 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 81 flint 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 the
sliQuid sunshine" as the Honolulu peo-
pie charmingly 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 at the fort outside the crater.
Those men never see the target at
which they aim far out at sea. The
projectiIes from the high powered guns
pass over the crater, and by telephone
from the observatory the men learn
whether they have made hit or miss.
They generally score hit.
In the event of a war involving the
United States on the Pacific the crater
Of Diamond Head may indeed prove
e.the Lion OF Hawaii" as Frances
Bent Dillingham;, a Honolulu poet, has
described 1t. and .'if once stirred his
paw could sweep navy to its death.
r. once aroused his roar would soon
be- heard across the sea and echoed
from the sky."-Harold Sands in Los
"A - n0-