The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-14

ators are trained at the signal corps
aviation school on North island, in the
| harbor. Instruments of defense OF the
west coast, in fact, are under. on and
above the surface of the bay practi-
cally all the time, while on the high
Point Iona peninsula, one arm of
! those landlocking the harbor, addi-
tional powerful Notifications and guns
are now being installed. The govern
ment also is completing on heights
east of the city one of the most pow
erful radio telegraph stations in the
world. This naval wireless will be
able to communicate with the Phil
ippines. Panama and Alaska stations
as well as the fleet, an advantage
which a certain power that once
whipped the Russians probably al
ready has heard about.
Comm ercially. the location of the
Harbor of the Sun is deemed as
strategic as for coast defense, since it
is the first port of call in the states
from the Panama canal and the last
en- route to the canal and its depth of
water will accommodate the biggest
ship that was ever hoated- There
seems to have been some trouble IN
keeping the canal open. however. and
there also are about 35 miles yet to
build on the direct railroad to the
east, which is expected to re-route
the shipping business of the southwest
fined largely to coastwise trade and
| commerce with Mexican, Central
American and South American west
coast ports. An item of particular in
terest in the business of the port is
that the largest log RATS constructed
in the world are brought to mills here
under tow from the Columbia river,
these RATS containing. exclusive of
deck loads, five million feet of lum-
Der each being more than 500 feet
long and bound with hundreds of tons
of log chains
Accommodate All Navies.
The chamber of commerce un-
doubtedly would take great pleasure
in informing you that the Harbor OF
the Sun contains twenty-five square
miles of anchorage, sufficient to have
accommodated all the navies Of the
world before the two-sided victory in
the North sea, and also that It is called
! the Harbor of the Sun because old Sol
shines on 1t 365 days out of every SOS.
But, as for me, I would rather tell
you that a sunbrowned boy OF So
years heads the San Diego Rowing
club swimmers into the bay every New
Year day (please remember that on
January -, that the water always Is
smooth enough for safe conduct of the
almost invisible shells the rowers ride
about the bay or race in, that white
winged yachts sail here in profusion
that flying boats are ever fitting
about among the gulls. that speed
boats skim the water with unbeliev-
able speed, that the swimmer may
come up on the opposite side of the
bay and only twenty PAGES away
across the Silver Strand. find diversion
from still water in the breaking surf
of the Pacific
Still. am willing to beat the cham
Der of commerce to dissemination of
some dope about a brand new indus
try that draws upon the Pacific and
n
. is the kelp-potash industry. 1t so
happens that chemists had discover
ed that this kelp. OF ocean weed, that
SO often rolls in with the breakers and
\ annoys the bathing girls. contained a
large percentage OF potash. and had
brought the discovery to commercial
possibilities in the nick of time just
before the war.
Potash for Powder
Hence. when potash prices were
sent skywaFd by the extensive use of
gunpowder, of which potash is an i'm
potash from kelp in large quantities
was given strong impetus. The larg-
est plant engaged in this production
is that of the Hercules Powder COM
pany, located at San Diego. A second
large plant in operation is that of the
Swift company. which reduces the
kelp by drying process into form for
mixing with refuse at their packing
plants in making fertilizer
Probably the most extensive kelp
beds in the world lie off Point Iona
and the harvesting of the weed forms
a most interesting phase of the new
industry. The harvesters used for this
purpose are ingenious and efficient de-
vises. developed in remarkably short
time They are of barge FORM self
propelled. some newer ones having a
cruising radius of more than 500
] miles. They cut the kelp from five