Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 84, 11 April 1894 Edition 02 — Pearl Harbor [ARTICLE]

Pearl Harbor

Becaase A<lmiral Iiwin tbe other diy went to Pearl barbor, and during bis visit to Mr. C. A. Brown inf*rccted the harbor and the bar, a number of people have been broodir.g and worrying to find scme bidden significance in i tbat very himple action. The Ad* miral bas statcd tbat his inspection was nholly nnofiicial and done for bis own satisfaction solely, but, neverthekss, tbe wise men in town look mystcrious, and pretend to know it all. Now, tbe fact is, tbat Admiral Irwin bad all tbe information in regard to Pcarl Larbor long be- j fore be ever went down to Mr C. A. Brown. In 1806, tbe arst proposition for reciprocity was made, but somehow, the schemc failed to connect. In 1873, a commission consisting of two I gencra]s and one Admiral was) sent to Hawaii from and tbey tboroughly invcstigated Pearl barbor. General Alexander. a general iu tbe U. S. en- , gincers und a most able man, ( surveyed and sounded the harbor and vicinity, and made a lengtby and exhaustivo rcport lo bis government. Tbe contents of tbat report were kopt secret for several years, in fact, it was first in 1883 that people bere learned tbe result of tbe commissioner’s 1 work. Siuco tbcn tbcre bas evidontly been uo anxietv on tbe part of the Unitod States to build a navy yard bero and spond an immense lot of money. As faras a coaling station is concerned, tbe United States navy bas got ull tbe ac- : commodations nccessaiy right in Honolulu harbor, nud as far as a safe port is coucerned, all ofh- i cers will admit tbat tbo Koolau harbor is far preferuble to Pearl ; barbor. To judgo from the amonnt of money speut on tbe amall navy yards liko tbe Pense- i eola, it is safo to say, tbat it would cost America nearly twenty millions to put Peorl barbor iu sbape and mako it an effieieut and modern navy yard. Aud we do not tbink tbat ibe United States’ treasury today is in a position to stand sucb a beavy druin. Tbero is no polilieal signiflcance wbatever in Admiral Irwin’s trip to Ew?.