Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
In May 1939, it was reported that only routine work such as weather data collection was ongoing
on Abariringa (Canton) and Enderbury (Anon. 1939h). Much work was necessary
before seaplanes landed on Abariringa (Canton).
In 1939, the Pan American Airways’ supply ship North Haven, put ashore a construction
crew of 43 (Anon. 1940c). At that time, there were 4 Americans and 2 British colonists on
the island. During construction, P.A.A. had 75 workers on the island (see Anon. 1939i).
Schuyler (1940) reported that 2 radio men had been placed on Abariringa (Canton) to record
and transmit weather information of importance in the development of air service in the
Pacific.
During 1938 to 1939, Pan American Airways constructed the airport and deepened and
cleared the lagoon (Bryan 1941, 1942, and 1974; Oates 2003; completed in 1940 according to
Luke 1945a). The Pam American Airways workers used high explosives to blow up coral
heads to make a safe landing area for giant seaplanes (Anon. 1940c; Oates 2003). The
southwestern portion of the lagoon was dredged in preparation for the seaplane landing area
(Bryan 1974). The sea landing area that was being blasted clear was 2,428 x 610 m (8,000 x
2,000 ft) with minimum depth of 2.1 m (7 ft) (Anon. 1939i; Anon. 1939b).
Since large ships could not dock at Abariringa (Canton), supplies and equipment had to be
brought to shore on lighters (Anon. 1939i). One critical task was the production of distilled
water for domestic use as there was little rainfall on Abariringa (Canton).
The American constructed various buildings, installed equipment, a radio station, generators,
refrigeration plant, meteorological station, and cleared a sea plane landing area and built a
hotel (Anon. 1939c).
University of Hawaii’s Agricultural Extension Service assisted the development of
Abariringa (Canton) (Warner 1939). Services included recommendations for growing a
variety of plants under atoll conditions. A greenhouse was sent down and tomatoes, papayas,
lettuce, beets, carrots, and cucumbers were being grown. Plants were disease free and grown
using pot-culture.
The 1939 surveying expedition by the U.S.S. Bushnell visited Enderbury, Orona (Hull),
Abariringa (Canton) (Schultz 1939).
BIRNIE
In 1889, the British proclaimed Birnie as a protectorate (Hydrographer of the Navy 1969; see
also Bryan 1941 and 1942). This was done by the H.M.S. Egeria according to (Maude 1952
and 1968; Ward 1948).). The symbolic acts of declaring protectorates were performed on
each island except Nikumaroro (Gardner) (Orent and Reinsch 1941). This included a formal
declaration and the hoisting of the British flag. The reason for these annexations was the
proposed trans-Pacific cable (Ward 1948) that provided a new use for these small isolated
islands.
In 1889, there were no inhabitants on Birnie (Hydrographic Office 1916).
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