Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506060067
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SAN FRANCISCO LENGTH: Medium
The rusting tugboat Hoga, the only Navy vessel left from the attack on Pearl Harbor, is one of the nation's 11 most seriously endangered historic places, the National Trust for Historic Preservation says.
The 100-foot Hoga faces the scrap heap if funds can't be raised to restore it to the condition it was in when Japanese bombers flew over Honolulu on Dec. 7, 1941, dragging the United States into World War II.
The ship ``represents a pivotal part of our military heritage,'' the trust said in a list, to be released today, of the endangered sites.
The Hoga helped beach the burning battleship Nevada, which was hit by bombs while trying to reach the open sea. Running the larger ship aground thwarted enemy efforts to sink the Nevada in a channel and bottle up Pearl Harbor.
``With the valiant efforts she waged to save better known, bigger vessels, she deserves our best efforts to save her,'' said Richard Moe, president of the Washington, D.C.-based trust.
The other sites on this year's list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 1995, as designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, are:
Farish Street Historic District, Jackson, Miss.: Once-thriving black community faces demolition of historic buildings.
Ossabaw Island, Ga.: Needs funds to restore historical buildings and preserve archaeological treasures and natural wonders.
Archaeological treasures on Colorado Plateau: Rich concentration of prehistoric ruins and artifacts, endangered by development and vandalism.
Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, Honolulu: 100-meter saltwater pool and Beaux Arts memorial to WWI veterans; threatened by deterioration and lack of restoration funding.
Fair Park's Texas Centennial Buildings, Dallas: Deterioration and structural collapse threaten 1936 complex, built for 100th anniversary of Texas' declaration of independence from Mexico.
Ashley River Historic District, Charleston and Dorchester counties, S.C.: Environmentally fragile landscape surrounding historically significant landmarks, threatened by intense development.
South Pass, Wyo.: Section of Oregon Trail that includes sites sacred to American Indians, prehistoric archaeological treasures and 19th-century mining town; facing pipeline encroachment.
Historic theaters, Boston: Three fading landmark playhouses; victims of fluctuating economics and structural decay.
Bronx River Parkway, Westchester County, N.Y.: Landscaped road designed to take motorists to nature, now major commuter route.
Village of East Aurora, N.Y.: Small-town Main Street endangered by sprawl that will be spurred by superstore development on edge of town.
The threats facing the sites include encroaching development and lack of restoration funds.
The list, issued since 1988, is used to raise awareness and resources.
The most notable success was likely the town of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., which was flooded in 1993, two weeks after it made the list.
Supporters of the Hoga want to return it to Honolulu to become a national monument.
``It would take a lot of money to get it there on another ship, under tow or make it seaworthy enough to return on its own,'' said Robert Sullivan, harbor master at Treasure Island, a Navy base in the middle of San Francisco Bay, where the Hoga is berthed.
by CNB