The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-11-03
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. NOV. 8.

WIrH great regret we record the intelligence
of the fall and destruction of the bridge across
the Waikiki river, at Hilo. At the same time,
all must feel grateful that, Of so many valuable
and endeared lives, placed in extreme peril, all
were saved. This bridge, SO important not only
to the people of Hilo, but to the whole Northern
and Eastern part of the island of Hawaii. whose
completion and opening we announced but a few
weeks since, was a wooden structure resting on
four chains, two on each side, stretched from
bank to bank. across the river, a distance of about
two hundred feet. The elevation of the bridge
varied from fourteen to eight feet above the
water. The facts, as we learn them from an eye
witness, are these.
A party of several of the principal resident
foreigners and visitors at Hilo had been across
the river, making a picnic at the beautiful emf
hence, known as Puueo, the property of MIR.
Pitman, and were returning to the town. in the
latter part of the afternoon of the 2lst October.
The party was composed of the following persons,
all mounted on horseback Hon. 5. l.. Austin
and Mrs. Austin, three SONS and a daughter of
Rev. d. B. Lyman of Hilo. r. III. Dana, Jr. Esq.
of Boston, Capt. Henry Burdett of the Boston
ship Raduga and Mrs. Burdett, Capt. Brown of
the bark Belle and Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Gulick of
Honolulu, (sister of Mrs. Austin), Miss Pratt of
Honolulu (sister of Mrs. Charles Brewery, Mrs
Hines, Mrs. Ashley, Capt. Blackmer, and j. II.
Coney, Esq. Sheriff of Hilo.
Four of the party, Mr.. Coney, Capt. Black
mer, Mrs. Hines and Mrs. Ashley, had crossed
the bridge before any others had entered upon it,
and were waiting on the opposite bank, where
they had a plain but painful view of the whole
scene. The rest of the party were crossing the
bridge, at a walk, mostly in single file, and so
distributed as to reach nearly across it, the fore
most being nearly at the South end of the bridge
while the rearmost were just entering upon it.
At this moment, a loud report was heard of the
swapping of a chain. instantly another, and then
a crash, and the bridge tipped, broke and fell.
Then ensued a scene that none but an eye witness
can fully appreciate, the plunging and struggling
of horses, the struggling of men and women,
fragments of the railing and bridge, with deep
water under them, and added to these, the shrill
wall and cry of the natives, which spread instant
ly over the town, carrying dismay to the hearts
of all.
The danger of drowning, especially with SO
many good swimmers in the party and the in
slant aid of the natives, whose element is the
water, was slight compared with the peril arising
from the horses and the broken timbers. The
natives rushed to the spot, and soon were
in the water, rendering valuable aid. We have
not learned the names of many who did good
service, but WI may mention that OF a respect
able native citizen, Kipi, the Tax collector of the
district, who was riding near, and stripped and
plunged in, and was among the foremost in aid
and counsel.
OF THE party crossing the bridge, Mr.. Austin was
foremost, and, when he heard the crack, he spur
red his horse and succeeded in reaching the bank,
Just as the bridge fell. His wife was near him,
but did not reach the bank, but fell back on the
bridge with her horse. Mr.. Austin finding his
wife not across, went down the bridge and, with
the aid of a native who had reached her, succeed
ed in extricating her from her horse, and getting
her up to the bank, slightly bruised but nowise
injured. The horss Cell over into the wreck and
was drowned, probably getting entangled in the
timber At the other end of the bridge, the
last of the party were Capt. Brown and his wife.
They had just entered on the it, and succeed
ed in getting off without going into the water.
The next was Miss Emma w. Lyman, a girl of
ten years of age. She was mounted on a mule,
and that animal, with the quick instinct of dan
ger for which the mule is famed, at the first
sound turned right about and sprang back to the
land, passing the horses of several of the party,
and carrying the young lady safe off, but with
out an instant to spare. In confirmation of this
instinct of the mule, the persons present say that
no horse turned, and when the riders Of some
tried to turn them. they found it difficult to move
them. The next was Capt. Burdett. He was at a
distance from his wife, and seized the upper rail
of the bridge and held to it by one arm, his horse
going down into the wreck. He held there until
he could climb over to get below, where he
reached Mrs. Burdett just as she was brought to
the bank.
The rest of the party, being near the middle of
thes bridge, were all precipitated into the water,
Cd The side that broke and fell in. For a
heir sitqctio4v among the broken tim-s
sReggling hor vas most critical,