The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-08-19
Letter from Iahaina--the storm
the Shooting.


EDITOR COMMERCIAL: This village by the sound
ing sea-" is inexpressibly dull. just at present.
The two mills that recently were turning out sugar
so rapidly and of such excellent quality. are now
silent, and all the planters have to do is to look on
and wait patiently, while the cane grows for the
next grinding. which it is doing fairly. The rain of
last Wednesday the 9th inst, was however, a de-
cided break in the monotony. 1t commenced lightly
on Tuesday night. with a gentle breeze, up to day
light on Wednesday, when the rain began to pour
down faster and heavier, while the wind increased
in proportion, from the westward, veering round
to all points. becoming a perfect hurricane, thrash
ing and crashing among the trees and shrubbery,
while the streams and f~shponds ran over and the
land was flooded. Such a storm has seldom been
known in the experience of the Oldest residents of
Lahaina. 1t continued through the entire day into
the night, the wind blowing in squalls, uprooting
and prostrating numerous breadfruit. cocoanut and
ornamental trees. Considerable damage was done
to buildings, many being in part or wholly I'M
rooted, and one being entirely blown to the
ground. near the prison, while pretty much every
house on the low grounds was flooded.
AS was expected, q great deal of damage is re-
ported from other parts of the islands. The &C.
counts that have come to hand are necessarily i'm
perfect, but it would appear that East Maui suffered
terribly from the wind and rain. At Wailuku, the
stream rose in an incredibly short space Of time.
carrying away one bridge and damaging another.
At COrnwell's plantation, the roof Of the dwelling
house was undergoing repairs, when the rain came
suddenly down and flooded the house, spelling
everything. At Ulupalakua, Capt. Makee's planta-
ton suffered severely. The severity of the gale
came on as with us at Lahaina, between ten and
eleven in the forenoon, and it blew with such force
that strong men could not keep their feet at times.
Besides blowing down a large number of valuable
trees which have been planted and nursed with
care and expense, the mill and engine house, sugar
house, cook house, and iaborers' quarters were
Frustrated. And so it has been wherever heard
from on East Maui, houses blown down or unrOofed,
fields flooded and cane destroyed. This has truly
been the severest storm in the recollection of any
one. native or foreign, aud involves a sad amount
of loss upon the industry of the country, one which
it will take long to repair.
From Hama l hear that the schooner Rinau was
driven on shore by the gale, but it is reported that
she is not seriously injured.
A case of accidental shooting occurred here On
Saturday the 18th inst. about which you have
probably heard ere this. Some natives were col
lected in j. w. Girwin's store on the beach, while
the clerk, a half-caste named Samuel Nowlein, was
showing them a revolver. Some of the natives
spoke disparagingly of the hre-arm, when Nowlein,
pointing it at one of the party named Kooumauma.
snapped it, when it went off, the ball striking just
below the eye. The man fell Immediately, and
there was of course great excitement. Nowlein
says that he did not know the pistol vas loaded,
but Mr.. Girwin states that he himself had loaded it
the day before, but forgot to put it out of the way.
A great piece of carelessness surely. The poor
native is not killed, but it will be a wonder il he
survives the terrible wound. There is a good deal
of talk and dissatisfaction among the natives here
NOwlein was not arrested and the matter
examined into legally. When told that it was
plainly an accident. they shake their heads. and
inquire, =. If it had been q natiue who thus shot and
nearly killed u foreigner, would not the former
have been arrested. and a full and careful trial
been had as to all the circumstances? 2" Perhaps
they are right. TRAVELLER.
LAHAINA, Aug. IL, 1871.