The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-09-18
The ride nt IIonolulu.

The tides At this port have always been more or
less Of puzzle to Observers, or least TO those who
h-ve wished for some reliable method Of knowing
the state OF the tide AZ any given hour Ofen have
they been noticed TO follow some apTareut rule for
week or So, and then 10 break loose as it were
from all known laws Sometimes, without apparent
reasoz, hSre Is low tide nearly all day, even with
new moon; aud then s,aiD, al the sane period OF
the lunar month, all the lon water seems 10 DC in
tie nieht time.
Il IS lras the rise aud fall Is not great at any time
ana makes but little difference to uayigaiors; stin,
20 boating snd fishing parties or 70 construction
parties setting beacons or buoys or building
whsrves, il is quite matter of eOuvvueuce TO
know Beforehand the probable height OF wz,cr in
working hours. There sre times too when shipoG
heavy dragSht might md the certainty Of = couple
Of feet more or less On the bar an important eonsid-
Grafton. IS when caught IL kouA or the mouth Of
the harbor.
The Strengthening tide-Eause at the lighthouse,
uuder the supervision Of the Hawaiian Goyerumrui
Saryry. has enabled Us 20 determine already with
some certainty the laws that govern these apparent
Irregularities. 1t is true longer period viii be
necessary make every deduction SURF but it is still
thought besi - record What Is already indicated,
partly As a stimulus and guide 70 those who msy
wish 10 make observations At adjacent points. l.
should be stated, too. that while the phenomena al
he two ports otter considerably vet valuable hints
have been received from he L. S. Coast Surrey Re
ports relating 20 observations at sun Francisco
The laws governing the tide II this port may be
briefly stated : follows
When the moou's decliuatiou Is zero, lie when
the rcoa crosses the e9utuocisl lire, there two
nearly equal tides in the tweuiy-four hours occur
ring, the one about three, and the other about If
teeE hours after the moon passes the meridian.
As the moon recedes from the cgainoctial line
either to the north south, Of these tides be
soues much larger than the other till At the time
OF extreme decnatiou there Is but Que tide TO speak
Of in the tUenty.tour hours. In North DeciinatiOu
il Is the fist tide that Is largest in South Decliua
tion It Is the second one So VIC have:
When the noou's decliuation is North the full
tide oeeurs from 10 ~ hours after the meridian
transit Whea the moons deelination + South the
full tide occurs from IS to Is hours aer the transit
In both cases the above intervals tzersGSe rrA he
usools's derSi,sls:ioz, and diminish accordingly
nautical alnauSc is Of course necessary 10 fore
tell accurately the tide but for practical purposes
person Of intelligence frequently notice a. fol
lows II the mOou, for instance is II the first quar-
ter, and OF course comes 10 the meridian about
? m-if she crosses near the zenith there viii be
! tolcrsbly high tide before midnight, but if she
hangs low il the south then no tide need De reek-
oued on before tomorrow, and nearly noon at that.
Then sgain, if the moon rises far 70 the north,
there viii Dc spring tide before daylight the rext
morning; but II far 10 the south, then expect 10
tide late the afternoon Of the next day. II she rises
due east, then IS far rs our observation goes two
tides nay be looked for. ! few more mouths Of
observation may decide this Point more surely.
Some maxms like these may occasionally be Of use,
as remarked above.
The lowest tide IS generally, as 50 far observed,
the Que Immediately Jy0rs the highest; little over
hours befoEc. Tie contrary Is true in san Fran
cisco.
Here is another practical item. At the winter
solstiee the new mooa, like tie SUM- is Of eourse far
to the south 50 at the change, aud full too, for /
that matter we have very low tide all TIE forenoon
and no tide to speak Of in the Afternoon December
aud January arc therefore the best months for any
work requiring continuous low water BY daylight |
Two successive years the writer recollects taking
advantage OF this fact without, however At the time
attributing to anything but good luck.
The Government Survey may hereafter be able to
furnish yet 7siiable data, especially as the
height Of water 10 be expected at any time, aud to
be added TO recorded soundiuss, which As IS well
known arc reduced to average low spring tide Any
information from toe different guano Islands report
cd here, or from Others, would be acceptable.
c. J. LYONS. Assistant Surveyor.