The Hawaiian gazette., 1876-09-06
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 6.
Our Honolulu Letter.
gyro,p The 5. p. Insurance ReyieNl
uoNnIrIr. Jnne al lsI

Editor Coast Rerisp :-DIAR SIR.-Frou
an underwriters point of view, this is n city 0
oppostes, aud, during my month"; sojourn here
] have been endeavOrIng 10 reconcile the theory
th1t irame ranges Of the most approved finder
box pattern will burn, with the fact that fol
many y>,ars past there has been but one fire u
any magnitude in the frame district and thai
only amounted TO some $500 or $4,000
Nv observations have resulted in the discovery
Of several reasons for the citys past immunity
from fres, and also some tendencies which. if moi
checked, will probably result in greater fire los;
10 the not far distant future.
Three prominent causes for the unusually
small number of fires heretofore are:
| First-NO business Is transacted after dark
The merchants generally leave their offices al
from to 4 P. N, either to dine or for drive 10
WAIKIKI, where, after dip into old Nepiune's
domini0ns and a few moments Irritation with
the fishes, one emerges refreshed and vigorous
and entirely relieved from the lassitude which
Las been creeping over Tin during his days
Confinement 10 the heat aud dust Of the city.
BY haipast six the stores ure all closed and the
streets IN the business portion Of the city almost
deserted. This does away with the gas or coal
oil hazard.
The Second and quite important cause is.
that, Influenced either 10y their own good judg.
ment or by the restrictions placed upon them by
their home offices, the agents have heretofore
! persIstently refused to write upon either stocks
or buildings III the long rickety frame ranges
I bordering Nuuanu Avenue-and they thus pro-
vide to the residents OF that section the strong
est possible motive tiat of self preservation) for
endeavoring to avoid condagralOn.
Thirl-In ths tropical climate, il is neither
necessary nor comfortable 10 build fire except
Tor actual cooking purposes, and this lack of con-
Z a.,fsf 6ra hos ri,l
agency in reducing the fire hazard, for the dwell
ings are all lightly constructed generally without
laths and plaster, and under the constant and
ardent rays Of a tropical sun, reduced to u
c0mbusllbe condition little short Of actual
finder.
The diet Of the native population consists of
raw fish and pOi-the latter. preparation from
The taro root, and resembling 10 appearance and
taste dish Of bill sticker's paste. When one as
pires 10 furnishing an epicurean repast, he pro-
ydes in addition few raw flying fish CONSIDERED
an especial delicacy) aud a dish Of seaweed.
They eat drink, aud sleep (lll day) out Of doors
They require fire only to bake their taro, and
as they have variety of more satisfactory ways
Of spending their meager supply Of coin than 10y
purchasing coal and as wood is a very ncOn-
venieut fuel for lazy man, requiring too much
choppl0g and packing, they generally light but
cue little fire per week which they build in
hole 10 the ground, upon the Goals Of which
they place their IarO and cover ii with earth until
baked This, OF course, reduces the cooking
hazard upon each native house to one day per
week but they are all immOderale smokers, and
their universal custom Of carrying block Of
matches behind each ear, as bonkkeeper carries
his pen. and smoking themselves to sleep two or
three times every night, certainly does not tend
to reduce the FIRE risk upon their frequently
III nd I'd md
straw-sided dwellings.
As preventive against fires, the city is
provided with three hand engines, two hose
carts, aud hook and ladder company. The de-
partment is volunteer, the King being mem
Der Of one Of the companies, and it is So id that
he attends zealOnsly to his obligations as a
member aud may be seen running with the
machine whenever the bell rings. can only
speak from hearsay 10 this matter, as there Mas
not u fire occurred during the month which
have spent here-a striking contrast to San
Francisco where our fire bell is much more
likely to wear out than rust out
The companies at present represented here
are the Imperial (6re), ably represented by A.
j. Cartwright; Northern (6re) aud British and
Foreign (mariue), both 10 the hands of Theo. II
Davies; Hamburg Bremen (dre), whose inter-
esls are carefully protected by +. A. Schaefer
North British and Mercantile (6re), conducted
by Messrs. HofIscblaeger & Co.; Swiss Lloyd
(marine). in the hands Of MesSrs. w. q. Irwin
Co., (Ihey having taken this agency upon the
Withdrawal from marine business of tie Home
Mutual, which they formerly represented) the
Transatlantic (fre) and Transatlantic (marine),
and California (marine), all represented by
Messrs. II. Hackfeld 81 Co.. the Union (marine)
of which Messrs Castle & Cooke are agents
the Fremans Fund (fre and marIne), whose
interests guarded by Messrs. Bishop & Co.
and the New Zealand (dre and marine), now,
unfortunately without an agent, but. until two
days since, represented by the late George n.
Owen, Esq, whose body will this day be con-
Quoted to the grave by his mourning friends.
and whose patience under months of acute suf-
iering, and uniform courtesy to all whom he
met, has earned for him the sympathy and re-
gard of the entire community.
To these companies may be added the London
and Liverpool and Globe (fre), which has just
rendered its agency to Messrs. Bishop & Co.. |
and you have total OF eight fire aud seven
marine companies, more ,han enough for present
requirements as the business TO be desired by
careful underwriters is so limited in quantity, !
that, when divided among the various agencies, !
it affords but small share for each, and, OF
course, creates considerable competition and |
consequent reduction oil rates upon frst-class
business TO a figure considerably below that
charged fol similar hazards at San Francisco
Heretofore, there has been no board orgaDiza
ton at this place, but the various agents, appre-
clating the advantages frequently to be derived |
from united action, held a meeting about two
weeks since to discuss the propriety of organic
ing local board and trust that before long the
Honolulu Board Of Underwriters " will be a
fixed fact 1t is not proposed at present to adopt
thrift of rates-at least no more than partial |
one--but they can with advantage combine at
once TO obtain increased reservoir capacity, to |
petition for the furnishing Of q steam FIRE engine,
both Of which are needed, and also TO influence 1
the equitable drafting of a bill now before the |
legislature, providing for tax upon the insurance
business
The Esplanade or water front is broad WE'LL |
h1t and kept in excellent repair and affords
loading and dlschsrging facilities much beyond |
the present requirements of the city. The test |
buildings are nearly all the property Of the gov
ernment, erected or commenced during the reign |
of Kamebameha ". Prominent among them
are the Government Building, Custom House,
Hotel, Post Office and Government Warehouse.
These are all substantially built OF concrete, the
Custom House and Warehouse being provided
with iron doors and shutters. The latter is d.
yIded into two compartments by a solid wall
reaching to, but not extending above the roof,
an oversight, in correcting which it would be
economy for the government to expend few