The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-05-26


disaster, is copied from a letter from l.. Severance,
Esq, for the perusal Of which we are indebted
to Marshal Parke.
Hmo May IL. 1877.
W. C.. PARKE, ESQ.,, Marshal, &C., &c.
DEAR SIR We have had a great disaster at
Hilo. On Thursday morning the 10th inst, at
about A o'clock A. M, the sea in the bay was seen
to rise and fall in an unusual manner, and at 8
o'clock it swept in, in q mighty wave, washing up
aud into nearly all the stores in the front Of the
town, carrying of a great deal Of lumber and all
the stone wall makai Of the wharf The perpendic-
ular height Of the wave (as we have since ascer-
tanned by leVelling with the lamp-post on the
wharf, was II feet 8 inches above the ordinary
losF water mark.
FBut at Waiakea the damage was %frightful;
every house within a hundred yards Of the water
was swept away. The steamboat wharf and the
Store-house. Spencer's store-house, the bridge across
the stream, and all the dwelling houses were swept
away in an instant. and now lie a mass Of ruins far
inland. Five lives were lost, and numbers bruised
and had limbs broken. The body Of one woman
was found by the boats CT Honolii. The boats Of
the American whaleship Pacific, Capt. Smitbers,
lying in the harbor, picked up six people who were
swimming for their lives in the Bay. The Pacific
was lying in 4 fathoms of water, but she grounded
when the sea receded, and then would be whirled
round aud round as the sea came in again. All ex-
pected to see her drag ashore.
The sea continued TO rise and fall all day. /
timed one of .he tides in the morning abont Z
O'Clock, and from its lowest ebb 10 its full food
was OnIV ABOUT 4 minutes. III rose aDOut IL Ieet
perpendicular height in that time. In the after
noon in the space of one hour. the sea rose and
fell three times with a height above half tide o.
7.l03 and ) feet each time.
Mr. Roses tin shop was hoated of its iounda-
tions. and is now in the middle Of the street.
people at Waiakea are in a sad state ;
houses destroyed and utterly destitute their
goods and furniture scattered far and wide on sea
and land. The water was 3 inches deep 10 Con-
ways store, when the 8 O'Clock wave came ia.
The wave at Waiakea must have bad a perpen-
dicular height Of l6 feet. TO have taken the bridge
and wharf where they now lie. The water swept
completely over COcOanut Island, and the hos
pital there has disappeared. The oil Of the bark
Pacific. stored in Spencer's stOrehOuse, has been
nearly all found scattered about among the bushes
and trees, a long ways in shore from the place
where the storehouse stood.
There has been nothing like this tidal wave
since the year 1887, nearly 40 years ago, when
many grass houses were destroyed.
/ have made a careful investigation Of the extent
of the disaster. and end as follows. viz Thirty
seVen dwelling houses entirely destroyed seven
teen badly injured; Eve people drowned and
killed seven badly injured one hundred and
sixty-three left homeless and destitute seventeen
horses and mules drowned,-this is exclusive Of
the government property. Sisson estimates bis
loss GD lumber) at several thousand dollars. The
total damage has been estimated as high as Sl2. 900
TO $4,000, which is, / think. a low estimate, as
several thousand dollars worth Of stores belonging
TO the ship Josephine, and about thirty barrels OF
eilyofsfne Pacific, are still to be ACCOUNTED for.
Yours, in haste, H.. SEVERANCE.
Z Alta meeting Of the Cabinet Ministers on Monday,
it was decided to send pecuniary aid to such as may
have been rendered destitute by the Hilo disasters
and among the passengers for HilO by the RilOueG
were Her Royal Highness the Heir Apparent and suite
and His Excellency Gov. Dominis, who 90 as special
Commissioners. The Governor is authorized by the
Government to render such aid to the sufferers as
may appear necessary.
At 8 meeting Of the association Of native Hawai-
ians known as the " Poo La held on Sunday on
receipt Of the news Of the Hilo disasters, it was
voted TO send the sum Of $50 out Of the Association
fund for the relief Of the suferers, and this amount
was afterwards considerably augmented by vOlun-
tary subscriptions.
A native correspondent gives the names OF The
killed as follows Kaipo (w) ; Mahealanl, (cbild);
Koopa ivy Nakuaana, (child) Keawepuepue,
ian aged many Severely injured Kasbaeahu,
(w)i K~aelemakule, Kalawaia, and Pauku all Of
Waiakea. A large number Of others are reported
as more or less bruised and Injured by coming in
contact with rocks. lumber. &c.
Besides rendering valuable aid in saving life In
the boats of his ship, Capt. Smithers Of the
Pacific very generously donated q large cask OF
bread and other provisions and some clothing
for the destitute sufferers by the disaster,