The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-05-28

Chisholm when you spoke to him about the
rods. 81 told him / did not think it would be
safe to remove the temporary braces till the rods
were put in Did you find fault with him
then about the rafters ?' - Yes, | spoke to
him" BY a juror Did you receive fair COM
pensation for the specifications ~ " Yes; what
/ asked" Did not that bind you 10 give pro-
per superIntendence to the work ?' Yes"
Father Larkin being asked of he desired to offer
any statement, said: "On Saturday L put certain
questions to witnesses and l now desire to eX-
plain nv reason for doing so. On Friday |
ordered the boys not TO enter the building in
order not to interfere with the preparations for
the entertainment which was TO be given there
in the evening. l went myself into the room for
the first time about half-past-one. There were
then only those two girls in the room so far as
the screen. A screen, quite Opaque, crossed the
room about the second door. The large doors
and two small ones at the back were boarded up
SO that all the back Of the place was dark. When
[ went in the first time at l 80 to see the progress
made by those decorating there was only two
young women this side of the screen and "A
| Hawaiian boy sitting by. After speaking TO the
young women. | walked towards the verandah
on this side | returned Immediately into the
centre Of the hall and just as L khad returned !
heard an immense sound. | looked all round TO
the ends and to the sides and for a second or two
l saw nothing. / was thunderstruck and at the
same moment ! saw a caying in of the gable at
| the extreme end and looking to the outer side next
to Governor Domiulss | saw IT coming in also.
! roarcd out to the girls who were sitting among
the ferns and the more | called the more
frightened they got and ran in a circle all round.
The end gable and side towards Gov. Dominis's
| fell in and pushed out the other side towards the
Church of England premises and the roof came
down with them. | was then about 10 feet
within the building having backed out whilst
looking ut the building. Seeing il all coming
down together l rushed out and the building
Just graZed the sole of my foot ms ! left the YER
andah. | then rushed back over the wreck To
where / saw the women last. | found one
Immediately under the broken roof. | lifted the
| superimposed roof with all my might and was
then assisted by one man and then by another. |
looked for the other woman and saw that
she was being got out safely by some men.
At the time | heard the first noise the only boy
that was on this side the screen ran out. A few
minutes after crowds of people came on the place
and on the roof. One young man appeared to
direct 20 or 30 others in splitting up the shingles
and beams. ! told him it was no use trying
there if they tried at all ii should be At the other
end beyond the screen. ! then went over with
the men to the other end, and ] met Mr.. Dayton
and he said he had been told there was n young
man missing and if so he must be there-at other
end of building, and they had better break the
building up. At this time Mr.. Clarke came and
showed the place where the body was, which
place on examination / have since found 10 be
10 feet beyond the opaque partition. ] must
apologize for occupying so much time with this
matter, but need not say how much panied l was
to be accused by a young, man in the presence
of that crowd of valuing the building more than
IA human life. ! was positive from what ! had
seen llti no OlltI DtIhbn lu1H HOS WHO tNtilltu
had been IN the building on this side of the
screen. l was therefore determined they should
go elsewhere to look for the missing boy instead
Of uselessly taking up time in breaking up the
roof where there could be no one under. / had
sent for Mr.. Wall and asked him if the amuse-
ments intended for Friday night would injure
the building, and what we should do, and he
advised me to put up the braces. | went straight
away and bought them and they were digging
the holes and preparing the wedges to put them
up. The man had Just gone to fetch his ham
mer when the thing occurred. / should mention
that when the first tie broke | got II level TO gee
If the absence of that support caused the wall to
give way, but it was perfectly plumb. | do not
recollect MIR. Wall recommending me to try the
plaster where it was sagged."
BY a juror d" Did you ever take the superin-
tendencc Of the work out of Mr.. Wallis hands ?"
" Never, / paid him for his superintendent the
amount which he asked. II was $40 he was
satisfied with that amount.
In reply to other queries Father Larkin said,
- When we agreed TO give the work to these men,.
Mr.. Wall gave me the highest character Of them.
] never suspected that the building was unsafe.
There was a sag in the roof when / suggested TO
Mr.. Wall that tie rods should be put in but there
was nothing wrong afterwards. / have often
examined the building from points (dcscribed)
where IT can be properly seen, especially the
line of the roof, because some people told me
1t was unsafe, whilst others assured me il WIS
quite safe. The Band has been practising there
every morning for the last three months, and we
have been using the place daily rs a school.
This closed the evidence and, the room being
cleared, the Coroner and the jury proceeded to
deliberate on their verdict which was rendered
about 6 p. NJ, to the following effect (omitting
the usual preanblo.) 1.-The said David Paahao
did come to his dc; Ia on Friday the goth day of
May instant, by the falling in of the school
building upon the premises Of Rev. WI .Larkin.
We consider that the falling Of the building was
the result Of carelesness in the construction of
the roof.
eve do also consider that Mr.. C.. ]. Wall. the
architect of the building, is responsible for the
proper construction of all parts Of the building.
being the superintendent of the work MS well IA
the drawer of the plans.
and we consider the Rev. ". j. Larkin is also
responsible in that he allowed the building to be
used after being warned that it was unsafe before
having ii properly secured.
Therefore,, we the said Jurors do find TINT tbo
{. j. Wall, Esq, and Rev. w. j. Larkin ar
responsible for the death Of the said DaviJ
Paahao through their negligence"
THE LIBRARY AND READING Room This valut.
BILE institution is to receive some much noede5
assistance from the Amateur Pinafore Comnan,
who have generously promised TO give a benefit
performance on Tuesday next, in aid of its fund.
The Honolulu Library and Reading Room Associr
ton being a well managed institution. has aiwaya
PAID It's way, and continued TO add from time Z
time, numbers Of valuable works TO the original co
lection, for which it was ind ebted to n number a.
our public-spirited citizens. Nevertheless, if tie
library is to be made anything like what il ought f..
be, 1t is necessary that the Committee should T..
able to spend a much larger sum annually on book
than they have hitherto been able to do. If their
present expenditure on rent could be made available
for this purpose, a rapid change in the condition of
the book-shei'es would take place. This object the
Committee hope to accomplish by the erection Of
suitable building on the site granted to the Instltn-
ton by the Government, at the corner Of AIakea
and Hotel Streets, aud the entertainment on Tuesdav
evening will be in aid Of the Building Fund.
good opportunity is thus afforded to the residents Of
Honolulu to benefit and amuse themselves nj the