The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-01-01
THE APPROACHES TO
THE VOLCANO.
What They Are and What They
Should Be.

There are three routes to the Vol
cano These are, the old road from
Hilo through the woods and fern
swamp via Olaa; that opened by the
Wilder Steamship Company, via Ke-
auhou; and the one lately made by
Mr.. Peter Lee via Punaluu, Kau.
An appropriation of $4,000 was
made by the last Legislature to re-
construct that from Hilo, which is
twenty-nine miles in length, and has
always been a rough bride path,
which could be travelled over during
good weather in five or six hours,
and during wet weather in eight to
ten. For vehicles it has never been
passable. During December, Mr..
John NJ. Lydgate has been engaged
in accommodating for new and If
possible more feasible route, but
with what result has not yet trans
pired. It was thought that an aa
flow of lava might be discovered in
the woods the material from which
might assist in the construction of
new road or perhaps one following
in part the old trail. None, however,
is known to the residents, though it
is not improbable that Mr.. Il. may
make some discovery If the aa is
found within an available distance,
the question of making wagon road
by this route Will be settled, and
perhaps the cost will not exceed the
sum voted for it, as the upper six
or eight miles nearest the Volcano
will require less outlay than the cen
trail or lower sections.
The Keauhou route has been used
for the past three years for passen-
gers by the Kinau 1t is fourteen
miles in length, the upper eight
miles being a good wagon road, over
which a team can be easily driven in
an hour and half The lower six
and half miles consist of bride
path through the rough "a that COW
ers that section of the country. The
entire distance can be traversed com
fortably inside OF three hours. But
the expense of taking passengers
from Hilo to Keauhou by steamer, is
a strong argument in favor of open
ing the direct route through the
forests.
The third route, via Punaluu and
Pahala, and thence over the lava
beds and desert of black volcanic
sand, has justly enjoyed the reputa-
ton of being the most tedious and
exhausting one of the three. Ira
versing a dry, hot and uninviting
section of the country, it has been
always remembered by those who
were unused to horseback travel, as
one of the worst roads assigned to
pleasure-seekers. 1t IS, In fact, only
a trail, across the aa and pahoahoe
flows, which was first used by the
savages of a century ago, who cared
little whether they progressed more
or less than one mile a day. and
which foreigners have continued to
use for fifty years, regardless Of its
discomforts.
THE NEW ROAD TO THE VOLCANO.
A few months ago, it occurred to
Mr.. Lee of Punaluu, that a better
route could be found, and with this
in view, he made several trips across
the wilderness between Pahala and
the crater, finally selecting a route
which he has opened up as wagon
road. Starting from the Volcano
Hotel, instead Of passing near the
high cliffs of the crater his road
turns to the right, winding through
the pahoehOe district some four
miles till it reaches the "a stream Of
1913, perhaps one mile IN extent,
which it crosses, and then skirting
along the base of the bluff. enters
the wooded valley of Aamoku, the
surface of which Is quite smooth and
we'll sodded, and, after crossing the
old trail referred to above, follows
this valley towards the sea and Pa
hala, leaving kapapala ranch some
distance to the right. This Aamoku
valley is an older formation that has
long been covered with trees and
grass, and has for centuries escaped
the numerous lava flows which are
formed on either side Of it. The
valley extends from about six miles
of the crater to within quarter of q
mile of the village Of Punaluu.
Mr.. Lee has taken advantage OF
this natural route, and constructed,
at considerable expense, a good
wagon road from the Volcano Hotel
to Pahala, a distance of twenty
miles, over which I travelled in a
loaded brake, drawn by one horse. N
three hours and fifteen minutes,
neither the driver nor the horse hav-
ing even been over the road before,
and the animal at the finish being
apparently in as fresh condition as
at the start. The grade is easy, and
in no part of the road are steep hills
or gulches encountered. In short, it