The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-04-18
MACDONALD INTERVIEWED.

WHuuUNhLU IN lEh3tEHEUs
A BULLETIN reporter interviewed
Mr.. j. NJ. Macdonald on his re turn
from Hilo, yesterday, and the fol-
lowing information, regarding the
progress of the Volcano road, ETC.,
was obtained.
Reporter-Well, Mac, how were
you pleased with your trip to the
Volcano?
Mac Everything was satisfac-
tory, and was much pleased with
every part of the iourney-the whole
trip was like II beautiful panorama,
pleasing to the eye and instructive
TO the mind.
Rep. What is the progress of the
Volcano road so far as grading and
grubbing are concerned?
Mac.-The grubbing extends five
miles from Hilo, and the grading is
being energetically pushed within
few hundred yards of the grubbers.
Rep.-Can you describe the road
bed as it is and will be when finish
ed?
Mac.-Yes. The roadbcd is from
16 to lS feet wide with 40 feet in
the Clear" and this width gives
ample room for teams to pass each
other. The graders, GO in number,
are nearly mile into the first woods
which are at this point miles wide
and the superintendent, Mr.. Marlin,
estimates that he will be about two
months in getting the work con-
structed through the timber, after
which the progress through the ferns
will be rapid. The last mile of the
read already graded is very substan-
tial and there has been good deal
of rock blasted-the debris having
been used to fill up the hollows.
The whole work is well done, so far,
and Mr.. Marlin has proved himself
| good road-maker. Much of the
road, when finished, will be nearly
level and the steepest grade will not
exceed six per cent. The accepted
survey runs to the left of the pre-
sent track to the Volcano, and the
new road will avoid much of the
pahoehoe and intersect rich dark
colored alluvial lands for miles be-
fore reaching the halfway house.
With q grade of not more than six
per cent. in any place, and good
hard road, buggy drive from Hilo
to the Volcano House need not ex-
coed five hours, while the return
journey could be made easily in 4
hours. The scenery through which
the road will pass is pretty, and
doubtless will be interesting to
tourists from its tropical character.
Rep.-Did you travel on the new
survey?
Mac.-Yes. l went up the horse
track, but / came down the survey
and took full notes. In places the
old track is crossed, and sometimes
followed where it is suitable. The
horse track goes straight over emf
nences; but the new road will 60
around these, and, in the end, will
not be much longer as several shorter
cuts arc made to counterbalance the
windngs. When finished, this new
Volcano road will be a great advan-
tage to Hilo in many ways, as well
as to tourist travel.
Rep.-Was the Volcano active
during your visit?
Mac.-No. The boiling lava was
about II feet below the surface Of
both lakes, one of which was about
400 feet in diameter, and the othel
about 100 feet. The distance be-
tween these lakes was about 30C
yards; and the larger one is on the
western base of Halemaumau, pile
of irregular rocks near the centre of
the great crater. There were nc
lava flows during my visit but
there was one few days before
which, by the time l passed over it
had cooled and assumed an appear
ance similar to the surroundings.
Rep.-Were there many visitor,
during your stay at the Volcano
House?
Mac.-Some four or five, two O
whom were from the Kau side. The
weather was very fine during m,