The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-04-18
THE BEACH ROAD TO WAIKIKI.

On the lobby wall of the Govern
ment house, near the makai door o
the office of the Minister of the In
terror, is to be seen plan or map o
new road laid out along the beacl
from the old Leper Asylum to the
Piinaio stream at the hither end o,
the line of residences on the waikiki
shore.
The new road from the end Of
Queen street TO the inland side OF
the Leper Asylum is continued
through those grounds to the shore
Thence to Piinaio a strip of one hun
dred feet in width is taken along
the beach. For the first mile or 80,
a slight grading will complete an
excellent road. The second mile Is
through swampy ground flooded at
high water. The bottom is solid; the
work required is simply to throw up
from the marsh a dyke of the re-
quired width. The soil of mixed
sand and clay will make an excel
lent road without metaling, through
perhaps the whole distance. We
believe it is intended to finish but
fifty feet in width at present. Cross
ing Piinaio creek, the new road ends
in the street mauka of the beach
residences.
The new road will be a great
advantage to our citizens as giving a
new and superior thoroughfare to
our beautiful seaside suburb, one
that is free from tramway obstruc-
ton, and of ample breadth. 1t will
also greatly enhance the value of
property along the route. There is
some excellent land for residences
on the shores Of Kukuluaeo, below
Mrs. Wards: the sea, however, is
too shOal for sea bathing. But the
great advantage will be that of a
splendid boulevard on the seashore;
something which has hitherto been
totally lacking. This will doubtless
in a short time be adorned and
sheltered with trees, such as flourish
on the shore, the algeroba, iron
wood, etc. The sea view is superb:
the shore line sweeps outward, so as
to include magnificent views both of
Honolulu harbor and of Waikiki
and Kapiolani Park, with Leah
terminating the coast view in one
direction and the Waianae noun
tains in the other.
This is undoubtedly destined to
become the great driveway of Homo
lulu. 1t is partly a misfortune and
partly not, that along the whole dis
lance the reef is shoal, and bare at
low water, clear to the shore,
presenting a strip of desolate fiat at
low tide. This, however, is a protec-
ton to the boulevard from the very
destructive action of storm waves,
such as sometimes tear away i'm
provements along the Waikiki beach
where the water is deep enough for
bathing.
Upon the reef are to be seen re-
mains of the coral blocks, the cut
ting of which used to employ the
prison labor of forty years ago.
Most persons are doubtless ignorant
Of the fact that this custom gave the
'obriquet Of THE Reef to the Homo
lulu Penitentiary.
Inland from the new road will be
the magnificent view of our noun
tains and valleys, which is best OBJ
tanned from we'll to seaward. There
Is at present an Intervening stretch
of salt marshes, which Will offend
for while the eye, and sometimes
another sense. All these will in time
be reclaimed and grassed or cul-
tivated, II process now going on sue
cessfully on similar tracts at Wal
kiki.
But for the crazy plundering
which went on in the past under the
name of government, and especially
the wholesale and customary robbery
of the road money. we might have
had this boulevard years ago. 1t will
be remembered that under Minister
Aholo, $1,000 appropriated for ex-
tending Queen street was spent for
other purposes, Queen Street re
manning no longer than before. We
trust We shnll not be- accused OF
deh'ring 10 fall down and worship
anyone II We suggest that under the
present administration things arc
not managed in that way.