The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-01
THE DESERT BLOOMED.
Irrigation ana Big Sugar Planta-
tIons in Hawaii.
COLONEL ALEXANDER Campbell
Describes Life Upon the Isiands-His
Experiences and observations-The
Government Buildings, Churches
and Schools Tho heper Settlement,
Largest Apple Orchard in the
World

HUNfHytoH Eoa|
Col. Alexander Campbell of West
Virginia, who was United States com.
missioner to tho centennial ut Mel
bourne, Australia, during the year OF
1883, and in 1880 was appointed COM
missioner to all the Australian colo
MES, including New Zealand, in the in
terests OF the Worlds Fair, made three
visits to the colonies and the Hawaiian
Islands, during the years OF 1855, 1883,
and 1891, In reply to question as to
his experience and the climate OF the
Hawaiian Islands, the colonel said; 81
have lived in Louisiana, and visited
Cuba and Mexico, and none OF those
places in any way compare with the
islands, l have never heard or seen
any one who could describe and do
their climate full justice"
CAS- to Hawaii's commercial value to
the United States 1t would be indispen-
sible, ii we have any trade on the Pa.
citic coast.
"While on the islands had q con.
versation with Mr., Irwin, the agent Of
Claus SpreCkles, the great sugar king,
Mr.. Irwin said: Tho largest sugar
estate in tho world is located on this
island, The capital invested is prln-
cipally owned in the United States, 1t
is on the sandy isthmus connecting
East and West Maui, and on a plain
which was formerly All arid desert
where neither tree or blade OF grass
could formerly be found, can now be
seen green pastures, beautiful flower
gardens, avenue oil trees, and $4,000
acres OF growing sugar cane. Each acre
will produce three times as much TO the
acre as can be raised in Louisiana. We
produce as high as six tons to tho acre,
which is considered Il very ordinary
yield, while two tons to the acre is con-
sidered very fair crop in Louisiana.
"'This great change has been brought
about oy storing the rain water from the
clouds which has fallen on barren rocks
forty miles distant, and for numherless
ages has run to waste in the sea below,
The work Of transferring this water
from the mountains to these fertile
plains was an immense undertaking,
and it is by far the grandest piece OF
engineering the island can boast. Some
idea OF its magnitude may be learned
from the faCt that 1t took the best talent
that could be secured to construct it.
The difficulties to be surmounted were
numberless First there were thirty
gulches to be crossed, some OF them be-
ing over 1000 feet wide and 400 feet
deep, andit took for this purpose alone
2l,000 feet OF forty.two inch pipe. There
are also tWenty-eight tunnels, three by
eight feet, cut through solid rock, some
Of them being over over 500 feet long.
There are five reservoirs, the larg-
est capable Of holding 100000 cubic
feet OF water, and II they we're all full it
is supposed there would be enough to
irrigate the whole plantation forseveral
months. The Waiihee ditch is the same
size as the other, and is twenty-one
miles long; has an average grade OF
three feet per mile, and delivers at weir
from twenty to seventy cubic feet of
water per second. These two bitches
deliver 100000 cubic feet OF water per
day.
"This plantation contains 10000
acres. In one body OF this tract there
are 5000 acres OF tlrst-class cane land,
Of which 1900 acres are constantly I'M
der cultivation. These cane fields ex-
tend more than fifteen miles in one di-
rection and several in width There
IRE this year 1000 acres Of plant cane
from few inches TO six feet in height.
There are $500 acres of matured cane
ready for the mill, and will yield five
tons OF sugar to the acre. 1t is divided
into seven camps, each OF these camps
are fitted with stables, cookhouses and
buildings for housing the overseefs and
workmen."
"To be successful in our corps we
have had to irrigate. The water on
s this plantation has to be applied artif-
cially. We also fluid that tho stored
water has advantages over the regular
rain. 1t is found that irrigated land
usually Yields one or two tons OF sugar
TO the acre more than lands aupplied
with only the regular rainfall. Tho
stored water acts as fertilizer to the
land by bringing down from the mount
ians waste debris, which keeps the soil
in better condition. Our fields are
known according to the number OF
camps in which they are located. The
irrigations arc repeated every eight
days on plant cane
Speaking OF tho plantations Col.
Campbell said; "Ifound from reliable
sources on the island that the recipro-
city treaty between the United States
and these islands in 1870 gave much life
to the sugar industry there, and since
that treaty the United states has viz
tually had the sugar trade Of the Ha-
waiian Islands, % per cent. Of which
trade comes to San Francisco. The
treaty was made to benefit both Amer
lean and Hawaiian interests alike But
since tho tariff wRa taken off OF sugar
BY the United States they have had no
advantage in shipping the samo to us
with the two cents bounty given to the
Louisiana sugar planter, hence you see
that gives them no advantage whatever,
when they allow us to send all OF our
goods into their country FREQ Of duty"
"The money invested in tho business
went chiefly from tho United States,
aud three-6fths OF tho capital is owned
by Americans, residents OF tho islands,
and in the United States. 1t may be
fairly estimated that S33,0O0,000 repre-.
sents tho yearly money value Of the
sugar interests Of these islands. II Ia
owned by seventy incorporated com.
panios, distributed and held by the tol.
lowing iiationallties:
AmorlchilI.i',' Col OlU
Britlsh,"''''', bI2l1JO
German y...,.., ,,.".' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, lS9l,S0Q
Native Hawaiian" ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ."""u" 2jl0G
chinese. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 2B,WU
Norwegian. 1000
Portuguese ...,.,,.,,,.,,..,.."".,..... $500
Chillnn, o,.....,..a, .,.,.",.,U.,...h"...ua 6iOI
TOial,"".".,.,.,..s.N,,,, ",,".Uu."asJ2,S 500, VDC