Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-06-18
TIE PUNCHBOwL DITCH.

NIT me through the medium OF
your columns, to attempt to ven
tilate subject which is of vast
Importance to the residents on the
southern slope of Punchbowl, to
wit, Prospect street. Running
along this street, from Kapiolani
10 Magazine streets, is an irregu-
lar, deep and ugly gulch, crossing
the street in two places covered by
a temporary and dangerous plank
bridge, to which l shall refer later
on, and occasionally, winding in
and out of the lots, as if the chief
intent of the designer had been
an attempt to initiate the natural
course of river bank. L don't know
what the object of its construction
could have been, and cannot get
enlightenment from any one liv-
ing in the neighborhood, still at
the time of its construction it may
have been useful. perhaps neces-
sary, but at the present time it is
absolutely useless as far as pro-
lection to property is concerned,
rs will be borne out by every resi-
dent in the street, as after the
heaviest rains there has never,
i. e.. within the recollection of the
earliest pioneers Of the locality,
been as much water in the ditch
as there was on the crown of the
road. The ditch is certainly no
ornament to the street and if it
ever we're the residents are pre-.
pared to lose it as such; living in
such pleasant surroundings hav-
ing increased their ideal of beauty
and symmetry. But the main
point, the one in which
everyone concerned is the most
earnest, is, that the gulch is ex-
tremely dangerous both to pedes-
trians and vehicular traffic, espe.
cially the former, at night, as visi-
tors unacquainted with the dis
trict, as we'll as many who are, are
obliged to feel their way along
after dusk, there being no lights
except those provided by the resi-
dents, who as pioneers are prepar-
ed to put up with few adyan-
tages, where they have to, such as
no lights, no water in the daytime,
except when it rains, and other
minor troubles, having as a re-
Gompense free salubrious stmos-
phere and beautiful prospect, and
never growl, if only this graver
nuisance, this dangerous unsightly
ditch were removed. The resi-
dents up here are a peaceful,
humble, tolerant but very much in
earnest society, and nobody knows
what extent of human. suffering
they may have endured, and that
without kicking, and the Prospect
street ditch may have remained,
may yet remain, saints forbid, a liv-
ing monument, testifying to future
generations of the barbarisms
heaped upon their forefathers,
had not an unfortunate accident
caused one of the sufferers to turn
in self-defence. Some time ago,
one of the plank crossings above
referred to broke down-rotted out
| suppose-and large chasm was
left in the center of the road, a
very narrow one, with a mountain
on one side and an embryo preci-
pice, the ditch, which as a seeming
uniformity which exists through
out It's whole structure is deepest
where the road is narrowest, on
the other, and had it not been
for the forethought of one of the
very intelligent residents who in
habit the district, in planting
tree in the hole as danger signal
goodness knows how many acci-
dents might have ensued. The
chasm, tree and all, remained over
forty-eight hours in this condition
when a similar construction was
again placed over the crossing
and covered with few (very few
inches of earth, patches Of which
wore off in a few days and the
bridge and two others in the
neighborhood still remain a con-
stant menace to the safety OF the
public. This morning whilst
cantering crefully along, my horse
lost its legs on one Of the exposed
parts of the planks, made slip
perry by the rain, and fell
heavily to the ground, on
top Of one of my legs, severely
bruising both of us, inside and
out. Now, Mr.. Editor, kindly
III - ...L.L %, l. IL L. ..,L 81,