The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-20
BLASTING AT KAENA POINT
GRAND SUCCESS.
Manager Dillingham; and Party Wit.
ness Two Terrific Explosions The
Progress of the New Road to Wal
nae.


and gentlemen, were interested spec
tators on Regatta Day, of couple oi
important powder blasts on the righl
of way of the proposed extension from
Waianae to Waialua.
The contractors have almost entire.
ly completed the roadbed for the new
line from Naianae to kaena point, a
distance of eight miles or more. AT
i kaena point their progress was block
ed by two small sized mountains of
stone. There is no going around the
obstacles as the immense stones rise
abruptly from the sea. On the mauka
side are the lofty Waianae mountains.
Engineer Charles Kluegel of the Oahu
railway decided that a shelf must be
made on these mountains for the road
bed
Contractor Carl Jensen's men have
been working night and day for the
last three weeks to prepare Kaen,
point proper for the blast. The work
was only completed at noon on Sat
urday. A tunnel for a distance of 40
! feet was run into the huge rock. and
then a turn was made extending the
| tunnel for another ten or twelve feet.
thus making an 81" shaped tunnel
Fifty kegs of powder were dumped
| into the farthest point of the tun.
mel and a fuse just fifty feet in
length, attached.
When Manager Dillingham's party
reached the point at noon large
force of worl<men had just finished
banking the tunnel. Harry NJ Won
Holt lighted the fuse and all scamp
cred for a point of safety some 200
yards away.
little less than twenty minutes
after the fuse had been lighted, all
were startled by a heavy rumble of
the earth, very similar to an earth
quake shock, which was distinctly
felt. Almost simultaneously with the
report, the spectators saw the whole
side of the mountain lifted into the
air for fully five feet. Upon settling
large quantities of broken rock ana
earth began to tumble over into the
ocean below.
Hardly had the party time 10
recover from the sensation of this
shock before a much louder report was
heard from the opposite direction.
ABOUT 200 yards from where the
spectators were standing and about
four hundred yards from Kaena point
proper occurred the second explosion
1t had been set off at the same time
the first blast was started.
Although the second blast was
much lighter than the first, it present.
ed far grander sight. First, II
loud report was heard, then immense
rocks, piles of solid earth, punches of
weeds, small trees and shrubs, were
seen flying high in the air. Immedi-
ately following this came clouds of
black smoke. Much of the debris was
sent far out into the ocean. while a
good portion was landed higher up on
the mountain side.
So violent was this blast that Mr.. |
Dillingham; remarked that he had
seen the "Nesuvius of Oahu
Both blasts were very successful, |
and loosened more earth and rock
than had been set down i'm the fondest
calculations by either the contractors
or their men. Mr.. Jensen said that
while the first blast at Kaena point |
was not so grand from a spectacular
point of view, it had accomplished far
more work. He is confident that full |
ly two thousand cubic yards of rock |
and earth were loosened and lifted.
Just previous to the explosion, Mr.. |
Dillingham; led his guests from the !
ranch of Charles Andrews along the !
lower COW trail, passed the mouth of |
the tunnel and over the point. After
the explosion it was impossible to re-
turn over this route, as from five TO
seven feet of earth and stone had been
piled up on the pass.
When the railroad is built this will /
be the prettiest piece of scenery on
the road. Passengers looking out OF
the car windows on the mauka side
will see towering above them the ma
lestic and picturesque Waianae noun.
tains. On the other side can be OBJ
tained grand view of the ocean, the
waves tapping against the strong
stone wall of the embankment of the
roadbed over which their train is pas,
sing.
This will undoubtedly be the most
dangerous point on the railway. Man
lger Dillingham; says that every pre-
caution will he taken in the operation,
Of trains around the Point. 4 section
gang will be stationed there. whose
luty 1t will be to proceed every train
over the track on velocipede to re-
move any boulders or trees that might
all from the sides of the toWerino
The road is being built
80 high up from the ocean shore ana
lpon such "A firm foundation that ev-
N the most violent Kona storm could
10 very little damage.
\ good portion of the grading is
low completed. From Waanae TO
taena point, II. 7. Norton, Wilson ana
Naterhouse and Carl Jensen have !
cry little more to do. From the 9th
n side of the point to Waalua, a dis 8
ance of tweuty-three miles. eighteen
niles of which is smooth prairie land.
he grading is progressing rapidly. /
g. Andrade have this part {
If the work to perform. {
Track laying will begin early i'm II
November. Manager Dillingham; hopes $
q have his construction train into I
Naialua early in February. I