The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-05
new PAIL ROAD
Section Of The Big Ridge Blown
to Pieces.
ROCKS AND EARTH REMOVED
Success of Blasting Oper.
ations Yesterday.
Large Number Of Spectators Pres
ent-Contractors Are Well
Satisfied.

Upwards of 200 people rode, drove,
walked or pedalled up to the Pail yes
terday afternoon to see the big ledge
of rocks blown out into space. Two Of
the brothers Of st. Louis College
had number of pupils Mt the
summit, and they walked all the
way. President Dole made the trip
horseback and showed the keenest in
terest in the work; strangers, malahi-
mis- and kamaainas were there, and ev-
cry one pronounced the blast success.
The ledge was the large one on the
right, about 1000 feet from the top of
the Pail, beginning from the road and
extending at an angle of 40 degrees to
a point where the clouds come down
to earth. The portion blasted was
from a point where the narrow trail
marks the line of the new road, and
extending about 500 feet straight up
the slope. In all, there were 19 holes
bored to an average depth of 20 feet, in
each of which was placed from 100 to
$50 pounds of black powder. There was
but one exception; the eighth hole
from the end, for some reason, had LEO
sticks of giant powder, and this blast,
while making the loudest report,
loosened no more rock than the others.
The blasts were booked for p. m.,
and at that hour the crowd was ready
to take observations, but one of the
holes was not ready, so the crowd wait
ed and the people occupied their time
watching the preparations from the
top of the Pail. One lady permitted
her little child to climb to the stone
wall and throw rocks down the hill.
This act of casting temptation into
the face of fate prompted some of the
bystanders to make mental calcula-
tions as to how long it would take the
kid to go to the bottom, provided it
should slip while the mother was away.
Then shouting was heard from the di-
rection of the ledge, and half dozen
white flags in the hands of as many
employees were seen futtering. These
were signals that everything was in
readiness for lighting the fusees, and
the labOrers began to scatter. Johnny
Wilson was seen to hang by the rope
that has been used to help the boys up
the incline. Quickly he ran along the
trail, followed by Henry Crane When
they reached the point where the crowd
had assembled they waved their flags
and the stately form of L. NJ White
house, with w. G. Gorham, Joe Cuni
and Charlie Winchester as a back
ground, came into view. Whitehouse
shouted again to the men below, waved
his arms and started upward. Cuni
went down to the first hole and the
work began.
A little later curl of white smoke
was seen coming out of the ground,
then another and another, so near to
each other that their smoke mingled
together. Joe Cunts part of the work
was done, and he made his way down
the bank and around the corner.
Then Winchester took up the trail, and
with lighted cigar, touched off the
fusees of three more. Gorham was
| next with three; then he joined White
| house, and the two would dart up the
steep hill for short distance, stooI
down and start another fuse, and g
curl of smoke would shoot skyward
When these two reached the top they
were mere pigmies in size to the eyes
of the spectators, and the ledge had
the appearance of the sulphur banks
at the Volcano.
Scarcely had Whitehouse and Cor
ham disappeared from view when there
was roar and mighty upheaval o1
earth and lava. Thousands of pieces OF
rock from the size of an egg inward
to that of a window. were loosened an6
shot out into the valley a thousand
feet or, more from the bed they ha6
rested in for time immemorial. Down.
ward rushed the tons of red dirt ani
boulders like torrent of water ant
carrying sticks and trees with it to the
bottom of the gulch. This blast CLOSED
the old road forever-not for a month
as Minister King ordered. The frs