The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-08

The vast Koolau precipice from Nuu-
anu Pail to Waikane Is not the enect
of fault or breakdown. but Is entirely
produced by atmospheric erosion or
The prevailing and heav-
lest rainstorms were from the north
east. resulting in vastly greater erosion
on that side Q. the range. A similar re-
suit Is conspicuous on the west side OF
the <aala range. and from like cause.
There the east side OF the mountain
was protected by the Koolau range
from the easterly rains. and the heav-
lest torrents of rain were westerly, and
wore down that side of the mountain
even more completely than in Koolau.
on page 30. DIR. Hitchcock briefly dis
cusses the limestone blufr at kahuku.
already considered by DIR. Dana in his
characteristics of Volcanoes" This
remarkable bluff. he says, consists OF
coral rock up to SO feet. capped by
hi~~-, calcareous sand now firmly con-
solidated. which may extend inland 10
n height OF go feet" Here we must
contradict the eminent geOlogist by
denying that any part OF the blum CON
sists Of coral rock" although traces OF
c. rails exist. owing to It's long submer-
gence. The blum Is composed from TOP
.ts N sftorn of the same laminated loose
sandstone which pervades the ancient
and. massive sand-dunes between ka-
huku and Laie. Those dunes were hills
|ef n~own sand which had been accu-
mulating for ages by reason of the
force OF the trade wind sweeping
around and over the low angle OF the
Kahuku mountain. Their sands had
become gradually cemented by perco-
lating rainwater into fragile laminat-
ed sandstone. This sort Of sandstone,
which abounds between Kahulul and
Wailuku, ON Maui. is to be distinguish
n .oaf
marine sandstone which takes fine
polish. The latter is cemented by sea
water underneath deep sand beaches
and Is composed entirely OF hard frag-
ments OF sea shells.
Captain Dutton failed to distinguish
apart these marine and subaerial sand
stones. and thus betrayed into tbs
enormous blunder of imputing ths
Wailuku and Waikapu sandstones TO 8
former period of submergence. wherea,
they are obviously formed above wa
ter, and that district was plainly nevel
subjected to marine action. on the Lai.
shore are n peninsula and an island
which are mainly composed OF th'
same fragile laminated sandstone; bu
this has become hardened by a late
subnergence. The land had evidentl,
sunk after the sand-dunes were Great
ed, but again emerged with the eleva
tion OF the coral reefs all around tn
Island.
Dr. Hitchcock made special inspec
tion OF most OF the secondary crater
fringing the coast OF Oahu, which be
long to comparatively recent perioc
He visited each of the five craters Q
the Laeloa group. which are located o
the Eva and Oahu plantations, an
whose widespread elections OF ashe:
now decomposed. constitute the exceT
7 tional richness OF the soil which yieic
, such unprecedented crops of suga
Like the Kaala mountain on who's
TANKS they rest, these cones are muc
older than the Honolulu series frol
2 Salt Lake to Koko Head. whose so
, tufa II only partially eroded. DIR. Hitcf
d, cock. however, seems to impute
greater aga to the latter. apparent
misled by Dalrs erroneous assignmel
= OF Diamond Head to the Tertiary p
!, riod.
With that conclusion OF W.. II. Da
y we are strenuously at variance. I
e thinks that Diamond Head was throw
/. up In the very ancient Pliocene perio
+ He tries To- make out that the Achai
J. nellidae Gland shells) imbedded in q
= breccia at the foot of Diamond Hei
j. are ancient types. whereas the expe
J. y. T. Quick found no essential diffe
ence In them from present species. ID
J. says. THE conclusion to which / car
r. was that the whole mass of Diamo
le Head had been slowly deposited
le comparatively shallow water. a
T. gradually elevated. The election