The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-22
ARTES|AN SUPPLY SURE
NO FEAR FOR IT'S GIVING OUT
WHERE IT EXISTS.
Rainfall is Its only Source, But Con-
ditlons Of the Gathering of That
Rainfall are Constant.


In the Planters Monthly for June. is
an especially interesting and important
article by DR.. Walter Maxwell on ar
tesian water supply. which is Of Pc
culiar interest at this time. The object
OF the paper is to point out the differ
cnCe between the water conditions on
the Island of Molokai where the Ameri-
can Sugar Company has been obliged
to. abandon the effort to create a plan
tation because Of a lack of a supply Of
water. and the conditions elsewhere.
DR.. Maxwell asserts that the geological
considerations are emphatic against
finding water on Molokai. His con-
clusiOn is that where water is found
today, it will continue to be found and
in the same abundance, conditional up
on the same rainfall that has hereto
fore obtained"
on this differentiation of conditions,
DR.. Maxwell's paper is as follows:
1T is necessary to emphatically dis
tingush between the water PROPOSE
ton as 1t was apparent in the said To-
calities on Molokai, and the water sup
plies of other districts upon the sew
eral Islands. To persons who looked at
the matter of the rainfall upon Molo-
kai, and the underground discharge of
the water to the sea, it was apparent
that the great body of that discharge
island facing the island of Maui, and,
owing to geological desiderata, nothing
mQe than some vagrant water would
be found slowly working its way to the
ocean under the lands of Kaunakakai.
Before the American Sugar Co. was
incorporated, l strongly put before the
promoters the dire improbability of
finding water A little sweet water
(vagrant wateT was found, as pre-
dicted. but the final results have only
too clearly demonstrated the sOundness
OF the views that were based on the
geological aspects of the situation, and
have shown that the rainfall is wasting
into the sea on the other side, where it
was also stated that water would be
found.
Mr.. Editor, the situation on Molokai
(there are other localities also where
water will not be found) must not be
confused with other locations The
geological reasons are just as ample
and definite for the presence of rela-
tive abundance of water in locations
like Eva, Lahaina, or Haiku as they
were emphatic against the probability
of water in the said locality on Molo-
kai. Also the reasons, on geological
grounds, which indicated that water
would be found in the above mention
/ ed, and in other localities are a guaran-
Ity not only for the abundance, but
| likewise for the constancy and con-
/
found today it will continue to be
found, and in the same abundance, con-
| ditonal upon the same rainfall that
has heretofore obtained. The rainfall
is our only source of fresh water. The
rainfall varies with the years, conse-
quently the volume of available water.
In a publication some four years
! ago, l put the average of the annual
! precipitation upon Oahu at 6252 billion
gallons, and the volume of dutiable
water that was wasting into the sea
at 1853 billion gallons. The results that
| have followed the sinking of more
wells and the use of more water in irri-
cation, and especially as these have
been accentuated by the past two
relatively dry seasons,-I say these re-
suits indicate that the calculations
made four years ago may turn out to
/ be more nearly correct than / at that
time ventured to think. Before the
rains of last month came some of our
wells were getting shaky; since the
rains Prof. Lyons has reported the re-
sponse of the wells to the new noun
tain supply.
Some wells, even upon the best wa
| tersheds, are more sensitive than 9th
ers, which is due to the fact that given
localities, like Eva district, are resting
upon the back of the extreme conver-
gence of discharge whilst other To-
calities and the wells within them. are
I
tershed. In any district, however, II
the draft upon the water runs Gloss
up to the volume of supply the wells
will show it, and some will show ii
sooner than others. | return, how
ever, to the statement that where wa
ter is found i'm abundance today il
will always be found in the same abun-
dance, providing the rainfall continues
the same as heretofore.
ITO suggest that the rainfall may
not continue as heretofore. (proViding
we do what we can to maintain iD Is
beside the question, and / will moi
waste time upon it. / am absolutely
sure that the supply of artesian water
will keep up in all those localities where
it's abundance is ample and before ou'
eyes, If more land continues to ht
brought under irrigation, that does no.
lessen the natural supply of water. j
may and it must, lead to a more scien
tific and economic use Of the supply
Personally, / am quite sure thac III.
volume of water that is being used "
given localities today is capable o.
rendering double its present duty-lh 4
is il can be made to furnish dOubl,
the present equivalent of sugar.
"The crucial significance of the watel
supply in relation TO out sugar crop Il
apparent to everybody, and everyone
knows what ii would mean If the sup
ply gave out. 1t is also very desirable
that no such impression should become
current, and merely because misfortune
has followed undertakings in certain
specific locations. For such reasons
have thus ventured to allude to you
otherwise very excellent editorial, AM
because it is necessary to place beyon'
question the infallibility of the suppl.
in those districts where it is now abun
dant unless Nature herself utterly re
verses her present procedure
Has FEW EOTTATS