The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-11-20
WORST KONA IN YEARS
TERRIFIC RAIN AND WIND ON
MAUI.
Telephone System Observation-Disclosures
on the Kahului Railroad-Spreckels-
vile Ditch Damaged

PAIA, Maui, November 17-Maui has
this week been visited by the most Sc
we're Kona storm that has been expert
enced in years. Some old residents say
that it is the worst for nine years,
while othrs declare that it beats any for
fifteen years. whichever it is, it is
enough to say that it has been a great
deal harder than usual and has done
great deal of damage. 1t began on
Wednesday last, and on Wednesday
night the wind blew perfect hurricane
and the rain fell in torrents, the greater
part of the damage being done on this
the first night. The wind aud rain
kept up however, with only slight aba
tement throughout Thursday, Thurs
day night and Friday. Friday after
noon the wind went down and the skies
cleared off beautifully, giving the most
| gorgeous sunset that has been seen this
year. This morning however the wind
is again blowing from the south severe
| ly though not as hard as forlue' Y.
| 1t is impossible to figure up as yet
the damage done by he storm. In fact
| it is not known how other districts have
| Jared as telephone communication is
entirely cut off. The telephone poles
and wires are down in all parts of Ma
kawao and Wailuku districts, and the
| surmise is that a like condition pre-
| walls in the other districts. SupeTin-
| tendent Carley has extra men at work
| at many points and viii get the ser
| vice resumed as soon Us possible, bot it
! will take several days yet. Throughout
! Makawao district scores of trees have
| been blown down. AS an example of the
winds work, at PuuOmIiei, Nakawao
! alone, some twenty trees We're tonplcd
over, and other localities have suffered
quite badly. On the plantations the
most serious damage has been done IN
! int Of antt1 rnply roll L a
the large railroad trestle was washed
out in several places, fumes We're blown
| down, and a great deal of damage done
! to the cane. Other plantations suffer
ed likewise in the matter of tlumes,
cane and trees. The rainfall has been
tremendous. Wednesday and Thursday
about $50 inches fell, the gauge regis
tering $3.50 one day, and t,20 The next.
The whole side of Hal9al<ala was
rushing torrent and streams ran in
places never known to before,
Kahului was simply flooded, and a
great lake extends from Kahului t.
Spreckelsville in one way and nearly
vile in another. For three days
now two rushing rivers of water
have been flowing through Kahului to
the sea, and they do not yet seem to
be falling. Kahului is a veritable VenI-
CO. and the boating from house to house
| is Il1le. Inc hdnulul l(all ROAD COM
pany piled sand bags along the sides of
their warehouses and only by this
means kept the water out A number
of old shackS were blown and washed
down, and the railroad track has been
washed out in many places. Trains
| have not been able to run for two days
now and it will most likely be several
more before they will be able to resume.
Nothing can be done until the water
goes down and 1t seems to show no
signs of it yet, though it is running out
to sea in volumes. Travel to Kahului
and Wailuku is Suspended, it being i'm
possible to get through even on horse
back, owing to the water on the roads.
1t is hoped that the wind will shift
soon and matters clear up, for business
is practically at a standstill.
| WA1LUKU, November 17.-One of the
| heaviest Kona winds that ever visited
Maui was experienced the past week.
Heavy rains and fierce Kona storm
worked hand in hand, devasting des-
trOying rice fields, and damaging cane
| fields. The rain commenced shortly af-
! ter noon on Wednesday, and was fol-
| lowed by the fierce Gale at about D. M
This was the situation all night.
| Some of the trees at the Malulani hos
| pital were blown clear across the road
! blockading that part of the road; this,
however, was quickly removed by the
Waikiki gang of prisoners; many tele-
phone posts were felled, thus making
| telephone connections with Hama, Paia
and Lahaina imDossible. Business
houses in Wailuku that usually open at
6 in the morning, did not open till or
8 and when they did open, several store
keepers were surprised to find that
some of their merchandise had been
damaged in some manner Several
houses were blown down by the strong
gale, and many roofs will need re-
pairing although everything was done
to save whatever was possible to be
saved.
The lao river was running high on
Thursday leading the muddy water in
| to the ocean, and for quite a distance
! into the sea from the mouth of tht
stream. In some parts of the river
nearer the sea, the water overlooked
making part of the road leading to
! Kahului a small river in itself. The
rain cleared up a little on Thursday
but the winds kept on blowing. Wailu-
ku was reported to have had 9.52 inches
of rainfall.
On Thursday night rain began to pour
again worse than ever; the Kona was
still in motion, and more damage re-
suited; the river rose higher and higher
until it flooded the lower lands at the
south side of it's banks, near the lao
bridge, in Wailuku, carrying away the
wooden material of a blacksmith shop.
| flooding the houses of residents near by.
That portion of the Spreckels ditch at
which it crosses the river was swept
down with the torrent at a rapid rate;
two or three Japanese shacks that We're
| built on the banks of the river were al
so carried away.
Kahului was completely flooded by
the heavy rains on Thursday night.
Friday morning in many places the
water was four and five feet deep. Su-
perintendent Filler of the Kahului
Railroad Company had his gang of men
leading the water into the ocean. Much
damage was done to the roadbed as
the ties and sand that supported the
rails were washed away, and the trains
were not able to run over the lines.
1t is stated that Hama also felt some
of the effects of the storm. The storm
began to indicate signs that it would
stop on Friday noon.
A number of horses were carried out
to sea and drowned by the floods of the
lao river.
7 A 7 ~ A