The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-22

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THE rat campaign on the water
front is now going on in full blast,
and yesterday marked another
stage of the energetic fight against the
rodents. Yesterday forenoon the bark
I Mohican was hauled over to the Quar-
antine wharf, where her hold was
pumped full of sulphur fumes. All her
matches were sealed and the fumes
were being pumped into her for three
hours. She left the Quarantine wharf
and was towed over to the Kinau
wharf. Her matches Will remain closed
for about twenty-four hours. At noon
the bark c. D. Bryant got a like dose,
and the bark S. c. Allen followed her.
Today the Rosamond, the Mauna Ala,
the TiIlie e. Starbuck and the Marston
will probably be fumigated.
On the wharves also the fight is be-
| ing carried on with energy. The Wilder
people have had poison out on different
places on and under their wharves. So
far. no rats have suffered, and it is
suspected that the poison used must be
of the well known official kind. In
stead OF getting rid Of the rats, how
ever, the local whamrf pussy cat was
lost She had been removed from the
wharves to prevent her from eating of
the poison, and has now disappeared.
The Wilder people are now going to
try their luck with traps. A large
number of these were received at the
wharf yesterday morning. They were
baited and distributed at different
places on the wharves last night.
The railroad people are now engaged
in carrying out their plans for making
their two wharves rat proof. During
yesterday the work of disccnnecting
the smaller wharf from the shore was
nearly finished. For a space of ten
feet near the mauka end of the wharf
the plank flooring has been taken UP,
and only the large beams which sup
port the rails are left. There are ten
rails crossing the opening. and each
beam is surrounded with metal sheath
ing for a few feet along the middle.
over this a rat guard made of metal
is placed. 1t is fifteen inches high and
three feet wide. thus projecting about |
q foot from each side of the timber !
The guards are removable, and will
be taken off and replaced each time a !
train passes. 1t is thought that this |
will not take any more time than the !
throwing open of a switch, and Mr.. |
Denison is determined that the guards |
shall always be in their places except !
when a train is actually passing, even |
If it may cost little time to shift
them.
At the middle of the opening pas
sage way of about two feet wide has
been made. This will also be provided
with a rat guard. There will be rail-
ing along the edge of the opening to
prevent any stray Jack tars from fall
ing into the water. over this walk
there will be placed a rat guard fifteen /
inches high.
The work on the large railroad wharf
has not begun as yet, but the long !
2-inch boards which are TO form al
alright wall eight feet deep, which |
will be two feet below the surface of
the water, are at present being pre- |
pared at the Railroad Company's mill
They will be tongue and grooved, and
will be placed close together, so that
these walls will be practically air
tight The floor of the big wharf Will
be caulI1ed where the cracks between
the planks are small. In the larger
cracks laths will be hammered in so
that the floor will be alright. the
railroad company has for the past
month been fighting the rats by means
of poison. Strychnine and wheat Is
used, and a great number of rats have
been killed by 1t.
Longshoremen Meet.