The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-12-27

one of the most destructive storms In
years swept over the entire island OK
Oahu yesterday afternoon and contin-
ued curing the greater part Of the
night Shortly after . o'clock in the af-
ternoon the rain descended in a steady
downpour until about o'clock, abated
until about 6 o'clock. when 1t came
again more furiously than before, filling
the city with torrents of water which
impeded traffic on the street railway
lines and placed ban upon Christmas
shopping.
Within half an hour after the rain
began falling in the afternoon the
streets in the downtown district were
filed with a rushing flood which rose
almost to the level of the curbing, over
ran sidewalks. poured into stores ana
cellars and prevented pedestrians from
venturing from one side of the street to
the other shortly before o'clock the
Rapid Transit company had to shut
down for a short time because of the
dangerous condition of its tracks, which
were covered with dirt and stones. rem
1ering safe passage over the rails Inn
possible. The Tram system was mark
ed by the lakes of water which covered
! the tracks in many parts of the city
and several of the cars broke down on
| the wheels, or as wag expressed II
they ran onto uncharted reefs
The storm basins and sewers were
unequal to the tremendous floods OF wa
ter which sought entrance, the resul
being that fotsam and jetsam OF th'
streets choEad the iron "rilling forcin.
the water 70 continue on down upoi
the surface of the streets Near tn
waterfront 1t was difficult to deter
mine where the land ended and tn
harbor proper began. Floods of dirt
: storm water swept over the wharN'
: into the harbor.
= Everywhere in the city the pililti
u was apparent. In the Makiki distriC
= the rainfall seemed tn be worst. Th
i water came down from the valley
y above and into the streets formin
itself into miniature mountain torrent
which did an incalculable amount q
damage to residence property. Prem
ises were inundated, pretty garden
tern and dismantled, embankments un
dermined and most of the houses o
= the plains are at present standing owe
miniature lakes. Most house keeper
were compelled to remain indoors dur
ing the afternoon and evening. and onl
e the more venturesome braved the ele
: ments. The streets became quagmire
Z and alas. for the passenger who desire
II to step off "A street car To do so wa
> to step into a foot or two of mud an
rain water.
=, The telephone and electric light wire
!. as usual suffered from the storm. ShoI
,s circuits were created and several wire
e full charged with electricity We're seN
n cred and dropped into the streets n
al casualties We're reported in any part
ID the city,
'e Nuuanu stream began to rise late
the afternoon. but as the brunt of Il
Id storm was being, borne by the sectit
&, more to the WAIKIKI side of the cit
a the stream did not rise above its bank
T. Huge masses of wreckage, howeVe
n. were disengaged from the banks far ,
lr the stream and We're swept down
the Rapid Transit steel bridge and
the King street wooden bridge, whc
a dam was fortunately formed by
number of piles intended for the II:
wharf at the mouth of the strea
to Boards, parts OF shantles, oaha
gtn.s7s, sI11- pTied up against t
q bridge. and only the energetic wo
- of Il number of men armed with lo
Il, pixies prevented a disastrous jam tie
, = The streets on both sides of Nuual
q stream We're filled to such an cyt4
ne that they appeared to be paral
he streams to the main outlet. Low-lyi
lis property around this section was so
lis under water. and the inhabitants h
st to wade to their dnOrways, attired
a. the scantiest garments possible und
-, the laws OF the country.
" At the junction of Nuuanu and Pau
W streams, makai of Kukui street,
u dangerous condition was present. l
so the afternoon. The old cuvert viii
a carries the water of Pauoa stream Il
is der River street to Nuuanu strea
on was menaCed several times with C,
lapse, The old affair, weakened by Ia
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