The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-08-13
PLACES ALONG KONA COAST
WERE VISITED.
First Details Of Affair Brought by
Mauna Loa This Morning-Natives
Say Submarine Volcano Caused Rise.

The tidal wave first reported from
Kailua last week appears to have been
quite general along the Kona coast of
Hawaii. Strange to relate however it
did not make it's appearance, so far as
is now known along the Kau or Ko-
hala coast. While the tidal wave at
tanned a height of four to five feet
greater than the usual highwater mark
no great damage was done.
A very peculiar circumstance was no.
ticeable about its movement. 1t was
first observed at Kailua and then fol-
lowing in quick succession, was OBJ
served at Keauhou, Napoopoo and
! Hookena. The natives seem to think
thai the wave was caused by the action
IOf submarine volcano within compa-
ratiVe proximity to the shores of Ha-
! waii, and not by any volcanic action on
the Asiatic shores, as has been suggest
| ed.
The steamer Mauna Loa which arriv-
ed this morning from her regular run
brought the latest news of the tidal
wave.
| The wave was first proceeded by un-
| usually high water. Then, when the
water had reached it's limit, apparently,
and seemed about to recede the tidal
wave made it's appearance. The first
indication was when a breaker fully
! four feet higher than the ordinary
! breaker came rolling in from the sea.
| This breaker rode fully twenty-five
yards farther up the beach than
customary before it broke. The water
swept up until, at Kailua it reached
! Hackfeld's store by the end of the
wharf landing. Several natives houses
were inundated and one hut on the
beach was washed over.
This wave proved but the forerunner
| of the increase of water for following
it in very brief interval rolled a
( second wave and then a third. Both of
| these were higher than the first wave
and went still farther up the beach.
The water receded with great rapidity
There were no further signs of the
wave however after the third big wave
broke.
From Kailua to Keauhou is about
| seven miles. The wave reached Keau-
hou about three or four minutes after
it was observed at Kailua and from Ke.
aRhou 1t went on to Napoopoo and final.
ly TO Hookena covering the coast line
twenty miles between. Kailua and Hoo.
kena, in about fifteen minutes. The
same characteristics were observed al
all of these places. The Mauna Loa
was lying at Punaluu, around the Kau
coast. Purser Simerson reports that he
heard nothing of the wave having
reached any of the Kau ports.
Along the Kohala coast nothing of g
tidal wave was observed. There was
high sea- running though not an un-
usually high sea. But there was nc
wave or succession of waves that differ
entiated itself or themselves from
others so as to be noticed.
Natives of Hawaii attribute the tida
, wave to some submarine volcanic ac
ton. That some such crater exists IN
that vicinity seems certain. Ample evi
dence of such fact was shown durin,
the latter part of June and first part o
July near Kealakekua bay. The water
were covered with quantities of blacl
pumice stone which was taken as indi
cation that there had been some sub
marine volcanic action near that sec
! tion. This pumice might have been tn
: forerunner of an upheaval of the sub
marine volcano that caused the tida
wave last week, the big eruption haV
ing been delayed for over a month
1 About five years aPo there was anothe
tidal wave along the western coast O
: Hawaii on that occasion both tn
Kona and Kau coasts were reached an
< considerable damage done.
One feature which may serve to Civ
I clue to the location of the volcano
e the difference in time in which tn
= wave reached the four places along tn
e kona coasts. A difference of fiftee
= minutes in shore line of twenty mile
g is reported. This indicates that tn
e volcano is located to the northwest an
II that Kailua was first reached as 1t wa
). the nearest place to the center of vo
canic action. Another reason for belieN
n ing that there is a submarine volcan
near the shore of Hawaii is the fac
that no reports of any tidal wave hav
> been received from any of the other is
: ands. So far as is now known none {
s the Maui or Lanai landings were touch
r ed by the wave. Steamers from Kaus
Q report no evidence of any sudden ris
II of water was noticeable on that islanC
# The high tides continue here. Las
It night the water rose higher than usu;
}: in the vicinity of Diamond Head an
y Waikiki.