The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-25

H-SHt- 0ltoIlIS aIter o'clock in the af
ternoon the rain descended in a stead
downpour until about o'cl elk. abate
until about 6 o'clock, when it cam
again more furiously than before. film,
the city with torrents of water which
impeded traffic on the street raiIwa,
lines and. placed ban upon Christina.
shopping.
Within half an hour after the rair
began failing in the afternoon the
streets In the downtown district were
filled with a rushing flood which rose
almost TO the level of the curbing. over
ran Sidewalks. poured into stores and
cellars, and prevented pedestrians from
venturingi from one side of the street to
the Others Shortly before O'Clock the
Rapid Transit company had to shut
down Tor a short time because of the
dangerous, condition of its tracks, which
were covered with dirt and stones. rem
dering safe passage over the rails inn
u possible. The Tram system was mark
ed by the lakes of water which covered
| the tracks in many parts of the city
, ana several of the cars broke down on
Z the wheels. or as a wag expressed il
, they ran onto uncharted reefs"
The storm basins and sewers were
unequal to the tremendous floods of wa
; ter which sought entrance the result !
being That fotsam and ietsam of the !
streets choked the iron grilIins forcing /
the water to continue on down upon |
the surface of the streets Near the
waterfront it was difficult to deter
mine where the land ended and the
harbor proper began Floods of dirtv
storm water swept over the wha~ycs
into the harbor. Il
Everywhere in the city the piiikia
was apparent. In the Makiki district
the rainfall seemed to be worst. The
water came down from the valleys ,
ABOVE and into the streets. forming y
itself into miniature mountain torrents |
which did an incalculable amount of |
damage to residence property. Prem
ises were inundated, pretty gardens v
torn and disnlantled, embankments un :
dermined and most of the houses on ,
the plains are at present standing over
miniature lakes. Most housekeepers
were compelled to remain indoors dur
ing the AFTERNOON and evening, and only
the more yenturesome braved the ele-
ments The streets became uuagmires
and alas, for the passenger who desired
to step off q Street car. To do so was
to step into foot or two Of mud and
rain water .
The telephone and electric light wires
as usual suffered from the storm. short
circuits We're created and several wires
full charged with electricity were sew }
cred and dropped into the streets. No Z
casualties were reported in any part Of :
the city.
Nuuanu stream began to rise late in
the afternoon. but as the brunt of the (
storm was being borne by the section
more to the Waikiki side of the city.
the stream did not rise above it's banks
Huge masses of wreckage however Z;
we're disengaSed from the banks far uD g
ne stream and were swept down to
he Rapid Transit steel bridge and to -
ne Alng street wooden bridge where -
l Gam was fortunately fOrme d bv 81 !
lunber of piles intended for the new
wharf at the mouth Of the stream
5oards, parts of shanties banana %
talks branches of trees, buckets, n
grasses, etc.. piled up against the u
ridge. and only the energetic WORK Y
4 number of men armed with long
likes prevented a disastrous jam there
ne streets on both sides of Nuuanu
tream were. filled to such an extent
hat they appeared to be parallel
treams to the main outlet Low-lying
roperty around this section was soon k1I
nder water. and the inhabitants had I7f
, wade, to their dOorways. atti-ed in VA
he scantiest garments possible under
ne laws OF the country.
AT the junction of Nuuanu and Pauoa
-reams. makai of Kukui street,
1ngerous condition was presentaI IN m
lie afternoon. The old culvert which L
erries the water of Pauoa stream I'M
er River street to Nuuanu stream
as menaced several times with col
pse. The old affair weakened by last
inter's severe storms, was battered
? WreckaSe and flow of rushing wa
rs which was too great for its ca
.cfty. The turbid waters burst against
e opening until the entrance became
lobed and the surrounding premises
ere soon under water. Crowds gath
ed about the place all expecting to ~
@ the culvert cave in a any moment :
ID ID let the street down in the opening, PI
Ia the business district all building
eratious were suspended. The water
lich came down Adams Lane and
lptied into Hotel street near the Elite NJ
llalns' iouhd an outlet into the eX- Joke
walton between the Young Mems yVor
IIStldn ASsoclaloh ana Young bulld- Eme
IS. which was soon filed with about rTra1
II feet of water. Recently an open Glow
: was made between this excavation
d the outer cellar ways to the Young
ilding, and through this a torrent of 1
ter poured into the cellar of the -.
ung building. AIakea street caught -
the water from Beretania, Emma,
tel. King. Merchant and Queen Ma
ee's' the result beng that the lower after
the Fishmarket was impossible for Z
lestrians, and horses and carriages
l difficult passage. The excavation
the new Levers & Cooke building
King street, was a receptacle into
ich much of the surface and back
ter poured, multiplying the work of fRE
electric and hand pumps which, EW
yever. were kept going.
Tearly all of the streets In the vi
ity of the waterfront were chOked E$l
h the floods. and the storm sewers
re all taxed beyond their capaci-
). Beretania street. opposite the
GEMS Hospital. was a quagmire.
lg street at it's junction with Piikoi.
ght all the water which flowed