The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-25
JOINS TOWN
AND OCEAN
Hilo Railroad to
be Extended to
Shipping.
"A BIG WHARF
NOW ASSURED
Vessels of Heavy Draught May
Discharge Upon Cars Saw.
ing Lishterage.

The Hilo Herald says: After many
annoying delays Hilo is to have con-
nection with deep water by means of
the Hilo Railway and a long wharf to
be built from the Reid piers, and eX-
tending nearly six hundred feet out
into the bay. With this the vessel or
average dimensions entering the har
Dor will be able to load and discharge
cargo without the expense Of lighter
age, except TO limited extent.
L. A. Thurston, vice president of the
Hilo Railway Company, has been in
town for two weeks past getting mat
tiers into shape for the extension of
the railway to Waianuenue street,
and so far the result is highly salts
factory. Ten days ago the engineer
Corps of the company was ordered from
Olaa to Hilo to run the line, and this
has been finished. In the meantime
Mr.. Thurston has been securing the
right of way from the few individual
owners of land along the proposed
route.
1T was the wish of the company a
year and half ago to build a wharf
in Hilo, said Mr.. Thurston yesterday,
but for some reason or other, proba-
bly, because the government of the ISL
ands was in a state of transition, the
executive did not consider it advisable.
Now that the Territorial government
controls the front to high water mark,
and the waters in the bay are under
the control of the federal authorities,
the company will submit plans to the
officials at Honolulu, and if their
sanction is obtained they will forward
them to Washington for approval and
permission to build tie wharf. AS 1t
is to be built entirely without govern
ment assistance the company does not
anticipate any objection from either
quarter.
1T was believed when the Hilo Rail
way was started that the Waiakea sta
ton and depot would be sufficient, but
experience has demonstrated that 1t is
too far from the business center, botn
in the interests of the railroad and
the public. The plans have been sub
mitted to leading citizens and APPROX
ed by them; and such approval has
taken the form. of a recommendation
to the Territorial and Federal authori-
ties to approve the proposed extension
and wharf.
1.-THE plan embraces a line from the
present terminus at Waiakea to the
town side of the Walluku river. The
railroad Will cross the river at Waiakea
just where the track ends, and on this
side the rails will cross the beach road
about three hundred feet west of the
old bridge, and continue along the
beach on the makai side of Hack
fields lumber yard to the propos-
! ed terminus. The line will approach
quite close to the lumber yard of the
Hilo Mercantile Company, and in order
to, accommodate these extensive ship
pers sidings for their special use will
| be built. Commencing near where the
line first strikes the beach another line
| will begin and extend along the water
front, on the Waiakea side of the bay
| to the kinau wharf At the point
where cement abutments are located
| and known as Reds pier, near the XII
nau wharf, it is proposed that a wharf
| be constructed to deep water, extend
! ing out into the bay six hundred feet
or more to point where the minimum
depth of water is twenIy-four feet
This will enable most of the vessels
coming into port to dock. OF course
| it does not include the largest vessels
or any vessels drawing more than
| twenty-four feet 1t is possible that
some of the California vessels will have
| to lighter portion of the cargo, but
| it will not be enough to make any
material difference"
Asked if it would not be better tc
| build out TO where sufficient water
could be had, SO that the largest sail
ing vessels could dock, Mr.. Thurston
said:
THE soundings made show an aver
age depth of twenty-four feet for quite
a distance, and to get thirty or more
| feet would require wharf off Cocoa
nut Island, which is impracticable un-
- bra-, l. tor. ,fF-fl,a
will notice, even in this calm weather
| the brig Spreckels. as she lays in deer
| water, is rocking considerably in the
swell. 1t would be impossible for g
vessel to tie up with any degree OF
safety at this point beyond Cocoanu
Island. When the government builds
a breakwater it will be time to con
slider the advisability of a wharf thai
will accommodate the larger steamers
and sailing vessels.
THE matter of building two bridge:
across the Waiakea may b questioned
by persons who are not familiar witt
the existing conditions. You will re
member that the Kohala-Hilo Railway
Company obtained lease TO certain
lands at Waiakea, and should the HilC
Railway Company run a track to thu
wharves without coming on this sidt
first, they would have to cross thei
tracks In order to avoid this the
any manner with the other road. Con
struetion to Waianuenue street is no
to be done as menace to the Kohala
Hilo Company, nor is the Hilo Railwa.
encroaching upon any CT their lines
The Hilo Railroad Company does no
propose to interfere with the compa
ny, but earnestly hopes it will builc
the line through Hilo and Hamakua
as it will be good feeder for the Hill
Railroad. Rumors concerning the pos
sibility of the work on that road beini
pushed have not been favorable durini
the past two weeks. but for all that
I hope Mr.. Gehr viii be successful Il
his undertaking.
1T is not proposed that the govern
ment shall build the wharf The pa
is to have it built by the combine
interests conferred Ia Hilo formed int
separate corporation, rather tha1
have one company pay all the axpens
AID control it. THIS plan has bee