The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-09-20
iNCENDIAR|ES ARE N JAIL.
BEE HUNTERS WHO STARTED
THE HAMAKUA FIRES.
Appeal to Sheriff Andrews to Employ
ing in upper Honokaa Homesteads.

Deputy Sheriff Andrews has written
High Sheriff Brown by the Kinau to-
| day to the effect that three bee hunters
have been held to answer to the Janu-
| airy term of court to answer to caus-
! ing forest fires. The evidence shows
however, that they took precautions to
prevent the spread OF the fire but not
sufficient precautions for such dry
weather
HILU, September 1g.-The Hawaii
Herald publishes the following today:
Albert Horner states that the last
terrific fire was start ted by a bee hunter
who secured a pound or honey and
swept the forest from 400 acres. How
much more it will burn before a ram
| comes to eXtinguish ii is problematical
We have landed these men in Jail and
we hope to keep them there. Having
learned the source of this fire we have
concluded that others, starting far from
the original one, were from the same
cause.
81 have ridden around the fire and
observed several trees that had been
cut down by persons hunting for honey
In these cases the parties were success
full in putting out the fires before they
had gotten much headway. We pro-
pose now to make a thorough investiga-
ton, and If 1t is possible to have the
trepassers punished we will DO so. 1t
is merely a question of time, without
rain, when the entire forest belt of Ha-
makua will be wiped out, and a change
in the direction of the wind for any
length of time means anihilation of the
sugar industry here for some time. The
planters have spent all they can af-
ford to put out the fires now raging on
Government land, and they believe they
should have some assistance.
at has been suggested that the pri-
isoners b calle upon t. work a t fgh ing
the fire, and acting upon that sugges-
tion l called upon Sheriff Andrews and
explained to him the situation. He in
formed me after hearing what l had to
say that there were not enough prison.
ers on the Island to accomplish much
The trouble is that the ground is so
dry that the fire burns the roots of
trees for fifty or a hundred feet under
ground, and while we may leave a To-
cality satisfied that the fire has been
extinguished. two weeks hence may see
it bursting out afresh in the same spot
where we had worked with success, as
we supposed"
The condition of plantations in North
Hilo and Hamakua is far from assuring,
notwithstanding the advices sent to San
| Francisco by a stock broker with view
to booming stock. The absence of rain
coupled with the disastrous fires that
nave SWEPT lHdl part VI Tic lSleiilu SiliSc
the latter part of June. though not con-
fined to the cane fields, threaten them.
and many of the laborers are taken
from the fields to fight the fire, and,
consequently, the amount of work done
on the plantations is considerably less
ened.
Horners ranch owners are warning
people off their lands, and forbidding
them using the pasturage for theiI
horses and cattle.
HONOKAA September 1S.-The fire
is still raging mauka without abate-
ment. 1t is now out of sight of Ho-
nokaa There was a small fire started
in the trash here yesterday, but was
extinguished before doing any damage.
Fire is now burning in the upper row
of the Honokaa homesteads and has
done considerable damage. No hope OF
putting 1t out until rain comes. 1t
started from carelessness on the part of
WOrkmen.