The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-03-11
BIG STORM
ON HAWAII
Heavy Rainfall On
the Northern
Coast.

Kinau left Hawaii Saturday, showed
little evidence Of clearing, have done
great damage to the northern coast OF
the big island The memory of the old
est inhabitant fails to bring up a par
allel to the rainstorm. and the damage
will not be known iu IT'S fun extent Tor
some time.
The storm center seems To have been
the Kohala mountains and from every
side there gathered great clouds Whi'h
poured down their burden Mauna
Kea. covered with snow % "a greater
extent than usually seen. also turned
the rain laden clouds down upon the
cane fields below, and the deluge, which
realized its record about PaauIlo. where
the gauge is reported to have register
ed $3.50. at an elevation Of 1900 feet
svept things before it into the sea.
Every stream which drops into the
ocean. is running banks full, and there
are numberless little waterfalls along
the cliffs.
Hno suffered repetition OF the
breaking away of the floods from the
river banks. and roads and bridges
are wrecked. All along the coast the
torrents have damaged bridges and
the general destruction Of the highways
exceeds that Of any previous storm IN
many years, the reports indicating that
there are only three bridges standing
between Hilo and Kukuihaele. while at
Waipio there has been general, and 1t
Is believed. absolute washing away OF
the bridges and culverts.
The greatest story of destruction
probably will come from the Waipio
valley. Reports which were brought
down by Admiral Beckley Of the kinau
are that there was wall Of water re-
ported to be 10 feet high, which swept
down that valley. submerging the rice
and taro fields, and cutting on the
inhabitants from every kind of com
munication with the outside world eN-
cept that which could be carried on
by boats and RATS. There have been
no reports of loss Of life. but the dam
age done to property will he immense,
as It appears probable from the reports
that the growing crops have been de-
stroyed and washed out to sea.
That there has been immense destruc-
tion to fumes and bridges is shown by
the wreckage which strews the entire
northern coast Of the island Admiral
Beckley says he has never before seen
such a mass of wrcckage as that which
can be discerned all along the coast
The debris is of every nature, there be-
ing great trees as well as sawed lum-
ber, and while the reports are not spe-
cifc except i'm the case OF the Honokaa
and Hakalau plantations, which latter
is reported to have already ordered
10000 feet of lumber to replace fumes
II is believed that there has been con
siderable loss from the washing out OF
the trenches along the entire coast.
The greatest damage to the cane
which has been reported as yet is To
the fields which have been recently
planted, where the cane was washed
out. but the reports at hand do not tell
OF any serious destruction to the fields
of growing cane There will be with
out doubt some loss from the stppaEC
of grinding, as most of the mills be-
tween Hlo and Laupahoehoe had t.
suspend operations for some time one
of the incidents reported by Admira
Beckley from that coast indicative "'
the destruction Of the roads anC
bridges. was that Messrs Give ant
George Davies. who had been at Lau'
pahoehoe being bound for Hamakua
a short distance away. where the drive
could be made usually in an hour ol
so. were compelled To take the Kinau
being taken aboard in a box, and land
ed at their destination.
There was also considerable los
caused by the washing away Of th'
merchandise warehouse at Hakalal
plantation: the sugar warehouse wa
rot touched. but the general warehous
was completely destroyed by the suri
and the goods stored in it were Washe
all along the banks. The contents wer
"A total loss, although much was recor
cred along the beach by natives, VIII
have been hard at work, according I
the reports, gathering in the good
which were washed to sea and the
flung back upon the land. The storr
and sea did the greatest damage at tina
point. according to everyone, for ther
also took place the heaviest loss To tn
roads. The road near Hakalau wa
completely covered by a great landslid
which came down Wednesday, just af
er the passage of the stage, the roa
being oblterated. The rocks and cart
came down from cliffs with such fr,
quency that the japanese who lived III
der the bluff all deserted their hom
early in the week.
The damage done in Hilo was great
even than that inflicted by the stor
Of early in November. The water h;
been rising for more than two days
the Waiolama stream, though it W
slight. 1t was on Tuesday afterno
that the storm began in earnest Tn
the waters came down, and Waianu
nue. street was speedily converted in
waterway. The stream rose RAPID
and at the very point where the m,
damage was done before, at Hackfel
old planning mill, the waters again ma
breach, and tore their way throu
the road, making a breach seventy f
wide. The new culvert put in af
the previous storm, was not gr,
enough to carry off the waters, and
though Sheriff Andrews tried to Gu
channel in time to relieve the press
OF the water, he was not quick enou
and the water broke through the FIR
street embankment on both sides
the culvert.
The rains began on Friday and nj