Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-10
What REGENT RAIN
DID IN H|[O CITY
Main Street Rendered
impossible on Last
Tuesday.
TORRENTIAL FIGURE OF
IT'S INCHES REACHED
On Wednesday Morning 1t Was 9.Si
Inches - Third Visitation
Within Past Six
Months.

/
Months.
Hilo, March 7.--waianuenue street
is the principal street in Hilo. II is
paved from the waterfront to the Hilo
Hospital on the hill. where the thor.
oughfare changes from a street to
country road and continues its paved
way up to Kaumana. Last Tuesday
at o'clock D. m. Henry Vlvars of the
Economic Shoe Company crossed the
street to have few words with De.
mosthenes the Caterer. who holds
forth opposite, Before the shoeman
could reCross the street to his place OF
business, he was compelled to tele.
phone a clerk to bring him a pair of
hip rubber boots. The clerk donned
pair of the high water rubbers, slung
another pair across his shoulder and
waded across a rushing torrent and
safely conveyed his employer home.
| That Is how quickly the main street
of Hilo became impossible last Tues.
day. II had been raining a little. The
rain gauge at Waiakea showed pre-.
cipitation OF a fraction of an inch last
Saturday morning. Sunday morning
another fraction. Monday morning 1t
registered 1.O7 inches. Tuesday morn.
ing the torrential figure of 7.75 inches
was reported. Wednesday morning II
was 9.sl inches.
Most of this latter measurement of
water fell Tuesday between Z a. m. and
4 p. m. At little before o'clock the
food, which had been side tracked at
the head of Waianuenue street. refus.
ed to longer obey orders. II wanted a
straight cut to the sea and took a
header down the boulevard. II ripped
up the maCadam. and rolled II sea.
ward by the carload. Within an hour
the street was like a river and water
was almost running in at the entrance
to the bank building and the business
place Of Theo. II. Davies a. Co. The
street was impossible to pedestrians.
Hacks were In great demand and pas.
sengers struggled In and out of We.
hicles, hub deep in water and horses
splashed through torrents up to their
knees.
1t was Hilo's third visitation from
the Storm King within six months,
and true to the Arkansas spirit which
has been so diligently cultivated by
the Department of Public Works. the
storm found Hilos roof unrepaired; A
conservative estimate of the cost of
making Waianuenue street as good as
II was weak ago is $1,000. Less than
half this expended before the rain
wouiu have ayerted the damage. The
ounce of prevention was about to be
realized In the work that had com.
menced at the head of Waianuenue
street under the assurance from Ho
nolulu that there would be 10000 i'm,
mediately available for road improve.
ment In this district. The work was
progressing when notice was received
from Honolulu that the funds were not
available. The men were accordingly
discharged by the Road Board A few
prisoners have been for some time en-.
gagged In constructing a Culvert and a
Dig trench OF sufficient capacity to d.
vert Hood from the street to Waikiki
river. The unfinished state of this
work allowed Hllo's main street to be
again rendered impossible.
The Hood played havoc again along
the course of the Waiolama stream.
The culvert put in on Front street at
Hackfeld's lumber yard, where the
damage was done at a previous flood
was too small to carry away the pent
up waters. A little after noon Tues.
DAY It was seen that the imprisoned
waters would burst through some.
where. Accordingly a force of men
were ordered to cut trench beyond
the culvert. Before they had proceed.
ed far, the water broke through on
either side of the culvert. At day.
break Wednesday morning there was
gap so or 100 feet wide In Front
street through which the torrents OF
The day preceding had escaped to the
sea.
Gravemeyer's rain gauge at Piihonua
registered twelve inches of rainfall
Tuesday night and ran over at the
top. These waters went down the
Waiolama. Out-houses, wood niles
and everything loose or foatable was
carried to the sea. On Ponohawal
street the water was four feet deem.
and many houses in that region tug.
ged at their moorings like the ships in
the bay. A house near the road, be.
longing to G. Akal, was loosened from
It's foundation and carried to within
Few feet OF the creyasse in the grade.
A protecting wall had been put in
place by Hackfeld's from the sea to
the corner OF the old planning mill. This
prevented the food from making Sc.
rious incursions into their premises
although the pounding OF the surf tore
away large corner Of recently filled
ground.
The rainstorm was accompanied by
severe winds shifting in direction at
various stages. The heavy seas com.
bined with the fierce wind to make the
shipping in the harbor uncomfortable.
The Helen Brewer, which arrived here
light from Honolulu to load sugar,
came In In squall and has been pitch.
ing and tossing at anchor near the
outer buoy ever since. She was fast
by one chain in over 100 fathoms OF
water, her other anchor being held In
readiness to drop should the strain
have been too much. The Roderick
Dhu and two or three Island steamers
also pulled at their anchor chains all
through the storm without dragging or
swapping a wire. Much apprehension
was felt lest the storm might prove too
fierce for the safety of the vessels
moored In the bay, The Roderick Dhu
came into port Sunday evening before