The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-21
FROM RATS
HONOLULU MODEL HARBOR IN
THAT RESPECT.
Wharves Fumigated Monthly-Fumiga-
ton Scow Goes out to Vessels and
Saves Them Towage-Cost Slight.

The rat crusade which has been wagal
along the waterfront by the United
States Quarantine authorities under the
direction of DR.. Cofer is being kept up
unremittingly and as soon as the Pacific
Mail wharf has been battened down ANA
made thoroughly rat proof Honolulu
will have become model harbpr.
The present method pursued is to
take the fumigating sCow alongside of
the vessels i'm the harbor thus saving
them towage and the necessity Of maui
ing to the Channel wharf thereby
lengthening the life of that erection
Every sailing ship that is brought along
side the Channel wharf and bumps in
to her shortens the life of the pillng TO
a certain amount and the wharf mas
been hardly used of late The fumigat-
ed vessels are charged very small
amount for the fumtgation that Kills
their rats and gives them clean Dill
of health with a quick clearance from
this mort and entry into the next one.
The average cost is about $40 per vessel
made up from half the cost of the sui
phur used and payment in kind Tor the
coal.
some sceptics who have apparently
expected to see piles of dead rats JhaI
have departed from this sphere as a re-
suit of the fumigation have been some
what disappointed at not seeing such
visible results As DR.. Golfer points out
however the main point is not so
much to kill the rats i'm the WharNes as
to render them untenable for the
rodents That the sulphuretted dioXide
fumes produce this result there is no
doubt.
While. if it had been possible Dr.
Golfer would have liked to secure sta
tistics of the actual number of rats
| killed, such a record in the face of the
work accomplished by the department
\ AL L NFr I'm
possible without the engagement or
extra help, which is against the econo-
mical principles of the crusade.
Again, the shippers are invariably in
| a desperate hurry to leave port and as
! soon as the matches are taken off after
! the fumgatiOn of several hours, DR..
| Cofer knowing from previous expert
ments that the rats aboard are all de-
funct, allows them to go without de-
/ tanning them until the fumes are sutti-
! GENTLY disUersed to allow Of a thorough
/ examination which i'm itself would be
a lengthy proceeding.
The rats that remain dead on board
soon shrivel if they are not thrown
| overheard by the men as they find them
| There are generally a few cOrpses in
, evidence close to the hatChWay but
many more have undoubtedly sought
( the hooks and CRANES of the hold.
Under the wharves a similar state of
affairs transpires. The shut-in space
becomes a lethal chamber filled with a
gas pumped in at ten per cent addi-
tional volume, and creating an atmOs-
phere as deadly as carbOnic acid gas
Some examination will be made
of the wharves after fun cation to see
the actual results, but w''h every tine
the process is applied. ''r rats will get
fewer, the cunning rC1 nts soon Learn
ing that it is DANCE us ground, so
that after a few moths regular work
there will be few ats except the latest
malihinis who viii venture under the
traps. Experiments made by boxing a
hole i'm the wharf, farthest from the
aperture where the gas is pumped in
stopping the same with a cork which is
! taken out during the process, have
shown cOnclusivelv that every nook is
thoroughly permeated. The fumigatiOT
of the wharves is regularly established
! to take place once month and with
the present success. aided by the
| "kapu" rat tunnels on the hawsers, the
water front of Honolulu will soon pre-
| sent a charmed half circle into which
no rat may safely venture.