The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-12-16
KILLED
BY GIANT
POWDER
An Explosion De-
stroys a Kalihi
Home.

Careless handling of nearly twenty
pounds OF giant powder caused a ter
rife explosion about 6 o'clock yesterday
morning In the house of Kaiapoepoe,
a Hawaiian, in Kalihi Valley, about a
mile and a quarter above King street,
on the road leading past the Cum
mngs place As a result of the eXplO
sion Kekaha, a native about 20 years
of age, was blown to pieces. Other
inmates OF the house were kalehua,
about the same age, who now lies in
the Queens Hospital with both eyes
mutilated, his ear drums shattered,
with few chances of surviving the
shock, as he had not recovered con-
sciousness up to late hour last night.
Mrs. Kaiapoepoe sustained injuries In
the head, neck and shoulders, and the
end of one of her fingers Is missing,
while small splnters of wood were
driven into her body. Paukeaho, aged
about so, was severely hurt by timbers
falling upon him., Sam kekaha, a boy
aged 9. was blown through the house
and landed some distance away. al
though he was not badly hurt Aka
hele, a girl aged Is, and Paulo, a boy
aged 10. were little more than bruised;
the former, in fact. being the only one
who really escaped injury.
The explosion was heard all over
town, and sound sleepers were awak-
ened by the shock. 1t was generally
believed that a heavy blast had been
discharged in the Kalihi quarry There
were several versions of the cause of
the explosion. One was that Kaia-
poepoe and his wife had not been on
good terms for a few days, and that he
returned yesterday morning and touch
ed off the dynamite to destroy his fam
lily and others. Kaiapoepoe, however,
was very drunk when the explosion
took place. and was then in the house
OF a neighbOr. Even when he viewed
the scene of the catastrophe, he was
unable to comprehend its full signid-
canoe, and was taken to the station
house to sober up.
Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth was no.
tilted of the affair about $50 and Wis
tied the place with coroner's jury.
They found that the house had been
blown to smithereens and evidences of
the terrific force of the explosion were
shown in the distance to which pOr
tions OF Kekaha's body had been car
ried Part of a leg was found in one
place, the head in another, and so on
From what the deputy sheriff could
gather. Kekaha had risen early and
gone into the mauka room, where giant
powder was kept. Kekaha worked at
the government quarry and probably
had brought the explosives, piece by
piece to the house. AS 1t was a rainy
morning and there was nothing to do
at the quarry the police are of the
opinion that Kekaha was preparing
some Of the sticks to be used in fishing
in Kalihi Bay. Mrs. Kaiapoepoe said at
the hospital that she heard something
sputtering in the mauka room, when
she arose to see whether her husband
had returned home. She looked into
the room where Kekaha was smoking
a pipe. and saw him going toward the
outer door with a box of giant powder
under his arm, evidently to throw it
out of the house. She remembers
nothing more. except that n terrific
explosion came at that instant. Mrs.
KaiapOepOe stated later that her re-
lations with Kekaha were friendly. but
not intimate. The police believe that
the explosion was due to an accident.
Most of the other inmates of the
house were asleep when the stick
went off. Sam kekaha, the boy,
says the first he knew of it was when
he was blown from his bed into the air
and struck the ground outside. Mrs.
kaiapoepOe was pinned under the
wreCkage Of the house while kalehua
who was near the place where kekaha
was last seen, received the full sweep
of the concussiOn. He was rendered
unconscious, and when picked up by the
police it was seen that his sight was
gone and that his ears We're mutilated
as well.
Samuel Kalihama was the first man
to reach the scene of the tragedy. II,
was asleep in his house which is about
40 yards distant, at the time the eX
plosion occurred, and ran at once tC
the wrecked cottage He found nearly
everyone Of the inmates lying or sit
ting on the ground, stupefed and In
jured Kalehua seemed TO be tn,
worst of. He helped old Paukeaho I,
get out from under the wreckaEc ol
the Eva side. and then notified III
police.
The injured people were taken 10 IN
Queens Hospital When Or CurtI
examined Kalehua he found that INF
head had come in contact with IN
powder, as his face was pOwder-staInc
and burned Kalehua had not recoy
cred consciousness up 10 late hOu
last night and the others were abou
the same as when brought in.
The inquest win not be held unit