The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-07-17
BIG WATER
LITIGATION
Commissioner },
F. Browns
Report.

Jacob F. Brown, commissioner APP
pointed by Judge De Bolt on January Z,
1903, to take testimony in the water
Injunction suit of Hawaiian CONNER
cial G. Sugar Co. VS.. Waikiki Sugar
Co.. yesterday filed his report. There
will be a hearing upon 1t today. 1t Is
presented in bound volume of 1923
typewriter pages, accompanied by So
exhibits of deeds. surveys, reports, etc.
in writing from both parties are re-
spectively separated. Their local ref
erences and technical character gen.
orally prevent the making of any sum-
mary that would be of common public
interest. However, there are a few
facts presented which will bear publi-
cation.
The bed of the Wailuku river is the
natural channel in which all the wa
ter from the water courses in the lao
or Wailuku valley and from a further
considerable portion of the ahupuaa of
Waikiki. If not diverted, would nat
urally flow seward, including all
freshet, flood and other water not APP
purtenant to taro land or acquired by
prescriptive use.
The formation of the Wailuku val
ley has an upper stratum, varying APP
proximately from twenty-five feet to
fifty feet in depth, composed of loose
boulders. sand and gravel. forming a
kind of gravel reservoir, into which
water flowing from the lao gulch, if not
diverted. near the head of the gulch.
would soak; and it's seepage in time of
drouth would aid in supplying water
for the kalo lands below.
The diversion of water, especially Of
flood water, at the Maniania gulch,
prevents the water SO diverted from
doing it's share in saturating the reser-
voir of the valley bed, and to that ex-
tent seepage to the lower kalo lands
is diminished.
The valley apparently has a sub
stratum of hard rock, considerably i'm
pervious to water. The tendency of
the water occupying the upper stratum
would be to move gradually seward,
and while so doing. If the reservoir
were filled, water would appear on the
surface in depressions and undulations.
In the early fifties Kamehameha III
inaugurated the planting of sugar cane
for the purpose of manufacturing the
same into sugar on various lands with
in the water shed of Waikiki river, in
Guiding the land of Owa and portion of
Puuohala district, aforesaid, and erect
ed mill to grind the cane SO grown.
The arabic kula lands under the Ka-
lani and Kama Auwai within the
crown sales made by Kamehameha ",
We're sold and conveyed by Kameha-
meha ~ as and for cane lands upon
which to raise crops other than taro
and with the expectation that the same
would be watered from the Waikiki
river.
There is a further chain of this his
tory of early cane-growing on Maui in
the report.
1t takes a continuous flow of at least
two and three-fourths millions gallons
per twenty-four hours to maintain
ninety acres of land in taro in Wailuku
If the taro lands are properly tamped
ana cultivated.
1t would be wholly impractcable,
even with the normal supply of water
from the Waikiki river, including
freshets, to cultivate the whole of the
taro patches in Waikiki watered by
the Wailuku river, If the patches We're
not properly tamped.
taro patch untamped in the dis
trict Of Wailuku will consume about
double the amount OF water that the
same patch would consume If properly
tamped.
The water rights appurtenant to a
certain purchase or about forty-five
acres OF taro land by the Waikiki
Sugar Co. would properly irrigate and
maintain 125 acres in cane.
The Wailuku river is a perpetual
stream and always has water flowing
in its bed from its source to the bridge
crossing it on the public road from
Waikiki to Waihee
The II. C. & S. Co.'S tunnel flows
about one to one and a quarter mil
lion gallons in twenty-four hours.
The w. S. Co.'s tunnel flows from
three-quarters to one million gallons
in twenty-four hours.
Many findings requested among hun
dreds altogether are denied as being on
matters for the courts and not the COM