The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-09-23

on Friday the 10th of September,
Governor Carter formally opened the
great Koolau ditch on East Maui
which collects all the Maui streams
beyond Honomanu and conveys them
to the Hawaiian Commercial, Haiku,
Paia and Kihei plantations.
The conception of the project is due
to the business foresight of the Hon.
II. =. Baldwin and the late lamented
S. T. Alexander who long ago saw
the great benefits to be derived from
converting to the uses of cultivation
on the parched lands of Central Maui
the many streams from this produce
tive watershed, which aimlessly dis
charged by picturesque waterfalls into
the sea over the many pals which
flank the north slopes of Haleakala
Messrs. Baldwin and Alexander built
the Hamakua ditch on Maui in 1879.
This project was a severe test not only
of their courage but a strain on their
financial resources. 1t, however, set
an example in water development to
the planters of the other islands which
they have since followed with result
ing profit
HISTORY OF WORK.
Mr.. O'Shaughnessy. c. E, was retain
ed two years ago to make a prelimin-
airy survey and report of cost of the
Koolau ditch. This was completed the
18th of February, 1908, and instruc-
tions to commence work was given in
the early part of March; and ever
since then To completion ten days ago
the work has been vigorously prose-
cuted by a small army of Japanese
miners and laborers. The natives and
Chinese exhibit an aversion for this
class of labor ana could not he in
duced to work except as teamsters
and boatmen. AS the country trav-
ersed has heretofore been practically
an inaccessible no mans land, about
IS miles of trail and 1-2 miles of
wagon road had to be built prepara-
tory to actual construction for the
delivery of supplies.
The first tunnel was started the first
day of April 1908, and the last COM
pleted the 3rd day of September, 1904.
Water flowing the whole length one
week after.
KOGLAU DITCH.
This ditch is ten miles long meas
VI Gu ny tile tllttl route II takes cut
ting straight through the mountain
spurs at the base of Haleakala, while
the surface. trail along its length
measures Is miles showing the great
shortening in distance by substituting
direct tunuelling for crooked surface
ditch building owing to the steep
polis in many places i. would be inn
possible to build either a ditch or
nume on the surface, hence the resort
to tunneliug
OF the entire length 3a2S2 feet is
in rock tunnel, 1919 feet in open
ditch ana 60 feet in redwood fume at
the Nahiku end OF the project. The
tunnels are feet wide in The clear,
feet high ana when carrying depth
of feet of water win carry over So
million gallons daily.
There are IS tunnels in all average
ing 1919 feet in length, the longest be-
ing number o. 2Il2 feet piercing the
mountain between honomanu and Ke-
auae valleys. Various kinds of strata
have been discovered in this extensive
excavation from the
hardest basalt paho hoe. which gener-
ally sits in blank Is 100 to 200 feet
wide across ancient depressons. TO the
softest ana most porous "a-a," One
or two large cave. have been dseov-
cred which lead toward Haleakala.
while in tunnel near Nahiku an
underground river which had petrified
wood ana ancient tree roots was found.
This caused considerable difficulty 10
overcome fnr as fast as tn excavation
was made the ueuii mud from the an
..I..H s.EuH Il.