The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-09-30
MOTORING
IN HAWAII
A Trade Journal On
Auto Pleasures
Here.

lowing article. which II well illustrate
ed. on Hawaiian Motoring:
No other country In the world offers
TO the entranced eye of the pleasure
seeker. who u "A nature lover as well,
80 many vistas of beauty as do the
roads In Hawaii. The Hawaiian Is
lands, the newest country geologlcally
in the world-in fact, the process OF
manufacture still goes on-are five In
number, taken from the Inhabited
standpoint, and four when Judged as
ordinarily highly attractive. From
Kauai on the north, past oahu and
Maui to Hawaii on the south, there is
offered a combination OF attractions
which can be equalled by no other
group in the world. These islands lie
just within the Tropics, and yet, by
reason of their being in the track OF
the trade winds, they never are torrid.
Physically they present manifold at
fractions. The highest point between
the shores of the Pacific is the summit
of the vast dome of Mauna Kea on
the Island of Hawaii. This cone, from
a base 80 miles in diameter, rises A.
900 feet from the sea, and since In
reality the exposed portion Is but half
of the real mountain, whose base lies
on the floor of the mountain, there Is
nothing in the surroundings to detract
from the majesty of the dome as seen
from the steamers which ply along
either side of the island. The first view
does not impress one that the great
mountain is so high, but it grows on
one; and finally the picture, a water
color in effect| painted by the sun
shining on the glistening snowcap,
forms one of the most attractive OF
views in tropical grandeur. Along the
sides of this mountain and Its sister
peak, Mauna Loa, only few hundred
feet lower, are tropical forests, even
jungles, through which lie routes Of
fering vistas of rare beauty.
Over these roads, of which about
eighty per cent are macadam boule-
ward, eighteen per cent earth, and two
per cent very rough lava, the driving
of a motor car means the enjoyment
of the greatest pleasure that the new
conveyance may give. In circling the
big island, every possible change of
view is offered. Often a stretch of road
will lie through bower of fern and
koa trees, the roadway hedged with
roses, from which one energies to cross
lava bed dotted here and there with
formations so strange and unusual
that ones interest is aroused and held.
Along a hillside, perhaps 1,500 feet a
bove the sea- the road will run through
seemingly interminable groves of cof-
fee or fields of cane, to curve suddenly
around a small gulch until one finds
himself going across spider-web
bridge far above a tumbling little tor
rent Again one ascends to plateaus
where the air is cool and bracing by
reason of the elevation, and for miles
speeds over level prairie dotted every
where with punches of cattle and
horses.
Some little difficulty Is encountered
in meeting the problem presented by |
the lava fields. The surface cuts like
emery. and it is not infrequent that
horse newly shod for your drive in the
morning loses his shoes by their being
worn off before he is stabbed at night. |
Strange as it may seem, the lava is
not as hard on rubber tires.
In Honolulu, the capital and business
center of the territory, motoring has
passed the stage of fad. In 1900 we'll |
equipped company went into the bust |
ness of conducting a cab service with |
electric machines. Its rolling stock was |
of primitive type, exceedingly heavy, |
and breakdowns were so frequent that |
the cars fell into some disrepute, were |
shipped back to Chicago, and there |
later destroyed in fire. A locomobile |
hack service was maintained for |
time but was not commercially sue |
cessful, Both of these experiments |
We're of service in installing the ma
chine in the good graces of the island |
people and in opening their eyes to the !
merits of the new vehicle.
There now is a preponderance of
gasoline machines, although the steam |
wagons are constantly seen, one being |
used regularly in a mail-route stage |
service. One of the earliest of the |
steamers was a runabout brought home |
for her own use by former Queen LII
liuokalani some five years ago. Prince |
David Kawananakoa Is often seen |
driving his own runabout or a dos-o-
dos. These first cars are mostly Loco
mobiles, but very shortly after their
introduction the gasoline machine be-
gan to appear, and now scores heavily,
Half n dozen Odds runabouts were
rather quickly picked up and touring
cars of the same build are under or
der by two or three business men. C.
wall, drives Rambler tonneaus TO and
from his mountain house. Orders are
also In for Ford tonneau cars. Alex
ander Young, formerly Minister OF the
Interior. one of the prominent figures
In Honolulus business life, has a
white touring ear, which has made
local records for speed and hill llmb-
ing
The roads on the island OF oahu
about Honolulu are, as "A rule, OF the
very first order one OF the most
superb drives In the United states II
up 20 the elevation OF 1880 feet,
through the forest on the slope OF Mt.
Tantnlus, Immediately back OF Homo
lulu, Al no point Is the grade higher
that seven per cent, and most OF the
fye miles Il II less than five per cent.
Five miles from Honolulu II the
greatest natural wonder within like