The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-10-07
PREC|P|CES
OF HAWAII
A Theory Of Origin
BY the Late Rev.
T. |. Gulick.

II mist have been in the summer OF
1902 that the writer remembers to have
been voyagur in the pleasant company
OF the late Rev. Thomas /. Gulick, who
was at that time nearing the close OF his
pastorate Of the MakaWao Foreign
church. We were on the steamer kiuau
bound for flilo. 1t was a pleasant after
noon We had left Kohala point behind
us We had skrted the beautiful ko-
hala plantations, had sDecuated upon the
apparently recent age of the volcanic
cones on the crest of the northern ridge
OF the kohala mountains. and were
opening the great Pololu ravine, ont OF
the upper end Of which my father had
laboriously climbed in 1925. Before us
lay what was ike a great recess on the
northeast flank of the kohala mountain.
1t was about eight miles in breadth along
the coast, and one and half miles in
depth 1t included the two vast valleys
of Waipio and Waimanu. as well as
those OF Honokane and Pololu at the
northwest.
The nature OF this wonderful piece OF
scenery became at once the subject of
earnest discussion. 1t was my first near
front view of it from the ocean. En-
pressing desire to PASS nearer the
shore, Mr.. Gulick spoke to the captain,
who at once kindly headed the ship close
in. where we had wonderful view of
the mighty verdure-clad prccipices tow
ering from 1900 to 1000 feet above us.
began by propounding the opinion that
this vast wall of precipice was simply
81, Of - as t1,..
wearing away of the coast bv the ocean
waves, such being apparently the cause
of the low precipices along the part of
the kohala coast which we had just
passed. To this Guick at once demurred,
and strongly contended that it was caus-
ed by an immense fracture of the noun
tain side which had broken off and fallen
into the ocean depths. did not readily
accept this opinion, but became gradually
convinced by the cogency of his reason
ing and have ever since been thoroughly
satisfied of its correctness. 1t was good
geological lesson taught.
Without undertaking to repeat his
whole line of reasoning, the chief argu-
ments were perhaps as follows: Such
an enormous precipice could not posi-
bly, have been Cut away by the ocean
waves. 1t was several times the height
of the sea precipices both northwest and
southeast. Moreover, this huge wall was
recessed back of the other coaI lines,
from one and half to two miles into
the mountain, indicating that massive
section had been taken out by sudden
local CONFUSION.
An especially strong piece of evidence
was the existence of vast chasm paral-
lei to the coast, lying from four or five
miles inland This chasm was about a
mile wide, mainly opening into the great
Waipio valley, but also showing at the
head of Honokane. Such chasm lying
streams, could not have been caused by
Aeolan erosion. 1t must have been the
effect of the same rending convulsion
which broke off the shore line, and re-
mains as visible proof OF that peculiar
violent action 1t should be noted that
this inland chasm does not communicate
with the great Waimanu valley, but lies
right across the head of it, separated by
a narrow ridge. ! give some OF these
facts and figures from the recent careful
map of the island.
Mr.. Gulick especially adduced the fire.
quent existence on these islands OF ex-
tensive littoral precipices, evidently frac-
tured off by local commissions which
have dropped large masses of mountain
into the ocean depths. | was able to
confirm this from my own observation.
Very conspicuous on the island of Ha-
wall is such a fracture i'll Puma, directly
south of and seven miles from the vol
cano of Kilauea. 1t is evidently quite
recent. The precipice is over 1900 feet
high and many miles in length. Above
the brow of the precipice lie succession
of assures parallel herewith, as if ready
at any moment to break off On the
map this precipice is some fifteen miles
in length. At its base is broad shelf
of fresh looking lava, some three miles
wide. evidently poured into the sea at
the time OF the CONFUSION. The uplands
between this and Kilauea are studded
with recent cinder cones, evidences of
explosive erupuons apparently OF the
same date
Again on the Kona coast is a clear
trace OF a similar precipice, extending
from north OF Kealakekua bay for some
six miles to beyond llonaunau at the
south. The greater part OF this preclpice
is. however, covered by subsequent
streams Of lava from Mauna Loa. which
partially obliierate IT, The one eXcep
ton is the prccipice Al the head Of Ke-
aIakckua bay There the lava streams
have summed the precipice, but have
flowed down 10 the sea on either side,
thus enclosing the bay and harbor Else
where along the kona coast where the
calm sea Is devoid Of tendency 10 marine
erosion are no prrcplces. bnl the long |
mountain slopes descend regularly 20 the
ocean
Tho north shore Of the main mass Of
he i,hnd ~ M0lnkai seems a. have |
lcen i.med In lhg same manner The |
= whole northern pan ~ thr mountain hos
lfukrn ~ and disappeared, leaving an
enormous prtCp.re along lhe whole |
'nasl Indeed ihl. great fracture seems /
- include lhe Nr,lrrn bali M One island |
a mtsi ifaaurr and suh,idWfe ~ lhe /
.amf sind ~ fgfy rrrW ngaufuMr
.frm l0 hf lhli which produced lhr
inR Wrrmrr Hcnr Ari winch f /
fud ifNm iHf youth pUm NJ liaNHN I
lHf north ~ inland mo kshHhH
Ih. conference hdaffH iirfher tu /
III ni myself has memorable anr
W hn kHalrdR Ralmi lA. dr4rl