The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-01
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Under the coeoanut trees al Waikiki
there is growing up an institution that
bids fair to carry the fame of Honolulu
as far as any of the many distinctive
~ island institutions have carried that
fame in the past. And it has been car
ried far. One of the sights of Honolulu,
indeed, has always been the fish mar
ket-not for the strange mixture OF
races that gather and chatter there,
although that is a great sight for the
outlander, but for the still more strange
fishes that may be seen lying upon the
marble slabs of the market stalls The
fishes of the tropics, rarely seen save
when they have lost their first brill
Hs-ce of coloring through death, make
ono of the sights of the tropics.
Under the cocoanut trees at Waikiki
It IS now given to the stranger as to
the citizen to see the fishes of the trop-
les in their native element, resplen-
dant in all the glories of the paintings
o< nature. That is what the Aquarium
established by the Rapid Transit Com
pany on the line of it's Kapiolani park
extension has done for the city. IL
is a work that viii not stop, for the
Aquarium is a thing that once started,
must continue to develop. Already
there are shown in the tanks more than
one hundred varieties of tropical fishes.
and the number is being added to con-
stant1y. In fact, the Aquarium forms
q continuous source of study and
amusement to those interested IN
things marine, for the fishes change
constantly. And while there are GER
tain varieties that are there at ali
times new varieties are constantly add
ed. And, seen In the water in tanks
wherein the light Isl SO managed as to
reach all parts, the intimate life OF the
marine forms may be studied to the
best possible advantage.
For number OF years past efforts
have been made by certain public spir-
tied citizens of Honolulu to establish
an aquarium. Their efforts met with
efrong encouragement, but this was at
last overcome. In TIE first place. 1T
was desired TO have site near the
beach and near the park. The aquari-
nm would be dependent upon the sea
for the life of the fishes, and depend
emit largely upon .he crowds going to
the park for it's patronage. At last,
through the iiberality of number OF
public spirited citizens 1T became ap-
parent that the aquarium could be built.
and an architect was at once set to
work on plans for the present building.
The Aquarium, as it stands tc.fay.
was opened to the public on March 10,
1904. a number of invited guests being
present at the opening Speeches were
made by Professor w. T. Brigham, Mr..
Peck and United States District Judge
Sanford B. Dole. Upon that occasion
Mr.. L. A. Thurston, being asked by
1T. Peck, president of the Rapid Tran
sit. gave a brief account of how sue
cess had at last come to crown the
effort 10 establish the Aquarium.
The Aquarium, said Mr. Thurston.
ygas the result of the combined efforts
sf several people The site had been
donated by Mr.. James Castle. Origin
ally it was a portion of Kapioiani park
leases. and was acquired by Mr.. Castle,
and for several years the company had
been trying to acquire it, The Rapid
Transit Company realized that quite
q large amount of money was needed
10 build and stock the Aquarium. and
antn Mr. c. NJ. Cooke and his wife had