The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-23
THE PROBLEM
Of Cemeteries
Inspector Venhuizen's Report
to Board of Health
Summarized.

In view of the general Importance Of
the subject. a summary IS here given
Of the report of J. venhuizen, chief
sanitary officer and inspector of ceme-
teries, to the Board Of Health on the
question of additional cemetery accom-
mediation.
one Of the proposed sites investigat-
ed by Mr.. venhuizen is located in Ka-
lihi, adjoining Fort shafter. The Ter
ritory owns over twelve acres there
and it had been proposed by represen-
tatiyes of burial associations to ac-
quire twenty acres Of adjacent prop
erty, consisting of improved and IN
improved residence lots. The cost OF
this property would be not less than
$4,000 an acre, and the site is practic-
ally condemned by Mr.. Venhuizen
when he reports that most Of the tract
has ledge rock groupings and boulder
surface rock. At Kalihi-waena ceme-
terry, which is within the bounds OF
the proposed site, buriaIs are often de-
layed and interments made the day
after the funeral on account Of the
rock encountered. While the place has
a ten-rninute car service and can be
supplied with government water, it
lacks depth of soil for the digging of
graves and is situated also within a
residence section.
The proposed waia1ae cemetery had
also been investigated and sound;ngs
made throughout the site, which COM
prises fifty acres in the southeasterly
portion of the Waialae tract reserved
by Gear, Lansing & Co. for cemetery
purposes. Portions of some blocks and
the entirety Of others are solid coral
and unsuitable for burials. About for
~ acres has a depth Of soil ranging
from four TO twelve feet, indicating
sandstone, coral and boulder bed rock,
and the soil is easily excavated. It
would require 5000 feet Of water main
to reach the site. Facilities Of trans
portation must also be provided. Man
ager RaIlentyne of the Rapid Transit
Co. was approached on this matter,
but the proposal he made he did not
wish TO go on record at least prior to
a general discussion by the Board.
President Pinkham. in submitting the
whole cemetery problem to the Board,
made it clear that he considered the
Rapid Transit Co.'S terms as given
made further negotiations in that di-
rection useless. Trustees of the Gear,
Lansing & Co. interests, by D. w.
Anderson, quoted $500 an acre as the
price of the land exclusive of streets
on the plan, with the probability of
a much less figure if the streets were
included, but exact terms could not be
offered without a meeting Of the trus-
tees. Mr.. YenhufZen suggests that a
meeting be called of the various burial
to consider ways and
means for purchasing this or any other
cemetery site which may prove suit
able.
All possible information had been
obtained from the government depart
ments. and investigations made of the
various tracts of government lands
which would not be too highly elevat-
ed TO get a good water supply, with
the result that nothing could be found.
The Bishop estate, however, has a
tract of land situated at Keauhou, adj
joining the Agricultural College re-
serve and north of the Moiliili road.
This tract is within easy reach of the
car line and piped water can be had
from either Moiliili road or Highland
Park Addition. There is good drain
age, as the land has a gentle slope
toward Meiliili. The surface soil indi-
Gates some loose surface stone with
red soil and gravel subsoil Superin-
tendent Frank Dodge informs Mr..
Venhuizen that the Bishop estate is
open for an exchange of this land and
suggests that a survey be made of the
portion wanted. As the tract is now
under lease to the John Ena estate any
exchange made would he subject TO
the conditions of the lease.
The suitability of L.ochview cemetery
At Pearl City had been Investigated
relative to making il one for more gen.
eral use. 1t has an area of twenty
acres and ten acres more can be OBJ
aimed If expansion should be neces-
,ary. The site is well laid out, due
,ast and west with soil ideal for a
CEMETERY water - plpSd Throughout
he site. A perfect record is kept of
very burial, so that any field grave
an be located. The fare TO Lochview
md return is twenty-five cents. and |
he cost Of a burial there ST. including /
rice Of lot, digging Of grave and 1
uneral car from Honolulu, whereas, !
Ir. Venhuizen observes. the burials in I
my Of the city cemeteries cost from /
u TO S24, unless the grave is dug by /
riends or relatives. An Objectionable /
eature he notes against Pearl City is !
h. IL Er,r,e.--als 49, "a l