The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-29
.HILO'S RAILWAY EXTENSION
WILL HAVE MORE THAN A
MILE OF STEEL BRIDGES

At the last meeting of the Honolulu
Social Science Association a paper
was read by Arthur c. Alexander on
the engineering features of the Ham
akau extension of the Hilo railroad.
Mr.. Alexander gave descriptions of
the many bridges and culverts, which
make the road very difficult and ex-
pensive one to construct and will
make it a very picturesque road when
finished Between Milo and Hama
kua the surveys show l II miles
of steel bridges, ranging in height
from Sc to 1914 feet. The paper
was in part as follows:
A Hilo- Hamakua railroad CONNECTING
the North Hilo and Hamakua dis.
tricts with the port of Hilo was one
OF the first railways to be planned
III the Islands. The agricultural
possibilities of this region and the dill
nculties of transportation, either by
land or water, have made it an al.
tractive field for railroad promoters.
The first survey for such a railroad
line was made twenty-five years ago
for s. E. Wilder, the pioneer railroad
builder of Hawaii, but his efforts 70
finance the project were unsuccess-
full.
In lS99-19O0, a Mr.. Gehr formed n
company, the Kohala-HiIo Railroad
Co, and had another survey made.
but it met with the same fate as Mr..
Wilder's, and construction work was
never begun. A third survey from
Hilo to Hakalau was made a few
years later for Mr.. Philip Peck, but
he also was not able to obtain finan-
cial support. 1t remained for Mr.. B..
F. Dillingham; and his associates Of
the Hilo Railroad Co., to overcome
the financial difficulties which had
caused the failure of the previous
projects, and in 1909 to begin actual
construction work on a railroad out
Of Hilo towards Hamakua.
In locating the new railroad line
the engineers of the Hilo r. r. Co.
have had for their use all the maps
and other data resulting from the
Wilder Gehr and Peck surveys, the
last being of particular value.
The rough nature of the country
that will be traversed by this rail-
road is probably familiar to you all.
It's chief characteristics are a steep
mountainous slope cut by success
sion of deep gulches and ending in
high and preciRitous cliffs along the
shore. There is practically no fiat or
gently undulating land. The changes
in slope as one travels parallel to the
shore line are abrupt and violent and
absolutely without uniformity. Some
of the gulches approach the size OF
valleys, and are cut down at the sea
shore to the waters edge, running
back for miles with nearly precipi-
tous sides and rapidly increasing
depth. In these gulches are number
less streams of water, which after
rains rise rapidly and often reach an
almost incredible height and volume
The difficulty and expense of con
structing a railroad through such
country are obvious, especially as y
must be so constructed as to insure
permanency in maintenance and oper
alton. A railroad that would be pu
out of commission whenever an eX
ceptional storm occurred would no
answer.
The Hamakua extension of thu
| Hilo Railroad begins at the old ter
minus at the foot of Waianuenu'
street, and the first engineering fen
ture Of interest is the reinforced con
crete trestle over the Wailuk'
stream. The railroad line here run
straight across the mouth of tn
stream at its widest part, where
is subject in stormy weather to heay
breaking swells as we'll as to grea
freshets laden with debris from tn
mountain. To withstand these cor
struction Of more than ordinar
strength was required. The railroa
is carried on a series Of reinforce
concrete piers, 8 feet in diamete
the whole structure being tied mos
| securely in 46 places to the bedroc
} under the stream and ought to
) able to withstand almost anything
= the way of waves or freshets.
Beyond the Wailuku stream II
line ascends through a series of Gu
!. from S5 to 40 feet deep and one TIA
A mel about 100 feet long to a poi
# about 80 feet above the sea lit
mauka of the government road arc
the Honolii Gulch.