The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-09-15
KOOLAU TUNNEL
PILIEIA PLAIN
Would Collect Millions Of Gallons
Of Public Water-ouestion
Of Payment Raised.

Shall the Oahu Sugar Company get
for nothing 100000 gallons Of water
every twenty four hoursi That is the
question which is at the bottom Of the
trouble over the company's application
to the government concerning tho big
tunnel which it wants to bore through
the Koolau range at the 5OO-foOt ele-
walton.
The company has merely applied to
the government for n right Of way,
but has refrained from making any
proposition as to paying for the water
which it will take Off government land.
Its own engineers estimate the total at
s, 100000 gallons in twenty-four hours,
but w. F. Martin, district engineer of
the United States Geological Survey in
charge of water investigations in the
Territory, says that is conservative
estimate. As matter of fact there are
probably more than 100000 gallons,
and certainly not less.
Experts Measure Water.
Mr.. Martin, in company with W. E.
Wall, territorial surveyor; Joshua d.
Tucker of the land office; Arthur Smith,
deputy attorney-general; High Sheriff
Henry and H. r. Schultz, went TO the
district where it is proposed to bore
! the tunnel and the experts took some
measurements and gained some data
which is expected to prove highly valu-
able when it comes to disposition by
the Governor of the Oahu Sugar Com
pany's application for the right of way.
First of all, Mr. Martin measured the
flow of water in the Waiahole River,
close to the coast, and found How of
: twenty. four and six-tenths million gal
Ions going out to sea every twenty
four hours. That is practically one
million gallons per hour
The government boundary strikes the
Waiahole stream at an elevation of
about two hundred feet. At an eleva-
tion of 240 feet the engineer found a
flow of 100000 gallons, which is over
100 per cent greater than at the eleva-
tion of 750 feet, where it is proposed to
run the tunnel
The Oahu Sugar Company people
start at Waikane, which,is to the north
of the government boundary, and there
propose to begin to collect their water
There it is undoubtedly private water
After picking up all they can get there
they propose to come along and inter
sect three branches of the Waianu, {
stream which flows into the Waiabole
) On Government Land.
Number one of these streams, whicl
, has the smallest supply, was found b.
the engineers to be wholly on govern
| ment land. Next the Oahu people pro
: pose to pick up the different branche
of the Waiahole stream, and it il
, claimed. that in doing this they viii b.
wholly on government land.
1t is understood that L. L. McCand
less claims most of this water and tn,
, company has an option on it from him
1t is assuming that he has legal right
, which the government does not admit
Undoubtedly this is going to prove on
of the most important legal question
9 affecting water interests which has ye
. come up in the Territory.
Joshua Tucker and Deputy Attorney
: General Smith had some damp adver
. lures while the party was taking tn
records of the stream. Besides bot
getting drenched, Tucker lost treas
ured tobacco pouch and Mr.. Smith lef
o some of his wearing apparel in tn
stream L. L. McCandless Joined tn
: party on the scene and he gave Tucke
|, a lift on his mule and the animal cam
r close to dumping both headforemos
/ in the river.