The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-01-31
Unsanltary Spots in City Will Be
Cleaned Up When Law
Permits.
IMPORTANT REPORT is MADE
Contamination Of Water Along
Palama Stream Shown by
Inspectors.

Conditions, in some instances almost
too vile to be believed, are disclosed
by the preliminary report made to the
department of public works by the men
appointed to draw up the plans for the
Greater Honolulu, particularly in the
Kalihi and Kapalama districts.
The report deals with but small
territory, lying mostly along Liliha
street, and directly bordering on the
eity's most congested district. Gov
ernor Frear has already considered the
report, and it will be basis for further
investigation and for plans for improve
ment which are to be made in accord
ance with the suggestions of Senator
elect Albert F. Judd and others.
The details of the report are in many
cases unprintable, as are the majority
of the photographs accompanying it,
which show more wildly the conditions
existing.
The report says in part:
The Report
ga more thorough inspection has
been made of that part of the city
lying between the ditch passing the
Honolulu Athletic Park to the stream
bordering the cane field in Palama, and
from King street to School street.
"Throughout this section there are
good many old-fashioned earth closets.
Some of them are located in the house
yards. Some are dug right in the coral
rock; others, however, are dug in the
soil, and some of them must prove a
source of contamination to the streams
passing near them. The kind of closets
most strongly to be condemned, are
those situated in the vegetable gardens
and taro patches, where they may, espe-
cially in the taro patches, be surrounded
by water. There are some, cesspools
also in the taro patches, and these are
equally to be condemned
Stream Contaminated.
"Along the Palama Stream there is
combination of cesspool and earth
closet, where the washroom empties its
waters into the vault of the closet.
Throughout this section, where
there are no. sewer connections. it is
the custom to run the water from the
kitchen and Mushroom into the bitches,
and some of the Mushrooms or wash
stones are directly over the ditch itself.
There are so many drains that the
water can not fail to become badly
contaminated, particularly in period
of shortage of water.
"In one section, along the Palama
Stream, there are at least eight drains
within distance of five hundred feet,
and some of them not over fifty feet
apart. The danger from such drains
is not wholly because of the, washing
of clothes, but also because it offers
opportunities for washing slop buckets;
and the sinks in the houses may be used
as cuspidors by tubercular and other
wise diseased persons. Some of the
washhouses are also used for bathing.
Offensive Drainage.
HThese particular drain waters in
question find their way to the Palama
Stream. At times this stream carries
but little water and becomes offensive.
Upon inquiring among the residents Of
this section regarding this point, they
said that at times there is a bad stencil,
and that occasionally dead dogs and
chickens are found in the stream.
1.-THE drains leading into the bitches
that irrigate taro patches and vege-
table gardens are the ones most liable
to breed diseases. There are number
of vegetable gardens receiving their
irrigating waters from bitches into
which drains from house sinks deliver
eAOAA NaNCAby anu LAOm bdIO pdLCucb
which have surrounded cesspools and
closets.
"From Kunawai springs to Knkui
street there are taro patches and vege-
table gardens, the polluted walls from
the taro patches above pass on to the
vegetable gardens, then to the taro
patches and on to more vegetable gar
dens. Many of the vegetable gardeners
wash the vegetables in these waters
that come from the irrigating ditch
water contaminated by dish waters,
clothes water and bath water-bath
water, perhaps, from persons afflicted
with filthy diseases.
"The vegetables most apt to spread
diseases are lettuce, parsley, water
cress, and young onions, which are
eaten raw.
Menace to Health.
"This locality with eesspools sur.
rounded by taro patches or located
near bitches or streams, with water
closet vaults in close proximity ia
vegetable gardens and taro patches
with drains emptyiHg polluted waters
into bitches which furnish water fol
washing vegetables for market, is sure,
ly menace to public health''
This report commences the inVestiga,
tion Of that district lying between No
analua and the Nuuanu river and
School street and the harbor and bay
lines. In the problems that face the
various departments Of the public ser
vice which have been called upon "a
meet these difficulties the question Of
drainage Is prior TO any,
r. s. SedgeWiek, IA charge % The
sanitary control OF the city water sup
ply, has been assigned 10 The work d
taking the preliminary notes Whiei
are 20 serve a. . basis Tor future plana
This investigation win DO extended {,
arlealap wells, aud viii also take Vi
drains ditehes and possible sources d
contamination au dWeii nppn "a The 70
port quoted above,
Tho engineering problem IN Fesoa