Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-29
MIDNIGHT |
BLAZE IS
TERRIFIC
Great Mills and Yards Full of
Costly 0h'a Timber Go Up in
Smoke-0rigin of Fire Is Not
Yet Known-Industry Dealt
Another of Series of Hard
Blows
Especial star-BulletIn wIrelessl

HIL0, Jan. 29-Fire of unknown or
igin, starting at midnight iasl night,
completely destroyed the Pahoa lum:
Der mill, burned about 100000 feet
of hardwood lumber and damaged the
home of Manager Sam Johnson. The
railway station, it is stated here, was
unchanged. and no one was seriously
injured. The total loss Is estimated
roughly at 100000.
Starting near the pumps, the flames
cut off all opportunity for effective
fire-fighting before they were discov,
cred. A number of other buildings are
reported to have caught fire from the
burning embers carried out by the
wind and to have burned to the
ground.
HILO, Jan. 90. (Later)-Mill burn
ed. but the house and store are all
right. Sam Johnson tired but not
even blistered.
F.. b. McStocker, secretary of the
Hawaiian Development Company,
which owned the mill, stated this
! morning that 1t carried absolutely, no
I insurance and that whatever damage,
! is done to the humber or the mill ant
machinery will be q total loss He es
Inmates. the value of the mil and ~,
machinery alone at about $4,000 tC
$4,000. - -. ---r
II is understood that large quan
tity OF koa hardwood timber, Gu
Off a distant tract belonging to tn
Bishop Estate, had just been moved
a. Co.
IL is this which has been consumed
the loss will prove enormous.
James b. Castle, president and gen
eral manager of the owning compan
and who is said to be by far the
heaviest stockholder, left on the Ma
una Kea at 10 O'Clock this morning
twenty minutes after the first word
Of the disaster came by wireless from
the Big Island. Beyond the statement
that the fire, starting at midnight
had destroyed the entire plant, this
wireless carried no detailed informa
tion. 1t probably will be matter or
days or weeks before an estimate Of
the damage to the machinery can be
reached.
Harold Castle, son of the comapny'.
president and who also is heavily in
terested in the mill left Honolulu less
than an hour before the fateful wire
less came. He departed at o'cloc!
this morning on the Mongolia for the
coast as a member Of the All-Ha
waii polo team bound for the series OF
big games at Coronado and San Ma
teo.
May Not Rebuild.
Whether the firm will rebuild is {
question that may not be- determined
for several weeks. Mr.. McStocker, the
secretary, stated this morning that tht
firm has a large acreage of hardwood
timber in various sections Throughout,
the western part of Hawaii. the traci
at Pahoa containing approximate!
10000 acres of ohia, which has beer
the principal product turned out by
the mill thus far.
The plant is comparatively young
having been erected and new maChin.
cry installed only about three years
ago, and Mr.. McStocker estimated that
there was sufficient timber in thai
tract to keep the mill busy for two
wears more. 1t had been employed
principally in turning out ohia rail
road ties and flooring and koa house
finishings.
AS a budding enterprise, a pioneer
in the numbering industry of a ter
ritory it is said the Hawaiian Devel-
opment Company has encountered
many vicissitudes, but after a long
and arduous uphill struggle was just
reaching the point where success
seemed in sight Despite the handi-
caps, the enterprise held the faith OF
many in the territory, who believed il
could eventually be made big indus
try in the islands.
One Of those who had most faith il
The proposition was J. B. Castle, who
his friends estimate, has expended
fully S500,00O from his own pocket ir
assisting to make it going concern
Continued on Page 81