Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-29
MIDNIGHT |
BLAZE IS
TERRIFIC
Great Mills and Yards Full of
Costly koa Timber Go Up in
Smoke-0figin of Fire Is Not
Yet knoWn-Industry Dealt
Another of Series of Hard
Blows
Especial Star Bulletin WirelessI

Especial Star Bulletin WirelessI
HILo. Jan. 29.-Fire of unknown or.
igin, starting at midnight last night,
completely destroyed the Pahoa lum.
Der mill, burned about 100000 feet
IF hardwood lumber and damaged the
home of Manager Sam Johnson. The
railway station. it is stated here, was
undSmaged, and no one was seriously
injured. The, total loss is estimated
roughly at S500,000.
Starting near the pumps, the flames
cut off all opportunity for effective
iire-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.
r. b. McStocker, secretary of the
Hawaiian Development Company
which owned the mill, stated Thu
morning that 1t carried absolutely nc
insurance and that whatever damage
Is done to the lumber or the mill an
machinery will be q total loss. He es
Inmates the value Of the mill and it,
machinery alone at about $4,000 to
$4,000. y, K Z.
II is understood that large guam
tity of koa hardwood timber, Gu:
/, off q distant tract belonging to tn
Bishop Estate, had just been move
down to the mill for cutting, and /
IL is this which has been consume
the loss viii prove enormous.
James b. Castle, president and gen
eral manager of the owning compan
and who is said to be by far the
heaviest st0ckholder, left on the Ma
una Kea at 10 O'Clock this morning
twenty minutes after the first wori
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. II probably will be a matter OF
days or weeks before an estimate of
the damage to the machinery can bC
reached. .&E -"
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 8 o'clocf
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
a., kh.k 81
firm has a large acreage of hardwood
timber in various sections throughout
the western part of Hawaii. the tract
at Pahoa containing approximately
10000 acres of ohia, which has beer
the principal product turned out b!
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 that
tract to keep the mill busy for two
years 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 a big indus
try in the islands.
One Of those who had most faith ir
The proposition was J. B. Castle, who
his friends estimate. has expended
fully 100000 from his own pocket il
assisting to make it going concern
Not the least part of the plant is
the timber cutting machinery, the don
key engines and equipment used il
preparing the logs and transporting
Continued on Page 81