Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-21
VISIT TO KOOLAU
SHOWS Tunnel
WELL BEGUN
FIJI

The Koolau tunnel project, where
by it is planned to bring daily 10000
600 gallons of water from kahana to
the Oahu sugar plantation distance
of ten and one-half miles-can not be
appreciated in all its magnitude nor
can the many and almost insuTmount.
able distances that confront Chief En-
gineer H. K Bishop be realized with
out paying visit to the scene of the
operations.
Saturday afternoon, at the invita-
tion of Mr.. Bishop, a representative
of the Star-Bulletin stood at the north
Mortal of what will be the three-mile
tunnel through the very heart Of the
KoolaE range. Several hundred feet.
away, in the darkness at the head Of
the tunnel, six candles burned feebly
against the blunt face of the rock.
The stink of small hammers sounded
back through the tunnel, and as We
went forward, it was possible to out
half a dozen men in yellow slickers
working by the light of the candles
At their backs an avalanche of wa
ter splashed from the roof of the tun-#
mel. Clink, clink, clink went the six
small hammers. 1t seemed infinites-
NAL, the amount of progress the men
in the yellow slickers were making
against the stone, and yet these six
were carrying on relentlessIy with.
never.ceasing efforts great and q
stupendous work. They were digging
a tunnel three miles in length through
lava rock and clay and whatnot in
the very body of the precipitous Koo-
lau range. III:
Man on the job.
A man-big in stature, powerful,
self-sufficient in personality
forward. Il want you to meet Garth
wither,' said Bishop HE is the su-
perIntendent at this end of the work.
I'VE have struck blue lava rock"
Carthwither explained with a jerk of
his head in the direction of the men
at-work "and we probably won't make
more than a few feet day for
awhile" H.. 49,. - -. -.
A few feet a day! This tunnel
alone was to be three miles in length
and there we're other tunnels aggre-
eating a distance of six miles and a
half! -..=. -"
Carthwither explained the work at
length. I'VE have three shifts of
men here working eight hours each"
he said. Each shift is in charge of
shift boss. OF course US use a
great deal of powder in shooting our
way through. Just now we have
struck the hardest kind of rock and
We have had to slow down consider
ably. Tomorrow we may get into the
! Ill foIy "a
rock may last week or longer. Who
can tell what we may run across in
the center of the earth?" @
| Carthwither is superintendent of
the work at the north portal. On the
other side of the Koolau range, there
is a similar portal and six men,
similar to those we had already seen,
work day and night against the face
! of the mountain There will come a
day, If plans work out satisfactorily.
when the men on the south portal
will meet those on the north portal
somewhere in the body of the noun
tain. The funnel workers., when this
happens will be mile and a half
from daylight and fresh air.
Take No Chances
The tunnel will be propped with
wooden beams where the ground is
loose. In all places it will be lined
with cement. -.
Suppose, suggested the repre-
sentative of the Star-Bulletin, that
the props should give away and the
tunnel cave in when the men are a
mile or so underground?
That is what we are guarding
against answered Carthwither, land
that is why we are taking no chances
in making the props substantial and
strong" *.-. -. !.
Carthwither knows his business. He