Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-17

| but a million miles away for all the
help that could come to him. When
+ the fog lifted, the doomed soldier
could see the life and traffic of the
road far below, and for seven terrify
ing days he must have chung TO life
for on Friday and Saturday, the Bird
and 4th. faint cries were heard from
some point on the mountainside, by
the Macfarlanes
Then came the terrific cloudburst
and flood Of the 4th, the heaviest rain
fall of years and the swelling waters
Of the pool fed by the roaring catar-
act above, swirled about Parker, fl
nally carrying him over the precipice
that had been his prison gate for a
weeks eternity. Whether the dead
body of his companion came splash
ing into the pool rising at his feet,
washed from the pocket above, before
Parker himself was carried to his
death, will of course never be known.
Had it been possible to add to the
horror Of his situation, this would
have been the final touch.
1t is believed that Fisher was the
man who met with the first accident,
for the body that was recovered in
Waiahole gulch was without snoes
and shirt. The water would hardly
have taken these without leaving trac-
es Of violence, so it is the superstition
that Fisher was the man for when
the bed was made in pocket No. 2,
where, out Of reach of the stream, the
rescueFs found a broken shotgun, /.
blanket, two field belts, and a poncho,
torn into strips as though splint had
been mprovised. The drop into this
pocket is about thirty feet. -,
1t was necessary for the rescuers
to proceed with the greatest care. leav.
ing a man in each pocket to haul out
the. man next below him. On the first
day that the actual descent OF the wa.
ter course was attempted, the search
ers reached the third pocket. where
Parker died by inches, but could so
no further on account of lack or rope
to negotiate the S0-foot drop. Camp,
Nichols and Midkiff ~ere the volan-
teers on this day. The next day Pal.
mer was added to the living chain, and
with the use of rope ladder, 100 feet
long, Camp was able to reach Pocket
No. T. Crawling to the edge, he look
ed over the brink of the cascade to No.
5, which held no trace of the body. Be
yond the fifth pool, the cliff face falls
away to another pocket, which can not
be seen into from above or below, and
which is absolutely inaccessible. 1t is
thought that Parker's body is lodged
there, and that, unless another freshet
comes along before it decomposes en-
tirely, it will never again be seen.
The details of the rescue party were
very carefully worked out Crockett
and Lieutenant Ellis of the Coast Ar
tillery, who was with the first rescue
party from Fort Kamehaueha, made
a trip to the spot where Fishers body
was found. on Saturday, April IL, and.
after hard climb, determined through
the glasses that the supposed signal On
a nearby spur was really large wav-
ing leaf They saw that rescue from
the windward side was impossible. aid
noted the pail over which later inves-
tigation showed Parker had been car
ried to his death. Sunday morning,
April II. Crockett's party, consisting
of the four officers, Is meE from L
Company, I'd Infantry, and two Signal
Corps men, started the long climb up
the Halawa ridge. Two platoons from
the LIST Infantry went from the Red
Hill camp to the base camp made by
the rescue party on the main ridge,
one platoon establishing a halfway
station. These soldiers carried the
rope and extra equipment, and by a
series of reliefs kept the searchers
supplied with rations.
In a way. this CHASTITY tragedy Of the
mountains has been the means Of ex-
ploration work that would not other.
wise have been made and which has
proved of considerable military value.
General Edwards is warm in his
praises of the rescue work, and has in
structed Lieutenant CrCcke'- to make
a detailed report of the trip, on re.
ceipt of which he will seld letters of
to Lieutenant Camp
and the two enlisted men, all of whom
belong to his brigade. He will for
ward a copy of the report to General
Carter, who, it is understood, will send
=