Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-07-17
HEAR DETAILS OF
Double TRAGEDY
LAHAINA SURF
Commission is Told Sea Was
Not Rough, But That landing
is Always Dangerous

That the sea at Lahaiaa is at all
times treacherous, that the night of
Mayf1, ON which the drowning of the
two steerage passengers occurred was
not especially stormy nor essentially
different from other nights on which
landings had been made, and that the
members of the Kilauea crew did all
In their power to save the lives of
those overheard were some of the i'm
portant lines OF evidence which de-
yeloped yesterday at the public utili-
ties commission hearing.
Evidence was taken until o'clock,
the commission adjourning at that
time to take up the investigation
again on Monday morning at 10
o'clock.
Capt. Frank M. Berg of the Inter
Island Company. master of the Kilau-
ca the night of the accident, stated
that he anchored the ship on that
night half ships length ahead of
the anchor buoy, that when the chain
had stretched tight she was lying be-
low the buoy.
Capt. Berg serves the lnterIsland in
the capacity of relieving captain. TAX
ing different ships to and from the
islands as the occasion demands. He
vas on the upper deck as the boats
left for the shore. and saw the first
boat pull out with about eight pas.
sengers, with mail sacks and some
hand baggage aboard, but no freight
The captain stated that there were
10 passengers in the second boat. most
Of whom were Orientals. There was
no mail on board, but small amount
of freight, including trunk. His
first knowledge that there was some
thing wrong was when he saw red
light on shore waving violently. He
ordered the searchlight
turned toward shore and sent in a
boat to ascertain the trouble. He
could not see the overturned boat with
the searchlight, but could distinguish
the other boat pulling about in the eff
fort to find passengers in the water.
The accident occurred about 800, the
Kilauea finally pulling out at 1885.
Edward Waiholo of Lahaina. a pas
senger on the first boat, and the own
er of the trunk that was carried in the
second, testified that the Lahaina
landing was treacherous. it being i'm
possible to tell when violent swells
were likely to sweep over the reef.
Noses Smith, one of the oarsmen
on the boat. has worked for the Inter
Island three years, serving most Of
this time ON the w. G. Hall This was
his first run on the Kilauea, and the
first landing at Lahaina. He testified
that the boat capsized somewhere in
side the reef, the water being about
up to his neck when he found footing.
Smith was caught with others under
the boat when It went over, and stay
ed under about 10 minutes. breathing
in the small air space between the
surface of the water and the inside
CT the boat. He got one girl from I'M
der the boat and placed her on the
keel. After this, thinking all had been
saved, he swan ashore.
Smith was followed by the steers
man of the second boat, one Haiku
Iona, a stalwart Hawaiian. Iona stat
ed that he had affected the landing
safely many times, working on the
Mauna Kea. He said that the wind
was blowing inward through the chan
mel rather fitfully, but that the sea
did not seem especially dangerous.
The accident occurred almost stimuli
taneously with the breaking of his
oar.
The boat at this time was about 100
feet from the wharf. The water was
about eight or nine feet deep.
Lipano Kahooluhi, the last witness
called, stated that he had been With
the Inter-Island for about one year.
He had made the Lahaina landing for
xix months previous on the Claudine
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