The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-09-03
twenty-five Hundred Soldiers
Fight Conflauration With
bitches and Slap Out Part
With Gunny Sacks Of Earth
WIND POCKETS ON SLOPES
FAN FLAMES TOWARD CREST
May Climb Over Top and Threat
en- Plantations, verdure Being
Dry As Tinder-one Big Fire
On Other Side Extinguished
(From Wednesdays Advertiser,)

(From Wednesdays Advertiser,)
A forest FIRE is raging in the foot
hills Of the Waianae mountains bacE
of SchofieId Barracks and may creep
over the top of the range. For the
last four days from 1900 to $500 sol.
diers from the barracks, under com
mand of Col Samuel d.. Sturgis, com
manding the First Field Artillery, have
been fighting the FIRE and have not yet
got it under control. Details Of the fire
did not reach Honolulu until last night.
By hard work yesterday the soldiers
succeeded in subduing the flames, but
it is feared they will break out again
today and spread Already there are
several small areas on the steep slopes
where the fire is raging and it is i'm
possible for any resistance to be Of
fered because of the mace essibility of
} the heights.
Illumination Seen For Miles
The fire lighted up the area Monday
night for miles around. The light
could be seen from the other side Of
| the range and it was reported that the
reflection in the sky could be seen from
| Honolulu.
The smoke from the FIRE has been
tremendous Yesterday it was a chok-
ing and swirling mass and retarded
ne work of the soldier fremen to a
great extent.
The verdure in the vicinity is dry
as finder and the pockets of the slope
raw bowling draft from the wind,
| which fans the flames into higher spots,
5 with the result that it is slowly creep
ing up toward the crest
Fire starts On Target Range
The fire started about a week ago
from firing on the target range and
soldiers Immediately were put to work
I lighting it. Several times it was be-
Iieved to have been extinguished, but
,tarted anew.
From Saturday noon until Monday
morning there was no trace of smoke or
lanes. but in the meantime the punk
ike texture of the soil had been
r smouldering and about ten O'Clock on
}. Monday morning it started again,
lanes leaping up and forging ahead,
!. agerly devouring the dry vegetation in
g he path.
=. Yesterday it was necessary to put
Y 800 soldiers about the burning area,
, which was attacked with backfre.
- funny sacks filed with wet earth also
we're used to slap out the flames.
)ne Square Mile Affected
The fire covers about one square mile
md is located between Kolekole Pass
! md the Kaala mountains. The slopes
l lere are covered with ferns and long
yrass intermingled with koa and kukui
timber. Because the roots extend so
y | Inc tha haa Gank
turning when apparently out the fire
xtending down into the ground, where
7 it smoldered as if in peat bog.
While there is danger that it will
reep up and over the crest, it is be-
leved by officers at SchofelG Barracks
hat the fire cannot spread to the south
ecause of a wide gulch that stands in
IS path and which the flames probably
il could not leap.
;, Waianae Plantation Warned
Y Brigadier-General Wiser, command,
mt at Schofeld Barracks, yesterday
Warned the Waianae Plantation Com
any and it is understood that prepare
ions have been made to meet the fire
I it creeps into that district.
The Waialua Agricultural Company
+ lso has prepared to fight the roll of
.ames if its plantation is threatened.
llready there has been one fire on that
ide of the range.
On Sunday a fire covering as large
: II area rs the one now on the other
= ide burst out at Male Point, two miles
way from Schofeld Barracks. 1t was
immediately attacked by a force of
ighty men from the plantation and
I so soldiers from Schofeld Barracks
ere sent over to assist.
re- autions Still Taken
= Ry evening the fire had been extin'
!, ;uished, but precautions w,:Y t. Ken ia
;. GO that it did not burst QUE again. w
V. Goodale, manager of tie p. ."Vticrs
detailed force of forty men to guard
4 he area on Monday, and yesterday still
,ad some men watching it, Mr.
loodale said last night that he believed
Il he fire had been thoroughly extin
. uished. A cigarette started it, Mr.
ioodale believes.