The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-24
Member Tells Utilities Board In
cident Was Laughable When
Officials Were Spilled
.LAHAINA DROWNING S..
III AVoIDABLE, He SAYS
Commissioner Satisfied YaW
Was off Course Through
CareIesSness Of Crew p.

A. J. Gignoux, member Of the public
utilities commission witnessed the see.
ond, boat accident" at Lahaina last
week, when one of the steamer Xii.
auea's small boats was overturned by
the rough breakers near the Lahaina
pier. AT the meeting of the commits.
sion last evening, Gighoux described
the "accident' as laughable, and in
no way. comparable to the one of last
May when two passengers lost Their
lives. * .Hsf.t
Gignoux s story is that Superintend-
ent Joseph f. Sheedy, Captain Howells,
Captain Berg, Thomas J. Heeney and
one or two others, who were there
especially to inspect the site of the
tragedy Of nearly three months ago,
had gone to shallow water not far
from the end of the pier and almost
directly in a line with the end Of the
wharf. &. ~ .&s 81
Steerer Dumps His Load
y Gignoux's understanding of the ar.
fair is that one of the officials asked
Hiku, the same steerer who was in
the other boat at the time Of the fatal
accident, to show them how il had hap
pened. Hiku promptly threw the boat
broadside to the heavy surf and the
waves just as promptly turned 1t up
side down, dumping the investigators
into three feet of water. .Hr...
There was a high surf at the time,
said the commissioner, probably. max.
ing it rougher than on May I, when
the tragedy occurred, but because the
party was nearer the wharf there was
no danger. AS the little craft went
over the crowd of folk on the dock
sent up a great shout, but it was not
of warning or fear; it was laughter.
Sheedy, Captains Berg and Howells
and Heeney, the latter United States
inspector of hulls and boilers, waded
ashore. It took a score Of hands TO
right the boat again.
Boat Was OF Course
i''Therel is no doubt in my mind"
declared Gignoux, "that a ships, boat
turned broadside in those waters must
be upset. But had that of May !
been in its proper course the accident
could not have happened; it is next
to impossible to upset those craft when
they are head on to the waves.
II have no doubt now that the boat
was off its course when the fatalities
occurred, and that it was due to the
carelessness of the crew.
Further discussing the commission s
investigation of the affair, Chairman
Charles R. Forbes remarked that Hiku,
the steerer, and the other members Of
the crew which manned the ill-starred
boat May ], had been discharged from
the Inter Island Steam Navigation
Company s service. Hiku, he said, was
around the capitol the sother day look.
ing for a job.
Superintendent Sheedy did not in
'orm us of this, at the time of our in,
"otigation,' remarked the chairman.
" He produced affidavits to show the
high qualifit atoms of these men as
oa"smen and to prove their great value
the company 3 service.'
Public Hearing Of Rates
In response to the application of tele
phone subscribers on the Big Island
for reimbursement of the rates of the
Hawaii Telephone Company the com
mission decided to conduct public
hearing on the subject at HilO, the
meeting probably being held at the
board of trade rooms, on September z
The chairman said that during his re,
cent visit to the Garden Island he was
called upon at public gathering to
say what steps the commission would
take concerning regulation of telephone
rates ON kanai. He had replied, ex
preston opinion that the subscribers
,hould first make friendly effort to
get together with the company on the
subject and obtain a fair hearing.
"Of course we have no authority to
regulate rates except where they may
e discriminatory said Gignoux.
Regular Meeting Today
The commission will hold its usual
meeting at its headquarters in the Kau-
lkeolani building at two o'clock today.
Henry o Sullivan, secretary, has been
granted leave Of absence to accompany
the National Guard rifle team to Jack.
sonville, Florida, if he can win a place
among the marksmen. If he does
chairman Forbes says he can make ar.
rangements for a temporary secretary
tn act in 0'Sullivan s place the forty
five days of the latter's absence.