The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-08
Defends Kuhio Wharf

II the HilO bureau Of misinfo rma
ton concerning happenings at tn
Kuhio wharf in Hilo Bay was as nc
curate as II is industrious n huge fun,
Of knowledge concerning this whar
would soon he accumulated.
A halfcolumu in yesterday 3 Star
Bulletin, furnished by the Hilo burea,
IN question. states that on last Frid a,
The Mauna Kea "broke her heav,
gargplank in two as II il were a latl
when she was ranging at the wharf il
the grlP of an undertOw, although
Their" was hardly any wind and the
oay vas apparently calm.
The bureau article also makes tn,
! statement that the wharf is danger
GUS whenever the wind is coming from
any direction between west and nortE
~ claimed by seafaring men AMI mas
tcrs Of vessels having to use it,
"Th"y say that even light vino
from these points creates current
which makes vessels tied up ~ tn,
wharf range dangerously.
"Thr Inter Island claims it Is moi
safe for the Mauna Kea or any Other
vessel TO lie alongside tho wharf whcr
the wind is in the west, regardless OF
AhpthPr the weather is fair. Steam
ers cannot lie in safety at the wharf
hen the wind is TO the west. sea cap
tains assert.
III is possible, according to n Homo
'ulu shipping man who has studied the
situation carefully, that another
breakwaster may have to be erected t,
freak up and change the cours" of thu
urrcnt which now causes vessels lying
It the wharf 10 range when tn" wine
~ coming from any point between thu
North and west
There is just one true statement il
the foregoing article, and that il tina
the Mauna Kea smashed her gangplan nj
at KuhiO Wharf last Thursday night.
The reason why it was smashed wa
not because of n "west wind, "cur
rent or "ferce undcrtow while IN
bay was calm, " but by reason Of tn,
rank carelessness of the officers in com
mand of the Mauna Kea.
The gangplank was not on the ope'
NuuIl puN "oS
narrow slot cut down into the wharf
reaching across the intervening spac
between the wharf and the ship. an
into the narrow freight port in the sid
# the steamer. Both the slot in tn
wharf and the port of the steamer are
20 narrow that any motion Of the steam
n over a foot or so, fore and aft. VA
bound to crush the gangplank
Instead of the bay being calm.
llleged, during Thursday night, hoav
1Ortherly swell set into the bay. cau>
ing heavy breakers on the reef and u.
to the breakwater. The swell settin
into the bay was 80 heavy that tn
steamer Santa Maria, discharging oi
lines but the steamer continued n
work bv brestiug off from the whar
" means of her anchors.
At KuhiO Wharf the swell was g.
light that the Mauna Kea had no diff
iculty whatever in lying immediatel,
.longside the wharf, tied up to thu
'ame, without strain on her anchor t
'teep her away from the wharf an'
10 stern-linP whatever to the buo'
which the harbOr commission has place
for the express purpose of holding tn
steamer away from the wharf in cas-
here is any swell.
The fore and aft motion of the Ma
ana Kea was so slight as to interfeT
not at all with the loading or unload
ing Of the steamer or with passenger
md did not interfere in the remotes
With the gangplank reaching from tn
top of the wharf to the deck of tn
steamer.
1t was only necessary for the steam
n to move fore and aft, foot or two
however to break the gangplank, whicl
lad been carelessly left overnight pro
Getting from the slot in the wharf int
he hold of the steamer. Ii was thi
'arelessneSs, combined with a Sigh
notion caused by a distant storm q
,ea, which broke the gangplank.
AS a matter Of fact there was n
wind from the north or west. In fac
was a dead calm
AS further matter Of fact, the win
rom the west has no effect on tn
IarbOr, as it comes Off the land an
an create nothing but surface ripple
AS q further matter of fact, neithe
he west wind nor any other win
| reated or ever creates current whic
an effect ship to any aPpreciable e1
ent. which is living Mt KuhiO Wharf.
The statement that there was ecu
'ent' at the kuhi" Wharf which eau!
d the damage to the gangplank is
Dure fabrication.
II is well known fact that rertai
interests ar" seeking to discredit tn
Xuhio Wharf, but the continuou
stream Of Measurements magnifyinI
| exaggerating every little incident
the discredit Of the wharf, and eve
manufacturing statements out of who
cloth, is. being carried to disgraeefr
| extreme.
I.ORRIN 4. THU RSTON.
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