Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-05-27
DECLARE WHARF
NOT SAFE Berth
FOR STEAMERS
Inter-IsIand Company Claims
EiIo Dock is Beset BY
Bad Currents

.'' Odu wi CLIO
In the belief that waters in l1ilo
karbCr adjacent 10 the new kHhio
wharf are dangerous 10 big ships, the
Observation-Disclosures Steamship Gem
pany and }fatson Navigation Company
have practically abandoned use OF the
structure.
Officials of both companies told the
Star-Bulletin today that they are OF
the opinion that an undeTtUW exists
in the vicinity CT the big wharf, and
seek to prove their claims with. two
incidents when big AmeriC'n-Elawai,
ian freigbters in calm weather were
tern from their mOOringS and only
saved from serious damage by prompt
action Of the crew.
Large Expenditure in Building.
The new. wharf has cost so far APP
proximatelv $4,000. The wha RI IL
self, the sheds upon il and the re 40
that leads from it to the city ere all
complete. There remains TO be in
stalled c2nveyCr machinery, but the
fact that this is not yet in * No rea
sen for disusn Of the wharf. it was
stated today
The first Unit cf the wharf convey
or should be finished within six
months. it is thought.
Practical men tell us that the
wharf is unsafe for use because of the
treachery of its waters" said c. P,
Morse. general FREIGHT agent of the
Americsn-Hawaiian CouDany today.
Incidents Cited As Proof.
At two different t'meS-Once at
night end Cnce In the daytime-two
of our vessels have been torn from
their moOrings when the sea was com
paratively calm on the surface, and
when there was no storm outside.
One IF these vessels was the Virgi-
man. Mr. Morse said. and the ether,
he thought, was the Ohioan. The wa.
ter had surged in suddenly without
warning. seemingly from an under.
tow. and tossed the big vessels about
like corks Mr.. Morse expressed the
oninion that it would have been prac
tically impossible to have held them
with any kind OF moorings.
1T may be when the Dreakwater is
built out that this state Of affairs. will
he bettered," says Mr.. Morse. but
that of course remains to be seen. AT
present we prefer to play safe and
keep away from the wharf altogether.
Great Northern Forced Away.
~ asst NoyemDers when came down
on the Great Northern, the big liner
put in alongside the wharf, but the
gang plank was skfdding around over
the wharf floor Sos violently that il
was with extreme difficulty passen-
gers were landed from the boat.
Il went up to the volcano" he con-
tinues, "and on coming back learned
that the Great Northern had stayed
there but half on h ur and pulled out
to the open harbors'
Officials at the Mats0n Navigation
Company TODAY stated that their of
fees in San Fra nctsco do not believe
the wharf is safe place for landing
passengers, and for that reason it has
been abandoned for general use.
Copies of reports by the harbormas-
ter at Hilo have been turned over. to
the Stsr-Bulletin and will be dealt
with fully next week
Forbes Says Wharf. Safe.
Chairman Charles R. Forbes of the
harbor board declared emphatically
today that Kuhio Whaf is safer ship
ping port than is San Pedro or many
other places on the mainland. He
says that the present system Of EN-.
barking and disembarking passengers
in small boats is much more to be
condemned
There may have been a time.
Forbes declares, when the wharf was
dangerous, but this was before the
hreakwater was extended. Reports
from our pilot, who is an able master
and competent navigator, declare that
the wharf is safe. They cover periods
from October to the present time.
Any attempt to discredit Kuhic
bay wharf as dangerous structure
owing to individual or other reasons
says Forbes, us. in my opinion, only
for personal gain. -"
Refers Matter to People.
Ask the people of Hilo. who have
been watching the weather conditions
in Hilo bay, and see what they thinl
of the proposition. Ask the Hilt
Board of Trade and the Hilo Railroad
Company. whose masters have report
ed favorably
"Kuhio bay wharf is safer and af
fords better shipping facilities thai
are to be found at San Pedro or man!
other points on the mainland, and
personally condemn as much more un
safe the disembarking of passenger
/ in an open roadstead such as at Hilo
1t is more dangerous to human life
| Forbes says that the public demand
the use of Kuhio wharf, and is emit
tied to greater protection than is nov
afforded it in the transporting of pas
sengers to and from the steamers ii