The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1916-06-16
Senators Boost For
KahuluiBreakwater
Appreciation Indicated 0fImpOrtanCe
Of West Wing Structure McClel-
Ian Makes Strong Representation


construction of the Kahului harbor
west wing breakwater passed the
Senate as an amendment to the rivers
and harbors BILL is told in the verbat
i'm report of the senate proceedings in
the Congressional Record of May %,
and is interesting reading to Maui
folk. The bill, so far as is now known
is still in the conference committee,
and unless the item is stricken out
by the conferees it must soon become
available. Senators George e. Chamb-
erlain, of Oregon, and Wesley L. Jones
of Washington, fathered the item
when it came up, and Senators James
E. MARITIME, of New Jersey, and Reed
Smoot. of Utah helped to boost it.
The record follows:
Mr. CLARKE of Arkansas The a
mendment beginning at line 20, on
page AZ was also passed over. The
Senator from Washington (Mr. Jones)
desires to be heard on that question.
Mr.. JONES:-Mr President, this is
the item with reference to Kahului
harbor on the island of Maui, in the
Sandwich Islands, an item in which
the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Chamb-
erlain) too, is very much Interested;
but know he is detained by business
of the Senate. So I want to present
just briefly the facts
Of course this Territory has no rep
resentative in Congress, and feel JUS
tilted on that account in presenting
the matter here. Kahului Harbor is
the harbor of the island of Maui, and
the only harbor on that island and the
only way of getting products from the
island of course. as we know. is by
ships The Government has expended
some money there in the construction
of breakwater. The expenditures
have up to June so, 1915, amounted to
s390,O00 and little over. This is
page 1891 of volume l of the engin-
eers' reports.
When this project was adopted 1t
was adopted subject to the condition
that the Kahului Railway Co. should
cede to the United States free of cost
its property there The report shows
that they have expended for wharves
and docks and on the breakwater and
harbor Improvement some S3O4,7S4'
The commerce increased at this port
from 1.SOO.O 600 in 1908 to little over
S13.OO0.000 in 1914
In reporting on the new project the
Board of Engineers say in their report
of this new project, on page 3:
The district officer reports that the
partially constructed breakwater has
greatly facilitated the handling OF
freight, and greater protection Is eX-
pected through the completion of the
dredging provided for by the existing
project. He finds that the harbor is
subject to considerable shoaling, the
cause of which he traces to sediment
from the lao River carried into the
harbor by the littoral currents. He
estimates the amount of shoaling az
$4,000 cubic yards per annum that II
will cost at least $4,000 to remove IT.
and that it seems possible that If the
harbor is enlarged the cost of main
tainance will be increased. He states
that a breakwater as proposed
(That is the one carried in the item
in the bill y
would prevent the littoral current en-
tering the harbor, and would therefore
check the deposit of material therein
He estimates the cost of the break
water, including engineering, inspect
ion, and contingencies at S25000O.
So we will save by the construction
of this breakwater nearly $4,000
year in the matter of maintenance
The district officer says that he thinks
that saving will justify this cost.
From the facts presented it appears
that the construction of the wes'
breakWater would be of some mater
ial benefit in reducing wave action IN
the harbor and would be of material
advantage in reducing the cost ol
maintenance.
mi IL
recommendation of the district officer
| will say that l was talking will
one of the commanders or captains Of
A vessel a short time ago that goes il
and out of this harbor. He stated
that with the breakwater constructed
out as it is, the storms that sometimes
ccme there very greatly endanger YES
sells in the harbor, because there is
sweep in one direction through which
the winds can come right into the
harbor. | do not know exactly thu
direction, whether it is east or west
but he said his vessel was almost driv
en- from it's moorings and he had Il
get out into the ocean in order to save
the ship. The construction of thi
breakwater will very largely do ava!
with that difficulty and that danger
Furthermore, it seems that witt
these storms coming, with this on
breakwater running out into the oc
can, which forms a sort of an eddy o
current around the shore, it makes
also very dangerous for the vessel
that are at anchor there With thi
breakwater constructed as proposed
that danger will be very largely don
away with. For these reasons | thin
that this provision ought to be made
/ have here also a letter addresse