The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-12-29

Little Damage Done
Notwithstanding the violence of the
downpour, comparatively little damage
was done, on account OF the briefness
of the storm, which lasted only about
half an hour. 1t struck the heads of
the valleys a little after twelve o clock
and reached Waikiki at twelve thirty.
One loud clap Of thunder echoed over
the city as the storm reached its height.
Nuuanu and Makiki streams became,
in a few minutes, roaring rivers down
which rushed d turbid food sweeping
on its crest small trees, boxes, barrels,
| brush and debris of every sort. The
streams being closely confined by high
! banks along most of their course, the
waters had little opportunity to spread
over adjoining property and do the,
damage they otherwise might have
done. Only at the mouth of Nuu8nu
stream was any real damage wrought.
Here feet of samPans piled up when
the crest of the food struck them.
Nuuanu Avenue opposite the Country
Club was reported as being little less
than river Part of the Country Club
grounds themselves were flooded. Wster
even gathered in the famous Hole IS.
Along King Street, in the Pawaa dis.
trict, sidewalks were covered with much
left by the waters that flowed over
them, and several lawns were badly
treated by the waters.
Flood Fails Rapidly
The food waters receded, however,
rs rapidly as they had risen, and last
light there was little apparent evidence
| Of the storm.
| In PalOlo Valley the downpour was
rs severely felt as in the other valleys.
but the drainage is fairly good, with
he exception of Fifth Avenue, where
he street itself has to carry the over
flow for some distance. As the Fifth
Avenue bridge was rebuilt in concrete
during the year, the danger of it's 60
ing out in a food, as it did last win
| ter, is now no more.
The Makiki district drainage facili.
ties also proved sufficient TO carry off
the vast amount of surplus water that
came down inside of the half hour
after noon. The fumc at Makiki
back of the fire station, held, even
though the water stopped over its side
and for a few moments it was feared
that it was going out under the pres
sure. However, the water subsidized
with remarkable rapidity after the rain
Was over, and it had not rained long
enough to store up a surplus to be
drained from further up Tantalus.
Culvert Is Blocked
The real trouble occurred at King
Street, however, where the Makiki
draining is carried under the street
| KaIa
became blocked in the first rush and
the storm waters piled up and over
King Street, flooding Easements and
pouring out of the windows Of the Chi
nese restaurant. For an hour or so 1t
converted the district into a lake into
which the residents plunged with bath
ing suits and glee. The food kept
business men, home for lunch confined
to the house for half hour or 80, but
here also the water subsidized quickly.
An unusual feature of the storm was
seen on the waterfront. The Nuuanu
stream, which carries off the storm wa
tiers of the largest drainage area empty.
ing through the city, has it's exit right
NJ the sampan dock, and the first evi,
dence of the storm mauka was had
when the water rushed down the
stream in a great wave.
) 1t took the sampans without warn
. ing, jerked them from their anchor
ages and piled them, sometimes on top
: Of each other, under the big bow of the
German steamer Sctos, jamming then
r in n hopeless and manageable mass
, Those most exposed to the torrent were
' filed with grass and rubbish in a triee
and almost swamped. On the maukG
side of the slip, most exposed to the
5 food, Was mnOred new thirty foot
. .sampan in which big motor was being
I installed. At the time the wave
= crashed through the piling the engine
was just lowering over the samPan al
the end Of tnCkl" aud derrick m"untc,
on wagon on the wharf.