The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-01-21

Spreekelsyille plantation, tearing the
uprights and hurting the llume several
hundred feet below. t.as
/ A house which stood at the opening
of the bridge on the WaiIuku side fell,
into the torrent and iammed against
the bridge, and undoubtedly caused a.
backwater which was one of the fac
tors in changing the river course 70 the
niger lands, where much damage re-
/ suited. The two piers were broken
from under the bridge, which was aft
erwards closed by the SHE riff to all We
hicle trafie.
One small house with a light still
burning in one room was carried down
| the river to a point near the bridge,
/ A huge sow, carried down stream, was
swirled into the house and for time
chung TO the window sill, looking out
at the crowd Of watchers at the bridge.
II was rescued later by liberal use
of ropes and persuasion.
The sheriff and police, officers of the
national guard, and practically every
4, town and county official went on duty
| for food service, Gangs of men We're
| started at various relief work, but the
| key to the, torrent situation was dis
covered early in the forenoon where
| the floods had been diverted by a part
of the original retaining wall on the
Happy Valley side Of the river-bed.
Promotion Workers Lend Hand ,,,.,
There, Chairman f. A. Berndt and Sec
rotary A. p. Taylor Of the Hawaii Pro
motion Committee, who, with other mem
bers of the committee were marooned
on Maui by the storm, assisted and
directed q gang Of japanese in block
ing the new river course above the
bridge, first by timbers and sheet iron,
and then by building "a complete
boulder dyke across the opening. This
brought about a decrease In the flood
level and permitted relief work to be
continued below the bridge. T."
| The county officials also took the
situation in hand and under the direc-
ton of the sheriff, Supervisor Kalama
and others, dynamite was used on the
end of the retaining wall, thereby re-
leasing a part of the hooG directly into
the river, while an islet was also blast
/ ed out of the way. A japanese, whose
relatives had lost their all, who under.
stood blasting better than anyone else
took charge of all dynamite operations
and with success, the work being
watched from near the bridge by hun
dreds Of interested spectators. In this
work other daring feats were done. Ha
waiians, Japanese and Portuguese facing
death if a foot should slip, laboring up
to their necks in the torrent.
Clear Out River Bed
County Engineer Cox, with a gang,
worked with long life ropes, attempt
| ing to clear one portion of the river
bed of boulders, to give a quicker fall
of water, but this effort was given up
! after many deeds of physical endur-
ance which brought several close to
death.
Manager II. b. Penhallow of the Wal
luku Sugar Company, who was on the
scene of relief operations early, stated
the damage to his plantation would be
$T5, 900 at least, and possibly more.
| Manager i. II. Baldwin of Puunene
stated that the damage on his sugar es-
tates, from broken fumes, washed out
] railroad trestles and flooded mill por-
tions, would be $4,000, at least.
The telephone company was damaged
heavily, the line between Waikiki and
Lahaina going out of commission early
In the storm, and connections with the
the country beyond Paia being ripped
out by floods and wind in the fore
4 noon. The roads running out from
Wailuku in every direction became al
most impossible except to Kahului. Be
tween Waikiki and Lahaina it was es
timated that sections Of good roads had
been washed out, and practically all
bridges were;gone. The bridge near the
school in Wailuku was carried away,
rendering auto service impossible be
yond that point. "r;
David Fleming and County Engineer
| Cox, after a special session of the su,
pervisors in the Afternoon, announced
their determination to force passage
to Lahaina by horseback and started
I shortly after two 'clock. They got
through with difficulty. Angus Nc
Phee also volunteered. County Engin.
Ger COx's horseback ride from Wailukn
to bahaina and return was dangerous
In the extreme. He found practically
every bridge gone and many roads hol.
lowed out 10 great depth. On the
pail roads the highway was carried
away completely in sections from fifty
10 one hundred feet in length and sheer
with the cliff necessitating a detour
over the SUBMITS. On the return trip
he was compelled TO leave his horse Mt
Maalia Bay aud make the remainder
Of the journey to Wailuku on foot. o..
| The Lahaina mails were brought TO
! Wailuku by the Claudhle aud were sent
laround by steamer. a.t.& ..E