The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1921-11-01
KAUArS BIGGEST
EVENT CELEBRATED


ents ever celebrated on Kauai, G.
N. Wilcox of Lihue, laid the first
and the cap-stone of the new Nawili.
will breakwater last Friday after
noon. Governor Wallace R. Earring
ton made the afternoons address
and H. d. Wisharj. president of the
Kauai Chamber of Commerce, was in
charge of the ceremonies.
Long before 800 o'clock the ap-
pointed hour for the celebration,
cars began vending their way up
the grade up to the place where the
celebration was to take place. After
many cars had parked at the top of
the hill and many more were yet
coming it became evident that there
would not be room enough for all
vehicles. The traffic officers were
then compelled to have the visitors
park their cars near Senator Coney's
place and to request them to walk
the rest of the way to the selected
spot of the ceremonies.
Japanese Give Fireworks.
To entertain the crowd before the
time for the ceremonies to commence
the Japanese community furnished
daylight fireworks. These usually
took the form of aerial bombs with
floating parachutes from them. The
crowd greatly enjoyed watching
them and were grateful to the Jap
anese for help they gave to make
the afternoon a success.
Mounting the large rock which had
been quarried for the capstone, Pres
ident Wishard welcomed the Cover
nor, General Summerall and his
staff and the assembled audience. He
briefly told the history of the Ma
wiliwili breakwater and described
the benefits to come to Kauai from
it. He then announced the laying Of
the first stone by G.. N. Wilcox.
Mr.. Wilcox Lays Stone.
The stone that had been quarried
for this purpose was a monster. 1t
weighed over seventeen tons and
was, as one of the bystanders ex-
pressed it "some pebble" 1t had
previously been fastened in a large
sling and at a sign from Mr.. Wilcox
the great crane raised it into the
air and swung it over the ocean. AS
the crane lowered it, Mr.. Wilcox
pulled the trip rope and dropped it
into the ocean.
Mr.. Wishard then led the Cover
nor to the speaking platform. The
men had no sooner stepped into it
than the crane lifted it high off the
ground and swung it around toward
the top of the slope on which the
crowd was gathered. When the Gov
ernor was sufficiently near his audi
ence the crane stopped and the sus-
pended platform was stationary.
"It always gives me great pleasure"
the Governor began, "to visit Kauai,
| have talked to Kauai people be-
fore this from chairs, from drygoods
boxes and from ordinary platforms.
But never before have | swung out
into space and been compelled to
stay there until l got through talk
ing.'
The Governors Address.
Governor Harrington congratulated
Kauai upon the auspicious beginning
of the great work that is to mean
so much to commerce of the Garden
Island. "The American government
required that citizens of Kauai
buy the bonds of the first 100000
to be used in this work." he said
but it is my opinion that the
government will furnish the rest Of
the money in it's regular harbor ap-
propriations and that it will readily
spend the million and a half that
will be necessary to bring the work
to an early completion"
Mr.. Kinney, former resident of the
Garden Island, G. N. Wilcox, our
delegate to Congress, Prince Kalani-
anaole, Senator Charles Rice, Sena-
tor Jack Coney and the Kauai Cham
ber of Commerce were all congratu-
lated by the Governor for the work
that they had done and the influ-
ence that they have exerted in bring
ing about the project.
The Governor made splendid ad-
dress. He told Kauai just what it
wanted to know and he told it in a
manner that won the hearts of all
his hearers, that made them glad
that such a man had been selected
as the chief executive of the terri
tory. When he had finished speaking
the crane once more lowered his
platform and the ceremony was over
The project that Kauai had work
ed for and prayed for the past 80
years had been officially started,