Images of Old Hawaiʻi

  • Home
  • About
  • Categories
    • Ali’i / Chiefs / Governance
    • American Protestant Mission
    • Buildings
    • Collections
    • Economy
    • Missionaries / Churches / Religious Buildings
    • General
    • Hawaiian Traditions
    • Other Summaries
    • Mayflower Summaries
    • Mayflower Full Summaries
    • Military
    • Place Names
    • Prominent People
    • Schools
    • Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks
    • Voyage of the Thaddeus
  • Collections
  • Contact
  • Follow

November 2, 2015 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Palaʻau

Palaʻau is Molokai’s only state park; DLNR has a license to use the land as a park from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

In 1921, when the Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920 went into effect, title to the approximate 230-acres of Palaʻau 3 (Palaʻau) was transferred to the Hawaiian Homes Commission (the actual transfer and DHHL use happened in 1923, after fences were finished.)

The area had been part of lands previously used as cattle pasture, first by Kamehameha V Lot Kapuāiwa, then by Molokai Ranch (formed in 1897.) The area was leased by Molokai Ranch until it expired in 1918.

Then, on July 19, 1928, the Hawaiian Homes Commission passed a motion to dedicate Palaʻau 3 for the purpose of reforestation by the Board of Agriculture and Forestry. (A 1928 Attorney General opinion noted the lands must first be returned to control of the Commissioner of Public Lands before it could be set aside as a forest reserve.)

The next year, the Hawaiian Homes Commission officially returned Palaʻau 3 to the Commissioner of Public Lands of the Territory of Hawai’i, to again be managed as part of the Moloka’i Forest Reserve. (At the time, the lands were not being leased to native Hawaiians as authorized under the provisions of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.)

On March 25, 1930, by proclamation of the Governor of the Territory of Hawai’i, Palaʻau was added to the Molokai Forest Reserve.

Between 1931 and 1933, Palaʻau was fenced off and the Board of Commissioners began reforestation of the land with trees as follows: about 3,500 in 1931, 8,400 in 1932 and over 5,100 in 1933.

In 1936, a nursery was started as part of the Emergency Conservation Work project, or the Civilian Conservation Corps and trees were grown for outplanting at Palaʻau. Within the next 5-year nearly 200,000 additional trees were planted.

The government and DHHL recognized “forest growth is a well-recognized aid to the protection and conservation of water which is one of the prime necessities in the case of persons who will secure leases of Hawaiian home lands.” (Letter of Territorial Forester to Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, May 18, 1936)

Besides its watershed benefits, folks also saw the benefit of using the property for park purposes, as well as a lookout over Kalaupapa. On June 29, 1955, Palaʻau was established as Palaʻau Park under the Territorial Parks system.

In addition to a small campground and passive recreation area, one of the primary purposes of the Palaʻau Park is the Kalaupapa overlook. (Nearby Parking and a short walk take people to the north shore cliffs and overlook of the peninsula.)

In addition there are several cultural features within the site, primarily the Nanahoa complex. These four sites include two phallic stones.

The six foot high male stone is called ‘Kauleonanahoa’ (the penis of Nanahoa – ‘one of the finest examples of phallic stones found throughout the Hawaiian Islands.’)

“The rock was believed to make barren women fertile and as a precaution newly-wedded women would sit on it one night.”

The female stone has several names, including Kawahuna,’ ‘Nawaʻakaluli’ and ‘Waihuʻehuʻe’ (‘it appears to be in its natural state with a large groove down the center.’)

The more than 24-petroglyphs are located on four boulders and consists of human stick figures and a series of grooves located near the base of the rocks which may have been used to sharpen the tools employed to carve the petroglyphs. A holua slide has been destroyed since it was reported in 1909.

In 1984, Palaʻau Park was returned, together with various other parcels, to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; however, the State entered into a license agreement with DHHL for the continued use of the public park, campground and lookout.

The Kalaupapa overlook in Palaʻau State Park is a major visitor attraction. The lookout is located at the northern end of the main road. Access to the lookout is via a footpath from the paved parking lot. A series of informational exhibit panels provide a history of the Kalaupapa Peninsula and Hansen’s disease.

Ke Aupuni Lokahi Inc has been working with the state and National Park on their Ala Palaʻau project to restore native forest habitat and rare species in the area, improve views of Kalaupapa peninsula and the cliffs of the northern coast of Molokai, and provide interpretation and education of these unique natural and cultural resources.

The vision of the project is to provide a place-based learning experience where local schools, community members, and interested visitors can come to learn about Molokai’s rich biological and cultural heritage.

It is intended as a hands-on educational experience that encourages pride in Palaʻau State Park’s resources and highlights the importance of preserving Molokai’s native species and ecosystems while teaching about the role they play in Hawaiian culture. (Lots of information here is from McGregor.)

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook 

Follow Peter T Young on Google+ 

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn  

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

© 2015 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Palaau-State-Park
Palaau-State-Park
Palaau State-Park
Palaau State-Park
Walkway to Kalaupapa lookout
Walkway to Kalaupapa lookout
Palaau State Park
Palaau State Park
Palaau State-Park-longbachnguyen
Palaau State-Park-longbachnguyen
Palaau State Park-Kalaupapa
Palaau State Park-Kalaupapa
Kalaupapa Lookout-Interpretive Signs
Kalaupapa Lookout-Interpretive Signs
phallic-rock-sign
phallic-rock-sign
phallic-rock-kalaupapa-overlook
Palaau_State Park
Palaau_State Park
Kauleonanahoa or Phallic Rock at Pala’au State Park; Molokai
Kauleonanahoa or Phallic Rock at Pala’au State Park; Molokai
Kawahuna-by_MolokaiPhotography
Kawahuna-by_MolokaiPhotography
Kawahuna
Kawahuna
Palaau and Kalaupapa-GoogelEarth
Palaau and Kalaupapa-GoogelEarth

Filed Under: Place Names, Economy Tagged With: Phallic Rock, Kawahuna, Hawaii, Kalaupapa, Kalawao, Molokai, Palaau, Kauleonanahoa

October 28, 2015 by Peter T Young 3 Comments

Ginaca

‘Pineapple’ was given its English name because of its resemblance to a pine cone. It was first recorded in the Islands in 1813 by Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a Spanish adviser to King Kamehameha I.

Although sugar dominated the Hawaiian economy, there was also great demand at the time for fresh Hawaiian pineapples in San Francisco; then, canned pineapple.

The pineapple canning industry began in Baltimore in the mid-1860s and used fruit imported from the Caribbean. (Bartholomew)

Commercial pineapple production (which started about 1890 with hand peeling and cutting operations) soon developed a procedure based on classifying the fruit into a number of grades by diameter centering the pineapple on the core axis and cutting fruit cylinders to provide slices to fit the No. 1, 2 and 2-1/2 can sizes. (ASME)

Up to about 1913, various types of hand operated sizing and coring machines were used to perform this operation. The ends of the pineapple were first cut off by hand. The pineapple was then centered on the core and sized.

Production rates were about 10 to 15 pineapples per minute. A large amount of labor was required, and it was not practical to recover the available juice material from the skins. (ASME)

The first profitable lot of canned pineapples was produced by Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1903 and the industry grew rapidly from there. (Bartholomew) In 1907 Hawaiian Pineapple Company opened it cannery in Iwilei.

About 1911, Henry Gabriel Ginaca of the Honolulu Iron Works Company, Honolulu, was engaged by Mr James Dole, founder of Hawaiian Pineapple Company, to develop the machine which made the Hawaiian pineapple industry possible and which bears his name today. (ASME)

The early Ginaca had a production capacity of about 50 pineapples per minute and required from three to five operators depending on how much inspection of the machine product was performed at the machine.

The increase in production from 15 to 50 pineapples per minute was enough to reduce the cannery size to economical proportions and made possible the design of efficient preparation lines. Once the new preparation and handling systems were proven the industry grew rapidly.

The term “Ginaca” is now generally applied to a variety of machines which are designed to automatically center the pineapple on the core, cut out a fruit cylinder, eradicate the crushed and juice material from the outer skin, cut off the ends and remove the central fibrous core.

The cored cylinder leaving the Ginaca machine is then passed to a preparation line where each fruit is treated individually to remove cylinder defects or adhering bits of skin. (ASME)

After a number of years of constantly increasing production, a new high-speed machine was designed at the Hawaiian Pineapple Company capable of preparing from 90 to 100 pineapples per minute depending on fruit size.

The Ginaca machine made canning pineapple economically possible. As a result, until the “jet age” Hawaii had an agricultural economy and pineapple was the second largest crop (behind sugar.)

Henry Ginaca was born May 19, 1876. The records are not clear whether he was born in California or in Winnemucca, Nevada, where his father had worked as a civil engineer. His father was Italian, his mother French.

While a teenager, he became an apprentice at the old Union Iron Works in San Francisco. He also took a course in mathematics to enable him to become a mechanical draftsman.

He was hired by the Honolulu Iron Works and came to Honolulu, apparently to work on engine designs. Dole later hired Ginaca to work specifically on a mechanical fruit peeling and coring machine.

He joined Hawaiian Pineapple Co in March, 1911, at a salary of $300 per month, a substantial wage in those days. Ginaca was 35 years old.

In the first year of Ginaca’s employment he came up with the initial design for his machine. From then until 1914 he added improvements and refinements to it.

Though many “bugs” had to be worked out, Ginaca’s machine was a success from the beginning. The machine was awarded a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915.

In 1914 Ginaca and his two brothers decided to return to the mainland and try their hand at mining. The mining ventures of the three brothers were failures.

For Henry Ginaca, a productive career came to an untimely end on October 19, 1918, when he died of influenza and pneumonia at the old Mother Lode mining camp of Hornitos. He was only 42. (ASME)

Dole bought the island of Lānaʻi and established a vast 200,000-acre pineapple plantation to meet the growing demands. Lānaʻi throughout the entire 20th century produced more than 75% of world’s total pineapple.

By 1930 Hawai‘i led the world in the production of canned pineapple and had the world’s largest canneries. Production and sale of canned pineapple fell sharply during the world depression that began in 1929, but rapid growth in the volume of canned juice after 1933 restored industry profitability.

But establishment of plantations and canneries in the Philippines in 1964 and in Thailand in 1972, led to a decline in Hawai‘i (mainly because foreign-based canneries had labor costs approximately one-tenth those in Hawai‘i.) As the Hawaii canneries closed, the industry gradually shifted to the production of fresh pineapples. (Bartholomew)

In 1991, the Dole Cannery closed. Today, Dole Food Company, headquartered on the continent, is a well-established name in the field of growing and packaging food products such as pineapples, bananas, strawberries, grapes and many others.

The Dole Plantation tourist attraction, established in 1950 as a small fruit stand but greatly expanded in 1989 serves as a living museum and historical archive of Dole and pineapple in Hawai‘i.

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook 

Follow Peter T Young on Google+ 

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn  

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

© 2015 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Ginaca machines cut cylinders out of pineapples, core them and remove that fruit
Ginaca machines cut cylinders out of pineapples, core them and remove that fruit
Ginaca machine Dole Cannery-Dole-ASME
Ginaca machine Dole Cannery-Dole-ASME
Ginaca machines Dole Cannery-DOLE-ASME
Ginaca machines Dole Cannery-DOLE-ASME
19640816 - Fresh pineapple is sorted and packed at Dole's packing shed. SB BW photo by Photo Hawaii.
19640816 – Fresh pineapple is sorted and packed at Dole’s packing shed. SB BW photo by Photo Hawaii.
Women at Dole Pineapple Cannery
Women at Dole Pineapple Cannery
Pineapple-Cannery
Pineapple-Cannery
Dole Pineapple Cannery
Dole Pineapple Cannery
Hawaiian Pineapple Company Canning Lines, Honolulu, O‘ahu, 1958
Hawaiian Pineapple Company Canning Lines, Honolulu, O‘ahu, 1958
Girls at Dole Pineapple Cannery
Girls at Dole Pineapple Cannery
Dole_Pineapple_Cannery-(vic-&-becky)-1955
Dole_Pineapple_Cannery-(vic-&-becky)-1955
Dole Pineapple Cannery-girls
Dole Pineapple Cannery-girls
Dole Pineapple Cannery-canning
Dole Pineapple Cannery-canning
Dole Pineapple Cannery-HnlMag
Dole Pineapple Cannery-HnlMag
Dole Pineapple Cannery-cans
Dole Pineapple Cannery-cans
Dole_Pineapple_Cannery-Aerial-1940
Dole_Pineapple_Cannery-Aerial-1940
Dole_Cannery-Life-1937
Dole_Cannery-Life-1937

Filed Under: Economy, Prominent People Tagged With: Ginaca, Henry Gabriel Ginaca, Hawaii, Hawaiian Pineapple Company, James Dole, Pineapple, Dole

October 27, 2015 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Aiʻenui

“The foreigners came to these resorts to find women”. (Kamakau)

“It had been the custom, from time immemorial, on the death of any great chief, especially of the king, for the people to give themselves up to universal licentiousness; – to the indiscriminate prostitution of females; – to theft and robbery; – to revenge and murder.”

“The first stand against these heathenish practices, was made by Keōpūolani, the first native convert, herself a chief woman of the highest distinction, who, in expectation of her own death, strictly charged her children and attendants to have her funeral conducted upon Christian principles.” (ABCFM Annual Report)

In the early nineteenth century, makaʻāinana women flocked to the European ships and port towns in large numbers to partake in the lucrative trade in sexual services. This was one of the few ways that makaʻāinana could acquire foreign goods since the aliʻi controlled other forms of trade. (Merry)

Many Hawaiian women boarded the ships coming to port here. They did not think that such associations were wrong … The husbands and parents, not knowing that it would bring trouble, permitted such association for foreign men because of the desire for clothing, mirrors, scissors, knives, iron hoops from which to form fishhooks and nails. (ʻIʻi; Merry)

The first attempt to change the sexual behavior of Hawaiian women was an attack on prostitution with European seamen. This endeavor earned the missionaries the undying hostility of the small but growing mercantile community and the visiting shipping community while failing to eliminate the sex trade. (Merry)

“One of the few chiefs who opposed the missionaries and their preaching, Boki fought against Kaʻahumanu’s new laws that prohibited the practice of the old religion”. (Kanahele)

In December, 1827, drafted by Kaʻahumanu and scrutinized for Christian propriety by Hiram Bingham, the crimes proscribed were murder, theft, adultery, prostitution, gambling, and the sale of alcoholic spirits. Boki opposed actively the passage of any such laws.

“Boki’s obstructionism may be traced to the fact that he had something of a vested interest in all but the first two of the offensive activities.” (Daws)

“The latter prohibition especially aggrieved (Boki) because drinking was one of his pleasures and he himself owned and operated several grog shops in Honolulu.” (Kanahele)

“(H)e speculated in local and foreign trade, sugar-making, tavern-keeping, and commercialised prostitution. None of these businesses except the last was profitable.” (Daws)

“By 1828, he had become openly allied to the two chief elements of antagonism to the regent and the missionaries.”

“The leading one of these elements was the combination of lewd and intemperate whites, headed by the British and American consuls, in order to break down the new laws against prostitution and drunkenness.” (Missionary Herald, 1905)

“Boki … became the friend of … foreigners and they would ply him with liquor and when he was intoxicated give him goods on credit.”

“Thus he would buy whole bolts of cloth and boxes of dry goods and present them to the chiefs and favorites among his followers, and these flattered him and called him a generous chief.”

“In this way he became even more heavily indebted to the foreigners for goods than the King (himself, through his) purchases.” (Kamakau)

For a time, Kamehameha I lived at Pulaholaho (later called Charlton Square,) later high chief Boki, built a store through which to sell/trade sandalwood near Pakaka, where Liholiho also built a larger wooden building. (Maly)

“Boki also established several stores in Honolulu where cloth was sold, ‘Deep-in-debt’ (Aiʻenui) they were called because of his heavy debts.”

“At Pakaka was a large wooden building belonging to Liholiho. Boki’s was a smaller building which had been moved and was called ‘Little-scrotum’ (Pulaholaho.)”

“The foreigners, finding Boki friendly and obliging, proposed a more profitable way of making money, and both Boki and Manuia erected buildings for the sale of liquor, Boki’s called Polelewa and Manuia’s Hau‘eka.” Boki’s place was also called the Blonde Hotel.

“Since Liholiho’s sailing to England, lawlessness had been prohibited, but with these saloons and others opened by the foreigners doing business, the old vices appeared and in a form worse than ever.”

“Polelewa became a place where noisy swine gathered. Drunkenness and licentious indulgence became common at night …. The foreigners came to these resorts to find women”.

“In 1826 the cultivation of sugar was begun in Manoa valley by an Englishman. Boki and Kekuanao‘a were interested in this project and it was perhaps the first cane cultivated to any extent in Hawaii. “

“When the foreigner gave it up Boki bought the field and placed Kinopu in charge. A mill was set up in Honolulu in a lot near where Sumner (Keolaloa) was living.” (Kamakau)

Boki incurred large debts and, in 1829, attempted to cover them by assembling a group of followers and set out for a newly discovered island with sandalwood in the New Hebrides. Boki fitted out two ships, the Kamehameha and the Becket, put on board some five hundred of his followers, and sailed south.

Just prior to Boki’s sailing in search of sandalwood, the lands of Kapunahou and Kukuluaeʻo were transferred to Hiram Bingham for the purpose of establishing a school, later to be known as Oʻahu College (now, Punahou School.)

These lands had first been given to Kameʻeiamoku, a faithful chief serving under Kamehameha, following Kamehameha’s conquest of Oʻahu in 1795. At Kameʻeiamoku’s death in 1802, the land transferred to his son Hoapili, who resided there from 1804 to 1811. Hoapili passed the property to his daughter Kuini Liliha (Boki’s wife.)

Sworn testimony before the Land Commission in 1849, and that body’s ultimate decision, noted that the “land was given by Governor Boki about the year 1829 to Hiram Bingham for the use of the Sandwich Islands Mission.”

The decision was made over the objection from Liliha; however Hoapili confirmed the gift. It was considered to be a gift from Kaʻahumanu, Kuhina Nui or Queen Regent at that time.

Boki and two hundred and fifty of his men apparently died at sea.

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook 

Follow Peter T Young on Google+ 

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn  

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

© 2015 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Boki-WC

Filed Under: Economy, Ali'i / Chiefs / Governance, Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks Tagged With: Aienui, Boki House, Polelewa, Hawaii, Kameeiamoku, Punahou, Prostitution, Pulaholaho, Boki, Liliha

October 22, 2015 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

John Palmer

“Strictly speaking, there is no harbor at this island.”

“The anchorage is merely a roadstead, which is on the south side of it, and protects the shipping from the northerly gales, which are the most prevalent. In case of a sou’easter, however, ships must put to sea or be driven on the reef. We found about seventy sail at anchor, about sixty-five of them American whalemen.”

“The town of Lahaina is beautifully situated on the level land skirting the sea, and extends along the shore a distance of two miles. Back from the shore it reaches to the foot of the mountains, thus lying hemmed in, as it were, by the sea in front and the mountains in the rear.”

“The reef extends the whole length of the town, about forty rods from shore, and, but for a small opening or break in it, boats would be unable to land.”

“Seamen are obliged to be clear of the beach at drumbeat – eight o’clock in the evening. No person is allowed to remain on shore over night, unless furnished with a proper pass by the captain of the port …”

“… any one found on the beach, or in the town, with no pass, after the proper time, is marched to the calaboose, where he is kept in confinement till morning, and then muleted in a pretty round sum for breaking the laws. This is generally paid by the captain, and afterward, with pretty good interest, deducted from Jack’s pay.” (Jones, 1861)

Some didn’t like, nor follow, all of the rules …

“The main circumstances as related by eye-witnesses were as follows: The crew of the English whale ship John Palmer, Capt. Clark, enticed several base women on board.”

“Hoapili, the governor of the island, demanded of the captain that they should be delivered up to him according to the law of the nation. The Captain evaded and ridiculed the demand.”

“One day when the captain was on shore, the governor detained him and his boat, insisting that his demand should be complied with. The Captain sent orders, by the boats of other ships, to his men on board, to fire upon the town if he should not be released in an hour.”

“The excitement became very great and some foreigners who had formerly been favourable to the mission were gained over to take part in it.”

“He (Clark) soon, however, promised that if the Governor would release him, the women should be sent on shore.” (Dibble)

In October, 1827, an assault was made at Lahaina by the crew of the ‘John Palmer’ … the crew had opened fire on the village with a nine-pound gun, aiming five shots at Mr Richards’s house, which, however, did little damage.

Hoapili received the backing of Richards and other missionaries. As the guns of the whaler fired, the women took refuge in the cellar. No one was killed.

“The next morning, he sailed for Oahu, and as might be expected of such a man, without fulfilling his promise.” (Dibble)

A few days after this affair, December 8th, 1827, the first written laws were published against murder, theft, adultery, rum-selling, and gambling. (Alexander)

Likewise, the Lahaina Fort, originally built of mud and sand to protect the town from riotous sailors when Lahaina was used as an anchorage for the North Pacific whaling fleet, was reinforced and coral blocks added to the walls and canons, salvaged from foreign ships, were added to the armament.

“Immediately in front of the landing is a large fort, built of coral rock, yet not very formidable in its appearance. The black guns which peer over the dingy walls are of small calibre, and not capable of doing much execution. The site is a most excellent one, as the whole shipping lies within its range.” (Jones)

The old fort was demolished in 1854 and the coral blocks used in other construction projects in Lahaina. After the fort was demolished, a courthouse was built on the site. A portion of the old Lahaina Fort was reconstructed in 1964.

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook 

Follow Peter T Young on Google+ 

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn  

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

© 2015 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Two cannon balls fired at the home of Rev. William Richards in Lahaina-HSA-PP-37-2-007
Two cannon balls fired at the home of Rev. William Richards in Lahaina-HSA-PP-37-2-007
Richards_House-Plaque
Richards_House-Plaque
Richards_House-Site
Richards_House-Site
Lahaina_from_the_Anchorage_by_Lossing-Barritt-1854 or older
Lahaina_from_the_Anchorage_by_Lossing-Barritt-1854 or older
Lahaina_illustration_by_Nordhoff
Lahaina_illustration_by_Nordhoff
Lahaina-1848-1854
Lahaina-1848-1854
Lahaina as seen from Lahainaluna
Lahaina as seen from Lahainaluna
Lahaina_Fort-(WC)
Lahaina_Fort-(WC)
Lahaina_Town-Map-Bishop-Reg1262 (1884)-portion
Lahaina_Town-Map-Bishop-Reg1262 (1884)-portion
Lahaina_Fort
Lahaina_Fort
Outer wall, Old Prison (Hale Paʻahao), Lahaina Historic District, Lahaina, Hawaii, built 1830s.
Outer wall, Old Prison (Hale Paʻahao), Lahaina Historic District, Lahaina, Hawaii, built 1830s.
Old Lahaina Fort plaque
Old Lahaina Fort plaque

Filed Under: Economy, Missionaries / Churches / Religious Buildings, Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks Tagged With: John Palmer, Hawaii, Maui, William Richards, Lahaina Roadstead, Lahaina

October 19, 2015 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Waiāhole Water Company

Oʻahu Sugar Company constructed the Waiāhole Ditch System to transport, by gravity, water from the northeastern side of the Koʻolau Range. The Waiāhole Ditch collection and delivery system was constructed during 1913-1916.

The general plan or scheme of development adopted for the Waiāhole Water Co. was that recommended by Mr. J. B. Lippincott, C. E., who made an exhaustive study of the project, going fully into the past history and study already made by Mr. J. Jorgensen and other parties, and reported to the Board of Directors of the Oahu Sugar Co., Ltd., under date of August 19, 1911.

The general plan provided for collecting the water from the many streams and gulches on the windward side of Oahu by means of tunnels through the ridges or spurs, and conveying the water, after collecting, through the mountain in the main tunnel to the leeward side of the island, thence by tunnels, ditches and pipes, to the upper levels of Oahu Sugar Plantation.

The tunnels connect up the various streams on the North side, and take in the water at the adits in the gulches. There are 27 of these tunnels on the North side, varying in length from 280 feet to 2,332 feet, the aggregate length of the North side tunnels being 24,621 feet, or 4.66 miles, being in reality one continuous tunnel.

The maximum elevation at which water is taken into the tunnel is 790 feet above sea level, and the grade or slope of the North side tunnels is 1.3 feet per thousand. The length of the main tunnel through the Koʻolau Ridge is 14,567 feet, or 2.76 miles, the grade or slope being 2.0 feet per thousand.

The elevation of the North portal of the main tunnel is 752 feet above sea level, and at the South portal 724 feet. The size of tunnel section is approximately 7 feet wide and 7 feet high, but in many places the section is larger, due to the uneven cleavage of the rock, and the fact that certain portions are unlined.

From the tunnel, the water is then conveyed by means of cement-lined open ditches, elevated concrete ditches, four steel pipes, and three redwood pipes. It is delivered to the upper boundary of Oahu plantation at an elevation of 650 feet through several distributaries, and by the main ditch, which reaches this elevation at the boundary of Honouliuli.

The water is also delivered into numerous reservoirs, especially at night, when irrigating the cane fields is inconvenient. One of the larger reservoirs, on the line of the Waikakalaua storm water ditch, has long been in use. It is called Five Finger Reservoir. Its elevation was a determining factor in establishing the grade elevation of the Waiāhole conduit.

When the work was undertaken, the time of completion was considered an important element, and Mr. Bishop’s organization was planned to secure the most expeditious execution of the project. The General Superintendent of Construction, Mr. Albert Andrew Wilson, who was in direct charge of all the constructing work.

At the beginning of the tunnel work, three shifts of eight hours each were kept going. This was continued until the large amount of water coming into the tunnel, at North heading, became troublesome, and on account of the hardship on the men, working for eight hours in the cold water, it became necessary to cut the shifts down to six hours each, so that four shifts per day were employed for this heading.

The temperature of the water in the tunnel was approximately 66° F., or about 8° colder than the artesian water in Honolulu, or, roughly, about 1° for each 100 feet of elevation.

Camps were established and sanitary conveniences were built to comply with the requirements of the Board of Health. No serious sickness, such as typhoid fever, gave any trouble.

Special tribute should be paid to the Japanese tunnel men, without whom the excellent progress made on the tunnel would have been impossible.

These “professional” tunnel men, as they call themselves, prefer this work to any other, and they apparently take delight in the hardships incident to the work, the exposure to the cold water, and the risk in handling explosives.

They were on the job all the time and never failed to deliver the goods in situations in which white men or native Hawaiians would have been physically impossible. Most of the drilling and mucking was done by these tunnel men as subcontractors – a bonus being given for rapid work, which sharpened their interest and never failed to give results.

While it was suspected at the outset that considerable water might be encountered in the main bore through the mountain, it was not anticipated at the beginning that enough water would be developed to materially interfere with the progress of the excavation.

This hope was not realized, however, for the main bore had proceeded only about 200 feet from the North portal when water to the extent of two million gallons daily was developed—this on breaking through the first dyke.

These dykes are hard, impervious strata of rock lying approximately at an angle of 45° to the tunnel axis, and nearly vertical, and they occur at intervals of varying length. Between the dykes was the porous water-bearing rock, thoroughly saturated, and with the water pent up between the dykes often under considerable pressure.

When a dyke was penetrated, the water would spout out from the drill holes and would gush forth from the openings blasted in the headings. As the work progressed, the water increased in quantity and the difficulty of the work was enormously greater on account of the water.

The texture and hardness of the rock varied considerably— some of it being particularly soft and porous and much of it hard and flinty—particularly at the dykes. The dykes varied in thickness from 14 feet down to about 4 feet, all composed of very hard, close-grained rock which was apparently waterproof.

From the South portal the progress was rapid, often as high as 630 feet per month, or about 21 feet per day on an average, notwithstanding the long haul, which at the last was over two miles.

Eighty-percent of the length of the main tunnel was driven from the South portal, and 20% of the length was driven from the North portal, the difference in these proportions from the two headings being due to the presence of water at a much earlier stage in the North heading. Had there been no water to contend with, the length driven from each heading would have been approximately the same.

This system of tunnels is essentially a closed-conduit system, that is, the flow is entirely through closed tunnels, not subject to interruption by freshets or washouts or from rubbish or wash from the mountain streams, the intakes being so built as to admit only water as free from rubbish as practicable.

Only at three points in the tunnel system—and these are on the South side, one of which is a gaging station—does the water flow in open channels for an aggregate length of 160 feet.

It is intended to use the reservoirs so far as possible to take care of the water flowing at night, so as to utilize the conduit to its fullest capacity.

The Waiāhole Water Co. has taken over from the Oahu Sugar Co. The water delivered by the Waiāhole System is chiefly used on newly planted cane on land above the lift of the pumps. During construction the water developed in the main tunnel near the South portal was at times utilized for irrigation.

On May 27, 1916, with Mr. H. Olstad as Superintendent, continuous operation of the project was begun. (This post is from portions of a paper read by Chas H Kluegel before the Hawaiian Engineering Association, published in Thrum, 1916)

Follow Peter T Young on Facebook 

Follow Peter T Young on Google+ 

Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn  

Follow Peter T Young on Blogger

© 2015 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Waiahole_Tunnel-(SugarWater)
Waiahole_Tunnel-(SugarWater)
Waiahole-Tunnel-(SugarWater)
Waiahole-Tunnel-(SugarWater)
Drilling_Waiahole_Tunnel
Drilling_Waiahole_Tunnel
Waterfall at one of the water sources of Waiāhole Stream, windward O‘ahu, Hawai‘i-(USGS)
Waterfall at one of the water sources of Waiāhole Stream, windward O‘ahu, Hawai‘i-(USGS)
Byron Alcos, superintendent of the Waiahole Irrigation Co., shines a light pon the source of the Waiahole water-(star-bulletin)
Byron Alcos, superintendent of the Waiahole Irrigation Co., shines a light pon the source of the Waiahole water-(star-bulletin)
Waikane_Valley-Loi_Kalo-Bishop_Museum-photo-1940
Waikane_Valley-Loi_Kalo-Bishop_Museum-photo-1940
Monument at the Waiahole Ditch announces the completion date and names of contractor Mizuno, his surveyor, stonemason, and workers-(hawaii-gov)
Monument at the Waiahole Ditch announces the completion date and names of contractor Mizuno, his surveyor, stonemason, and workers-(hawaii-gov)
Waiahole_Ditch-(oceanit)
Waiahole_Ditch-(oceanit)
Waiahole_Ditch-System-map
Waiahole_Ditch-System-map
Waiahole Ditch-Land-use and land cover-(USGS)
Waiahole Ditch-Land-use and land cover-(USGS)
Waiahole Ditch-generalized geology-(USGS)
Waiahole Ditch-generalized geology-(USGS)

Filed Under: Economy, General Tagged With: Hawaii, Oahu, Waiahole Ditch

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 224
  • 225
  • 226
  • 227
  • 228
  • …
  • 238
  • Next Page »

Images of Old Hawaiʻi

People, places, and events in Hawaiʻi’s past come alive through text and media in “Images of Old Hawaiʻi.” These posts are informal historic summaries presented for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes.

Info@Hookuleana.com

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Anthony Lee Ahlo
  • Women Warriors
  • Rainbow Plan
  • “Pele’s Grandson”
  • Bahá’í
  • Carriage to Horseless Carriage
  • Fire

Categories

  • General
  • Ali'i / Chiefs / Governance
  • Buildings
  • Missionaries / Churches / Religious Buildings
  • Hawaiian Traditions
  • Military
  • Place Names
  • Prominent People
  • Schools
  • Sailing, Shipping & Shipwrecks
  • Economy
  • Voyage of the Thaddeus
  • Mayflower Summaries
  • American Revolution

Tags

Albatross Al Capone Ane Keohokalole Archibald Campbell Bernice Pauahi Bishop Charles Reed Bishop Downtown Honolulu Eruption Founder's Day George Patton Great Wall of Kuakini Green Sea Turtle Hawaii Hawaii Island Hermes Hilo Holoikauaua Honolulu Isaac Davis James Robinson Kamae Kamaeokalani Kamanawa Kameeiamoku Kamehameha Schools Lalani Village Lava Flow Lelia Byrd Liliuokalani Mao Math Mauna Loa Midway Monk Seal Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Oahu Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Pearl Pualani Mossman Queen Liliuokalani Thomas Jaggar Volcano Waikiki Wake Wisdom

Hoʻokuleana LLC

Hoʻokuleana LLC is a Planning and Consulting firm assisting property owners with Land Use Planning efforts, including Environmental Review, Entitlement Process, Permitting, Community Outreach, etc. We are uniquely positioned to assist you in a variety of needs.

Info@Hookuleana.com

Copyright © 2012-2024 Peter T Young, Hoʻokuleana LLC

 

Loading Comments...