Evening bulletin. [volume], November 30, 1901, Evening Bulletin Industrial Edition, Page 8, Image 8

About Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912

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EVENING IJULLETIN INDUSTRIAL EDITION: HONOLULU, T. II., NOVEMBER, 1901.
RAILWAY SYSTEMS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
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VIEW OF HONOLULU HARBOR, SHOWING 4,000 FEET OF WHARF FRONTAGE PROPERTY OF OAHU RAILWAY & LAND COMPANY
t Phoiu m cmim-M k HuNoitxu Pitoio SirrLY CnwpisvJ
Oahu Railway
THE FIRST BUILT IN THE ISLANDS
JIPHE early history of the lands of
til tho Island of Oahu, extending
L from Honolulu, the capital of
all the Islands, to Kahuku, a
dlstanco by rail over tho splendid railroad
system of tho Oahu Railway t Land Co., of
seventy-odd miles, is full of interest, mado
doubly so by tho wonderful development
that has taken place within the past few
years by tho completion of the above sys
tem of railroads, whereby the product from
thousands of acres of land is brought to tldo
water for shipment to the markets of the
world.
Practically but a few years have elapsed
Btnce this large area of virgin soil was giv
en over to the Industry of stock-raising and
pastoral pursuits, and where thousands
upon thousands of head of cattle roamed
at will, their sleek coats and rounded sides
testifying to tho luxuriant growth that
abounded.
In 1889 the Oahu Railway & Land Com
pany was Incorporated with B. F. Dilling
ham as general manager, and It Is to his
enterprise and foresight that an empire of
wealth was created out of a vast wilder
ness. In 1889 grading for the present Important
railroad system was Inaugurated and tho
road was opened for traffic as far as Atea
on November ICth of the same year, and
gradually extended to Pearl City, Ewa Mill,
Walanae, Walalua and thence on to Kahuku,
the present terminus of the system, to which
point traffic was opened up on January 1st,
1S99.
The early trials and tribulations of Tl. F.
Dillingham, tho promoter and general man
ager of tho road, are well known bv his pres
ent associates In business, but the indom
itable will power, force and energy char
acteristic of the man were the chief attri
butes that won success for the enterprise.
In 'order that the road should alwavs
enjoy a permanent and paving traffic. Mr.
Dillingham called to his aid engineers of
recognized standing and abllltv, and the
work of development beean upon practical
lines, and millions of capital have been ex
pended In the Industrv of manufacturing
sugar upon territory opened up Ly this rail
way. The Oahu Railway & land Co. hold
under lease for a lone term of veara fnllv
75,000 acres of land nlong the line of their
system, a large portion nf which area has
been subleased to four plantations, the 1e
sore receiving as rental for same a certain
percentage of tho sugar output from the
several mills now In operation upon the
plantations.
The majority of contracts held with these
plantations by the railroad company aro
long-time contracts, some being as much as
sixty years, and In consideration of these
contracts the lands were turned over to the
plantations, a large area of which has been
profitably farmed, and up to tho present
time has produced enormous crops of sugar
cane.
The land of the company reaches an area
of at least 50,000 acres of the richest agri
cultural lands, of which area fully 60 per
cent Is now unuer cultivation, and with the
probable Introduction of oil as a cheaper
fuel many of tho plantations may reach
higher elevations with their pumping sys
tems and materially increase tho culturablo
area.
The contemplated Government Naval
work at Pearl Harbor on the lino of this
system will not only largely Increase the
population 01 tho district adjacent thereto,
but will greatly enhance the value of a
large area of land owned by the company
In tho vicinity of Pearl Harbor.
In a general way, In fact, anything that
tends towards the development of the Isl
and of Oahu also benefits the Oahu Railway
& Land Co., which depends entirely upon
the resources of the Island.
Illustrating i-e wonderful development
that has resulted from tho advent and oper
ations of the Oahu Railway & Land Co.'s
system, it is a fact worthy of note that
the railroad system traverses un
broken fields of sugar cane extending from
Honolulu plantation to the west end of Ewa
plantation, a distance of twenty miles, and
much of the distance beyond to the terminus
of the road at Kahuku. As showing more
strongly the value of this system of railroad
to the Island of Oahu and the rapid devel
opments that have taken place since Itn In
ception. It can be stated that the smallest
plantation lying along the line of the road
will produce more suear from the 1902 crop
of cane than the total output of tho entire
district previous to the construction of the
railroad system.
The business of tho Oahu Railway &
Land system for the fiscal year 1901 will
Mirnass in volume that of any other year
in the hlstorv of the road ooth In passenger
and freight traffic.
The main line of the road has been laid
with steel nil 49 and 50 pounds to the vard,
while the enulnment consists of ten Raid
win locomotives, of from eight to thirty
four tons weight, thlrtv nassenver coaches.
193 freight csr. snd twent-.flve miscella
neous cars, while the IrscViue consists of
main line 71 3-10 miles, feeders to main
line 7 7-10 miles, sidings, etc., five miles.
At Honolulu the company owns a large
area of land, upon which havo been erected
the main offices and general passenger de
pot, besides large and capacious workshops
In which has been stalled the latest and
most modern machinery for tno manufac
ture of the entire rolling stock, except en
gines, together with that of bridge-work,
etc.
Tho present superior equipment of tho
railway has so greatly augmented Its earn
ing capacity as to render comparison with
former years of doubtful utility. The show
ing made for tho year 1901 is phenomenal
only when compared with former ones, and
is but Initial to succeeding years of assur
ed prosperity for tho company. Tho in
creased traffic resulting from tho continued
development of plantations along the rail
way route, and the added facilities of the
company for handling their products furnish
unanswerable arguments for growth of bus
iness each succeeding year. Passing over
cars In process of construction and other
minor improvements, attention Is called to
the extensive development of the harbor
line.
An exchange of certain lands on the wa
terfront of Honolulu, owned bv the Oahu
Railway & Land Company, for the Kawa
pond tract, owned by the Hawaiian Govern
ment, was agreed upon by the parties inter
ested, and having since received the
sanction of the United States Government,
gives the company now a total wharf front
age In Honolulu harbor of 4000 feet, where
two large wharves have been constructed.
These wharves are separated by
slips 1C0 feet wide and dredged to a depth
of thirty feet. They will allow uockage for
twelve to fifteen vessels, and will be em
ployed for .,ie discharge of machinery, lum
ber, fertilizers and merchandise demanding
Immediate shipment. On these wharves
have been constructed two largo ware
houses, each 100 x 400 feet, and each with
a storage capacity of 10,000 tons; and also
a wharf shea 80 x 400 feet, designed for in
ward freight. In each of the above men
tioned warehouses have been Installed two
electric conveyors, each being capable of
delivering Into the hold of a vessel direct
120 tons of sugar In an hour.
The Oahu Hallway & Land Company have
entered Into a contract with the American
Hawaiian Steamship Company to store and
handle Inter-Island sugars, for shipment by
this line to the Continent, lor a period of
ten years, the A. H. S. Co. agreeing to dock
exclusively at the company's wharves for
discharge of cargoes and taking on of
sugars.
With the improved lacillties for handling
f i eight, the storage of BUgar, and tho guar
anteed business resulting irom the above
contract, the future dock earnings will form
a most important item In the still further
material Increase of the company's annual
sum total. of business.
In the Improvement of the water termi
nals of tho company it became necessary
to oxcavate 600,000 cubic yards of material
in order to secure a depth of water suffi
cient to accommodate vessels and steamers
ol largo burthen.
In concluding tho report upon the proper
ty of tho above company attention is called
to the attractive natural scenic surround
ings along the line of tho system, showing
a magnificent constantly changing pano
ramie view of mountain, valley and the Pa
cific ocean, with tho broad expanse of wav
ing sugar cane forming a plcturo of
thrift and beauty.
At Walalua, upon tho line of this railroad
s) stem, has been erected a magnificent ho
tel, known as "Halclwa," which Is construct
ed upon the most modern ideas, and sur
rounded by running streams, rustic bridges,
fish ponds, etc. This garden spot is mado
a feature of the road and a visit thereto
is Included In the Itinerary of every tourist
visiting Oahu, as likewise mado a frequent
event by many residents of Honolulu.
It certainly must bo highly gratifying to
the stockholders of the Oahu Railway &
Land Company to witness the steady and
substantial growth of tho company's busi
ness, tho successful operation of which
means much for tho still further develop
ment of the Island of Oahu.
following Is the list of officers for 1901:
S. C. Allen, President.
J. B. Atherton. First Vice President.
W. F. Allen. Second Vice President.
A. W. Van Valkenberg, Secretary.
M. P. Robinson, Treasurer.
W. O. Ashley, Auditor.
F. M. Hatch, General Counsel.
13. F. Dillingham, General Manager.
Geo. P. Denlson. Superintendent.
C. H . Kluegcl, Chief Engineer.
F. C. Smith, General Passenger and Tick
et Agent.
R. R. Berg. General Freight Agent.
C, I. Lewis, Master Mechanic.
Jno. A. Hughes, Master Car Rudder.
CM. White, Cashier and Accountant.
H, M. von Holt, Superintendent of
Ranches.
Directors 8. C. Allen. J. R. Atherton,
W. F. Allen, W. O. Ashley, M. P. Robin
son. W. M. Graham. W. F. Dillingham,
E. E. Paxton, H. M. von Holt. A. W. Van
Valkenberg.
Trustees W. F. Frear. T. W. Hobron.
Hilo Railroad Company
ISLAND OF HAWAII
HE operations of the above rail
road system and Its Importance
to the city or Hilo, and adja
cent territory mark a new era In
the more rapid development of the Puna
and upper Olaa districts or Hawaii. The pre
liminary work of surveying, securing right
of way, and other matters Incident to the
opening up of the Puna division were con
summatcd by January 1, 1900, when grad
ing was commenced. The operation of track
laying began on May 17th, when the first
lecomotive arrived, and on July 4th the lino
waB opened for traffic to Olaa mill.
Since that period tho line has been ex
tended to Puna, and regular traffic to that
point has oxlsted Blnce March the first or
this year. Tho total length of the system
at present, on a direct lino to Puna, Is twen-ty-rour
miles, while a branch line from
Olaa mills towards the Volcano Is now un
der construction, which will be soventeeu
miles In length, thus giving them a total
trackago of forty-one miles at present.
The branch line from Olaa mills, as spoU
on or, has already been completed a dis
tance or two miles to Keaau, whore aro
located the general supply headquarters of
the Olaa Sugar Company, The railroad com
pany having been granted a right of way
from the Government along tho waterfront
of Hilo to Walanuenue street, aro contem
plating the Immediate extension of the main
line, thus' affording splendid facilities for
GENERAL VIEW OF BUILDINGS AND LANDINGS, HILO RAILROAD COMPANY, HILO, HAWAII
the shipment and handling of freight and
passengers.
At present all the business of handling
the freight arriving by sailing vessels from
the Mainland and elsewhere Is by lighters
from the side of the vessels, which con
vey It to a small landing on tho Walakea
river, near the depot of the company,
Tho constantly growing business of the
railway system with the plantations, as
likewise Individuals and Arms, necessitates
that more complete and elaborate facilities
Bhould be secured in order to expedite Its
handling.
The company will In all probability con
struct oxcellent wharf facilities of their own
for the purpose of expediting the handling
of their growing business, surveys and
soundings having been already made with
that object In view.
The railroad system Is the standard
gauge, whllo the present equipment consists
of thirty-one flat-cars, twenty box-cars, four
first-class passenger coaches and four loco
motives, tho largest of which weighs seventy-four
tons. The rails aro Bteol, CO pounds
to tne yard, and tho road is now being well
ballasted with flrst-claBs material obtained
close at hand, The company In ballasting
their track have a car mounted with en
gine and crusher combined, and as rapidly
as the rock Is crushed It is deposited upon
the road where desired, at the rate of 100
tons per day. The freight cars are of 40
ton capacity and supplied with the very lat-
m