COM 0570.002 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

the shoreline at Honolulu Landing to sink and left only the Hawaiian residents of Nanawale who had only boulders in place of the black sand. Shortly after this recently lost their entire village to the lava flow. They catastrophe, the few Hawaiians who had been living in described how they had remained in their homes until the area moved inland or to other parts of the island. the last moment, hoping that the lava would stop short Ships stopped calling, but the site continued to be of their village and spare it, but [he flow had continued known as Honolulu Landing, its common name today, on into the ocean. As the flow entered the sea, tiny par- Honolulu Landing is a boulder beach bordering the titles of `a `d were blown into the air and piled up on shoreline road, the only place for miles in either direc- both sides of the flow as littoral cones. lion where the road drops down to sea level. Seaward of Almost immediately the ocean began [o erode the the boulders is a large reservoir of black sand, but three cones thus formed at the edge of the Nanawale shoreline geographical features which would promote flow. Some forty years later J. W. Powell in the annual the accrctior. of this sand as a beach do not exist here, report of the U.S. Geological Survey for 1882-1883, The low rocky sea cliffs bordering both sides of the noted: "The sea has in great part demolished one of boulder beach are very popular both for ufua fishing these cones and has made considerable ravages in the - and `opihi picking. This coast, however, is very danger- others. In a few years, doubtless, they will all disap- ous and many lives have been lost to the heavy surf. pear." Fishermen spending the night at Honolulu Landing The remnants of two of the three cones aze part of report many strange occurrences and sightings, and the Nanawale Park. The Hawaiians called the cones Pu'u area has awide-spread reputation as a ghostly, mysteri- One, literally "sand hills;' the name still used for the ous place. site by former residents of the area. Most fishermen today know the area simply as Sand Hill, the cones pro- ~ (l8J viding an important landmark for shoreline and off- N~nliwale Park shore fishermen and for mariners. The US. Coast t The width of the lava stream was found to be about Pilot, a publication for mariners, offe[s this description three-fourths of a mile. It is said to have passed over the looking inland from the ocean, "an old lava flow ancient village of Nanavaie, and left upon its site and reaches the sea 4 miles NW of Cape Kumukahi and is cultivated grounds a deep layer of rock. mazked by two black hills, about 50 feet high, lying Tbere are three sand hills, which caused me more close together at its seawazd end:' astonishment, and involved greater difficulties to Nanawale means to "just look around." The long, account for them, than any other phenomenon con- narrow Nanawale Park borders the old Government netted with the eruption. From all accounts, the forma- Road running from Hawaiian Beaches 8s[ates to Lion of these took place at the time the lava stream joined Kapoho. A fairly dense grove of ironwood trees fills the j the ocean, which must have produced a violent Sand- i' storm, the effects of which are rendered evident fora entire park, the dominent features of which are the two SS mile on eithec side of the stream, by the quantity of sand dark cinder cones at the water's edge. Hikers on the rP ~ and graver that is lodged in the pandanus and other trees. cones should be extremely careful, as the cinder is very Narrative ofthe U. S. Exploring Expeditron, 7841 loosely compacted and will slide over the moderately Lt. Charles \i'ilkes high sea cliffs with only the slightest disturbance. The park is undeveloped, offering no facilities, but camping During May 1840 an eruption occurred along the east is permitted. rift zone of Kilauea volcano that sent a lava flaw into ]3esides sight-seers and occasional picnickers, fisher- ' the ocean, destroying the Hawaiian coastal village of men and 'opihi pickers are [he principal visitors in the Nanawale. Lt. Charles Wilkes, commander of the first area. Trails they have worn leading through the under- ! formal U.S. exploring expedition in Hawaii, and his brush and down the cliffs to the rocky shoreline ledges party passed through the area about six months later and points are numerous and most of them easily and obtained firs[-hand accounts of the eruption from found. To the east, between Nanawale and Wa'awa'a, a 34