Deaths resulting from the April 1 tidal wave increased to 116 today as 14 more bodies were identified on Hawaii and two more deaths were reported from Maui over the weekend. Fifty six persons still missing are believed to have perished.
Meanwhile reconstruction moves were given a shot in the arm Sunday by the arrival here of J. Harry Brown, Reconstruction Finance Corp. expert from San Francisco, and the one day visit to Hilo of Governor Stainback. Mr. Brown said that the RFC relief loans would supplement, not compete, with bank loans.
Both of the additional deaths on Maui were attributed to the tidal wave. Mrs. Elizabeth N. Mendez, 26, of Hamoa, died in the Hana hospital Sunday from injuries suffered when the tidal wave destroyed her home.
Mrs. Bella Castra, 87 year old Mala village resident, died in the Pioneer Mill Co. hospital of pneumonia growing out of shock and exposure at the time of the wave.
Names added to the Big Island toll of dead over the weekend were Dennis Nakahara, 9 months; Henry J. Martinez Jr., 8, Masaichi Hiroshima, 50, Augustine Martine, Victoria K. Nuhi, Seichi Nakamura, 13, Enitano Santiago, 60, Mrs. Tsune Fukui, 43, Eijiro Tanaka, 64, Gerald T. Abe, infant, and Mrs. Muriel Kai. …
Governor Stainback, in a public meeting in Hilo Sunday, served notice that there will be no special session of the legislature to deal with wave rehabilitation. …
The Hilo public hearing attended by Governor Stainback and other high ranking territorial officials, brought forth the news that immediate federal assistance is being sought to rebuild the badly wrecked Hilo harbor, and the territory is prepared to go to work without delay on its port installations.
In Hilo there was fear that unless the county board of supervisors sped work on a proposed building code, which is in the process of going through public hearings, a danger existed that shoddy buildings might spring up to replace those destroyed by the April 1 tidal wave.
Governor Stainback emphasized the need for putting long range plans for Hilo into effect immediately to prevent this from happening.
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Every Sunday, “Back in the Day” looks at an article that ran on this date in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The items are verbatim, so don’t blame us today for yesteryear’s bad grammar.
