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1995 Third Place Winner
Story by Malu Debus
Interviewee: Edward Soares Medeiros
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The Tragic April Fools′ Day
My name is Malu Debus. Edwards Soares Medeiros is the name of my great-grandfather who told me this story. He is 89 years old. He worked for Hilo Iron Works for 49 years and 10 months. Here is his story about the tsunami.
On April first 1946, my great-grandfather woke up at 6:30 to go to work at Hilo Iron Works. As he was driving to work he stopped to pick up his friend Tony Souza at his work place. When they reached the Wailoa wharf at Waiakea, by great-grandfather stopped at the wharf. He looked and told Tony, "Look at the water. I think the water is returning to the sea too fast." Tony answered, "The water is just flowing with the current."
After, my great-grandfather stopped at his working place. He walked into his working lace some five minutes before seven. The custodians had already opened the place. He was a security guard for the entrance into Hilo iron Works. My great−grandfather went onto is machine. Them he noticed the sea. He saw the military trucks although just a short time before there were only tents.
When he looked at the sea, he notice how it kept receding farther and farther back! It was huge! He couldn′t speak. He couldn′t shout. Then he ran quickly as the water started to get closer and closer to him. The wave was headed straight for Hilo Iron Works.
When the wave hit Kamehameha St., my great−grandfather ran to the top of the roof beam of Hilo Iron Works. The wave first wave was about fifty feet high, followed by a seventy−five foot wave.
The tsunami moved the neighboring houses around Hilo Iron Works with great speed and ease. Eight waves came. On the eighth wave, my great-grandfather walked to the stream thinking that if by chance Hilo Iron Works collapsed, he would dive into the water to escape and then return home safely.
The stream was filled with people. Some with children in hand and some with sticks. After the eighth wave, my great−grandfather left to find another place. He couldn′t stand looking at such ugliness that was happening. He said, "Auwe! What I saw was so bad!"
My great−grandfather thought to himself, it was a good thing that the workers at Hilo Iron Works go to work after eight o′clock, after the tsunami. All of the workers of Hilo Iron Works lived because they all made it to safe ground. Some people cried for their families. Everything in Waiakea was in shambles. There were no more houses, stores, theatre and hotels left standing.
On that day my great−grandfather thought to himself, "I won′t be able to go home that night and several more nights." However, at around five that evening, most of the damaging waves were gone. Only small ones left. The water only came up to around my great−grandfathers knees now. When he got home, he heard Tony Souza′s story. The wave came close to American Factors, hit the park first then grabbed him! Sand and salt water went into his chest. He had to stay at the hospital for two weeks. He family wept for him but was so happy that he had lived.
One day after the tsunami, my great−grandfather could not return to work. The police were concerned about theft in the areas hit by the tsunami. The following day my great−grandfather walked to Hilo Iron Works on four feet of sand. The people spread poison there and everywhere to sanitize the place. My great−grandfather had to clean his machines for over four months following. There was sand as well as fish inside of his car too. There was turtle found inside of Hilo Iron Works. It was indeed a disaster with a capital "D". And if you are ever involved in a tsunami it′s a different story.
"April Fools' Day of 1946 was not a laughing matter."
And don′t laugh.
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All materials © Copyright 1996-2007 Pacific Tsunami Museum Inc.
130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo, HI 96720 tel: 808-935-0926 FAX: 808-935-0842
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Last Revised November 2007
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