("Halekuai pau i ke Ahi—Make kekahi Wahine", Ka Hae Hawaii, February 15, 1860)
Dear Hae Hawaii—Greetings:
On the night of January 3, the store of Albert E. Coe (Mikekolo) was destroyed in a fire. The origin of the fire is unknown, but it is thought to be arson. Kekuaola was sleeping inside, and in the middle of the night, Nakiaha, a woman, called out, “What is that roar?” Shed called out three times. Kekuaola was startled from sleep and saw the fire burning in the rafters at the east end of the store. Nakiaha and Luisa ran outside first. Nakiaha said to Luisa, "You stay here. I am going back in." But she did not see Kekuaola emerge with eight rolls of cloth. Kekuaola nearly died from being inside so long. Blood flowed from the head. Because Nakiaha had believed Kekuaola was in trouble and was concerned for her son-in-law's goods, she went into the fire and suffered a tragic death. The hands and feet of her body were found completely burned from the fire. Mikekolo was in Lahaina on the night the building burned. He told me that the goods lost amounted to $600. But the life lost in the fire is an even greater loss than the financial one.
E. H. PAULO
Kaupo, Maui, January 30, 1860
Below is the article in the original Hawaiian:
Halekuai pau i ke Ahi.–Make kekahi Wahine.
E ka Hae Hawaii e—Aloha oe:
Ma ka po o ka la 3 o Ianuari nei, pau ka halekuai o Albert E. Coe (Mikekolo) i ke ahi. Aole maopopo ke kumu o ka pau ana, ua manao wale ia he ahi kolohe. E moe ana o Kekuaola ma iloko, a iwaenakonu o ka po, kahea ae la o Nakiaha, he wahine ia, Heaha la keia mea e halulu mai nei. Ekolu kona kahea ana pela, puoho ae la o Kekuaola mai ka hiamoe ana, ike aku la e a ana ke ahi iluna o ka hale ma ka hakala manae. Holo mua aku la o Nakiaha a me Luisa iwaho, ai aku la ia Luisa, E noho iho oe maanei, e komo hou ae au iloko. Aole nae ia i ike i ko Kekuaola puka ana iwaho, me na apa lole ewalu, a no kona noho loihi ana iloko, aneane e pau kona ola, ua puka ia mai ke koko mailoko mai o kona puu, a no ko Nakiaha manao paha ua pilikia o Kekuaola, a no ka minamina paha i ka waiwai o ka hunona, komo okoa kona kino iloko o ke ahi, a make mainoino ia. Ua pau kona mau wawae, a me na lima o kona kino, ua mainoino loa, paapaa i ke ahi. I Lahaina o Mikekolo i ka po i pau ai ka hale. Ua hai mai ia ia'u o ka nui o kona waiwai i poho $600. Ua oi aku nae ke kino okoa i pau i ke ahi mamua o ia mau dala.
E. H. PAULO.
Kaupo, Maui, Ianuari 30, 1860.