Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-09-01

Great eruption OF the Volcano or Ixilauea.
The public are often imposed or By
great stories III newspapers. But this dc-
count oil the volcano may be received with
entire confidence. Mr.. Coan, the writer
ofthe following letter, is !. missionary OF
the American Board. and SO is Mr.. Green,
our correspondent, from whom wei have
received several Interesting letters, 4 hich
we shall publish soon. I'D. Gaze.
For several years past the great crater
Of kilauea has been filling up, by the ris-
ing ofthe superintendent crust, and by
the frequent gushing forth of the molten
sea below. In this manner the grea, has
in below The black ledge, which has been
computed from three to five hundred feet
deep, was long since filled up by the eiec-
ton and cooling Of successive MASSES oil
the fiery luid. These silent eruptiors
continued 10 occur At intervals, until the
black ledge was repeatedly OVERLOOKED.
each cooling, and forming il new LAYER
from two feet thick and upwards, until
the whole area Of The crater vas filled up
ut least fifty feet above the original black
ledge, and thus reducing the whole depth
Of the crater 10 less than nine hundred
feet.
This process OF filing up continued till
the latter part OF May, 1910, when, as
many natives testify, the whole area Of the
crater became one entire sea ofignifuous
(i) matter, raging like old ocean when
dashed into fury b. tempest. For sew
eral days the fires ragged with fearful ip-
tensiiy, exhibiting u scene awlully terrific.
The infatuated waves sent up Internal
sounds, aud dashed with such maddening
energy against The sides Of the awful cal
dron, as TO shake the solid earth above,
and TO dash huge masses Of overhanoing
rocks, which, leaving their ancient beds,
plunged into the fiery gulf below. So
terrific was the scene that no one dared TO
approach near it, and travellers on the
min road, which lay along the verge OF
the crater, feeling the ground tremble be-
meath their feet, fled and passed by at
distance shouId be inclinedto discred-
it these statements Of the natives, had
not since been to Klauea and examined
il minutely with these reports in view.
Every appearance, however. of the crater
confirms these reports. Everything with
in the caldron is new. Not a particle of
lava remains as il was when last visit.
ed il. All has been melted down and re-
cast. All is new. The whole appears
like raging sea, whose waves had been
suddenly solified while 10 the most violent
agitation.
Having stated something Of the appear
ance OF the great crater, for several DAYS
previous to the disagreement of its fiery
contents, J will now give a short his,ory
OF the eruption itself. say short. he.
cause it would require volume to rive
a full and minute detail Of all the facts n
the case.
On the 30th of May, the people Of Puma
observed the appearance of smoke aud FIRE
in the interior. a mountainous and desoIale
region oil that district. Thinking that
the FIRE might be the burning ofsome jun
gle, (2) they took little notice of it until
the next day, Sabbath, when the meetings
IN the different villages were thrown lnlo
confusion by sudden and grand exhibi-
tons oil fire, on scale so large and fear
tul as TO leave them no room to doubt the !,
cause OF the pheno nenon. The FIRE aug j
mented during the day anG night; but it |
al Fiery Liquid.
~ A thick wood Of small trees.