New-York tribune., 1841-07-15
From the Missionary Herald for .Iuly.
GREAT ERUPTION OF THE VOLCANO Of KILAUEA,
IN HAWAI-, SANDWICH ISLANDS.

W n
Letter from Mr Coan dated IiLo sept -, i7io
CANNOT close without saving word respecting The late
,olcenlc eruption in Puma tis Island. At the time ti-
eruption took place all absent from liio 10 attend
rhe general meeting Oahu circumstance which mnc
rore as 1t deprived OF OF the most splendid and
awful part the Since return from 0ahu have
made pretty thorough exploration OF the tract % country
where the eruption occurred having iond lis source, and
traced through most oi s "lndlngS, 10 the SEA
Some of the pncfal facts winch have been collected from
credible testimony and from personal o,sery will nov
pye yo For several years past the great Of kianea
has been npdly filing up, by the rising OF the Superincum-
bent crust and by the frequent gushing forth of the mote
sea below. In this the great basin below the BLACK
ledge which has computed from three five hundred
deep long since filled mp by the election and cooling
of the fiery fluid These silent efuion'
continued intervals until the black ledge was re-
peotcdly oyerowed each cooling apd forming new layer
from feet thick and upwards, until the whole area OF t
filled up, least fifty feet above the Original black
ledge and thus reducing the whole depth OF the crater 10 les
than nine hundred feet This process OF filling mp continued
ill the latter part Of May, 1910, when many natives
1f the whole of the became entire OF
igniiuous matter raging like old when lashed into
fury by tempest. For several days the fires ragged VIII
fearful intensity, exhibiting awitly terrific 1e
fuaied up internal sounds and dashed with such
naddenng energy against the sides of the awful caldren
TO shake the solid earth above and to detach huge asse
of overhanging rocks which, leaving their ancient beds
plunged the fiery gulf below SO terrific was the scene
that dared approach near IT, and travellers on IN
main road, which lay uong the verge OF the crater icens
n distance should be inclined dscredit these state
ments of the natives, had since been to hauea ana
examined minutely with these reports IN view Every a
pearance however, of the confirms these reports
Every thing within the cadron is Not particle OF
lava remains us when last visited it, All has been
melted down and rc-cas All is new. The whole appears
like raging sea- whose had been suddenly sodited
while in the violent agitation.
Having stated something the appearance OF the great
crater for several days previous the disagreement OF IL
fiery contents will give short history of the eruption
itself say short because would require volume to give
Il full and minute detail of all the facts i'll the case.
On the Both Of May the people of Puma observed the al
peaance of smoke and fire in the interior, mountain
ous and desoate region of that district. Thinking that
the fire might be the burning jungle they took little notice
OF it until the day. Sabbath WHEN the meetings IN the
different villages thrown confusion by sudden a1
Grand exhibitions fire, u scale large and fearful
leave them doub, the cause o the pienonc
non The fire augmented during the day and night; but
did not flow of rapidly any dlrecon All were
IN constemat expected that the molten flood
would pour itself down from its hight of four thousand feet
10 the coast, aud knew what point it would flow
or what devastation would attend its fiery On Mon
dav June st the began oow on IN Nor-taSer
direction and on the following Wednesday June 3d. at
ming the burning river reached the sea- having averaged
about half mile hour its progress he rapdity OF
the flow very unequal being modified by the inequalities
of the surface which the stream passed Sometimes
is supposed TO have moved five miles hour and al oei
lines owing 10 obsrucons making apparent progress
except in filling up deep valleys ana III S"ei""s oNe VI
breaking away hills and precnces
Bu, will return the OF the eruption ms Is
in forest and the bottom of an ancient wooded crater
about hundred feet deep and probably eight miles east
from kiauea. The region being umnhahted and covered
with thickc il was before the place dis
covered and up this though several foreigners have
attempted except myself has reached the spot
From klauea TO this place the lava flows in subterranean
gallery probably the depth OF thousand feet hut rs
course can be distinctly traced all the by the rendg OF
lhe of the earth nnumerable assures and by The
emission smoke and gases lhe eruption III ls
Old crater is small, and from this place the stream dIsa
pears again the distance OF mile or Two when The lava
agan gushe up and spread OF about MY acres
AGAIN passes under ground tor two or ihree miles when
re-appenrs another old wooded crater consuming ie
forest, and partly filling up the BASIN Once more dSap
pears and flowing subterranean channel cracks and
breaks the earth opening assures from six inches TO ten o.
Twelve width and splitting the trunk oi 4
exactly that It's legs stand astrde at the hSsure Al
places itiS impossible the subteranean stream
on oi the mpenetrable tlncke under which II
passes After flowing Snder ground several miles, perhaps
eight again broke ont like overwhelming Hood
and sweeping forest hamlet. plantation and every lng be-
fore rolled down with rcss,c>s energy the sea- wer
eapng prcciPce OF forty fifty feet, poured Itself
cataract rt fine into the deep below with loud dro
nations fearful hSngS and thousand aaearhy and nde
scribabc sounds Imagine To Yourself o fused nm
erals of the breadth and depth of Niagara and of deep
CORY red falling emblazoued sheet raging
INTO the The described by eyewitneSseS
terribly sublime. Two mighty agencies IN collision Two
nagoniS, and gigantic forces IN contact aud producing Ell
feels ON scale inconccvaby grand The atmosphere all
directions was filed with ashes spray, Nc while the
burning lava as fell into the shvered into mil
hons of minute particles, and being thrown back INTO the
air fell in showers of sand all the surrounding country
The coast was extended the for quarter OF mile
and pretty sand.beach and new cape were iormed-
Three hill, of scora and sand formed IN the sea- the
lowest about hundred and the highest about three nun
areS feet
For three weeks this terrific dgerged itself INTO the
with little abatement. Mltitudes OF fishes were Nled
and the of the heated tor twenty miie'
Tho III. .ltaT,a1 fp
into the is about half mile but inland varies from
one 10 five miles in width, conforming itself like
river 10 the face of the couH,y which flowed Indeed
it YOU can imagine the Mississippi converted liquid Ere