Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-05-15
Vel. E--NO. XXXEy.
Splendid Eruption of Volcano.

We indebted, says the Newark Daily Ad- |
vertiser TO an officer of the Exploring Expeditions
for files of the Poly nesan, useful little paper pub
lshed at the Sandwich Islands; and transfer the |
following extract from a full account of the late !
remarkable volcano eruption. which was briefly re- |
ferred TO by correspondent in late letter, as
having been witnessed by tho officers Of the squad.
ron:
Several days before the eruption, smoke was seen
by the natives rising from the direction where the
lava afterwards burst out, but il attributed to
brush on fire, nj two o'clock on Sunday, the last
day Of May, bright light was seen from Hio to-
ward the South, which spread with great rapidty,
and increased to such an intensity that it was inn
mediately attributed to a volcano eruption. This
the reports Of the natives soon confirmed. It was
judged be thirty miles distant. and at night such
the bIancy of the light, that the uest print could
be easily read at that distance This noon-tide
brightness converting night into DAY, continued for
two weeks and is represented by eye witnesses to
have been a spectacle Of unsurpassed sublimity.
1t was like the glare of armament on FIRE, and was
seen for upwards Of hundred miles at sea. 1t al
so rose and spread itself above the lofty mountain
peaks, so as to be distinctly visible on the leeward
side of the Island, where tho wind drove the smoke
in dense massy clouds
The lava continued flowing towards the sea
which it reached on Thursday, four days ftom its
first egress AT times it would rush forward with
a velocity of four or five miles per hour, but for
short distance only then become very sluggish, and
move heavily and slowly on. lis general move
ment was in immerse semi-circular masses, owing
TO its great consistency These would roll on, grad
ualy accumulaiing, until the mass had become too
heavy to hold itself together while the exterior was
par,ially cooled and sodifed; then bursting, the Ii
quid interior flowing out would join new stream,
! and thus aid in forming another. By these accel-
crate progressive movements, the wavellke ridges
| were formed, which are every where observable on
the older currents. AT times, i, forced i,s way un
der the clcumjaccns soil, presenting the singular
appearance of earth, rocks and trees in motion like
| the swell of tho ocean. Mr.. c. standing near
tho stream end watching its progress, when the
land beneath him began TO rise, and in few min
4 uies Ie was teH lSeI duONe Ills SOiupauious, VIII
were bu, short distance from him.-Iio had bare
! y time to leave the dangerous situation when the
earth opened, aud lava gushed out. The color Of
the whole stream was of the deepest crimson. On
| the wndward side lis heat was not powerful,
but that persons could approach and plunge sticks
into the fiery mass and draw forth specimens. So
great was its viscidly, that large ROCKS were seen
| floating down the current, like cork upon water
In one night the stream spread from few rods 10
halfa milo in width.
The spectacle when this burning mass reached
the sea, must have lccn awful and sublime in the
| highest degree. The conflict between the two all
tagonist powers, fire and water, was on q scale
which tho ego Of man seldom witnesses. The
heavens were lit up in one intense blaze, whi!C
streams of fire Ike lightning glanced about in every
direction. Ashes and sand were thrown to grsa
heigh, into the cir, and descended for miles dstan
in showers of frey spray. Volumes of smoke anG
steam rolled heavily up, rendering the lurd glar,
still more powerful while the heavy detona,ions ant
loud reports of exploding gases, and the Of The
| conflicting elements distinctly heard twenty
five miles Of, like discharges OF artillery.
With such rapidi,y and to such degree was thu
water heated that the following day (June bih,,
the fish foated when dead, far keaau, fifteen
miles Distant where the water hot to the touch
Doctor Green's Cure for Drunkenness.