The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-11-08
Remarkable Volcanic Eruptions.
By rEOI. HITCHCOCK.

Go with me to the Sandwich Islands, and we
shaii get an impressive glimpse of the principal
agency by which the earth's crust has been ridg.
ed, iurrowed, and dslocated. As we land upon
Hawai-. we pfeceiye it to be composed mainly of
vara OF no very ancient date. We ascend lofty
plateau, and many league in advance of us w.
see column OF smoke rising from vast plain.
Directing our thither, while vet some miles
from 1t, we descend steep slopc to n broad ter.
race, and then another slope to second terrace
These slopes and terraces extend circulnrly
around the pillar of smoke Ike the seat, Of n
vast ampilheatre
Coming near to this column, our steps are mr.
rested ON the margin Of a vast gulf. fifteen lun.
dred ieet deep, and from eight to ten miles in
circumference, whose bottom is the seat of the
most remarkable volcano on the globe II mean
hIauea.-W ait here till night closes around lis
ana we shall witness scene Of awful sublimi,y
over the immense area Of that gulf will the vol
came agency beneath be cxerted Ever and
anon, and mingled in strange dscord, will L,.
sings and groaulugs, muitcrngs and thunderinrs
be heard rolling from side to side. and MAKING
the earth tremble around Then from one and
another volcanic conc-perhnps from hffy--vill
the glowing lava burst forth; red lot stones will
be driven turously upward yapor and smoke.
ana flames will be poured out, and the dark and
jagged sides OF that vast furnace will glow with
uueartlly spicndor; aud here and there will lakes
"i liquid Lava appear, one or two miles in extent.
heaNng up their pillows, and da,hing their fiery
spray high into the air ., there is not on earth
u aIiNelier emblem Of the world Of despair; and
yet We know 1t Is not the lake which burnelh
with fire and birthstone. nor the abode Of lost
spirits. We know It to be only one orthe safety
a ~, ,la n,l a..
mighty agency within the globe which has bcqyed
and ds!ocated ts crust and therefore. rs we
gaze upon the scene and forget our fltiruc and
sleep, we experience only the emotions Of awful
subIlmlty which can hardly fail to raise into
alteration OF that infinite Being who can say, even
to this agency, Thus far shalt thou 60 and no
farther.
Sill more awful, is often the scene presented
by volcanic eruption. Imagine yourSelf for in.
stance upon one OF the wide, elevated plains of
Mexico, far from tie fear Of voltanors. The earth
btsIn' to quake unlcr your feet and the most n.
farming subIcrancan noises admonish YOU of a
mighty power within the earth that must soon
nave vent lou flee to the surruuniin mountains
III Time to see ten square miles Of the plain swell
up Ike bladder, to the height of five hundred
feet, with numerous smaller cones rise from tlo
surface still higher, and emit smoke and in their
midst, SIX mountains are thrown mp to the height.
some OF them at least six hundred feet. and pour
forth melted lava, turning rivers out orthcir co,rs,
and spreading terrific desola'ion over late fer.
Still more terrific have been some X frr i,llnb'
tions in Iceland lnl7S3, earthquakes Of tremcu
dous power shook the whole island, and flames
burst forth from the ocean In June these ceas-
cd, and Skaptar JoRll opened its mouth ; nor did
It close till 1t had poured forth two streams fila.
Va. one sixty miles long, and scyenbroad and both
with an average thickness Of one hundred feet
During that summer the inhabitants saw the sun
no more, and all Europe was covered with a laze
Around the Papandayung, one Of the loftiest
mountains III Java no less than forty villages were
reposng in pcacr.-l}ut in August, l112, a remar
kable luminous cloud enyelCpcd its top aroused
them from their security. But it was to late
For at once the mountain began to sink INTO the
earth, and soon it disappeared with the forty vii
lagos, and most Of the inhabitants, over Il space
fifteen miles long and sx broad
Still more cXraurdluary--t most remarks
bic on rccord-was an eruption in Suuhawa, one
of the Molucca Islands, in 1915. 1t began on the
5th day Of April and did not cease til July.
The explosions were heard in one direction nine
hundred and seventy miles, and in another seven
hundred unl twenty milcs. So heavy was the
fall Of ashes at the distance of forty miles that
houses were crushed and DESTROYED. The float
ng ciuicrs IN the ocean hundred, Of miles distant
were two feet thick, and vessels were forced
through them with difficulty. The darkness Of
Java three hundred miles distant, was deeper
than the blacklist night; and finally, out Of the
twelve thousand inhabitants Of the island, only
twcnty.s.X survived the catastrophe.