Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-04-02
MORNING LEADER.
The arenr YoIcnno or Isnn,

frequent occurrence on the Island Of Hawaii
but one o. 'ho magnitude, beauty, and sublimity
Of the present volcano has rarely been recorded
None in the last balf century has combined such
an extensive flow of lava with the high and
beautiful election Of the molten mass above the
mouth of the crater
The new crater is at an elevation of some
$500 feet above the level ofthe sea, and an equal
distance from the summit Of Mouna Loa. The
mouth is from 500 to 500 feet across, and cireu.
lar To the brief account published few DAYS
ago. we add very interesting description of
this wonderful aud majestic display of Nature,
from the Advertisers notes taken on the spot
The rim Of the crater is surrounded or made
up of cones formed from the stones and scoria
thrown out, these cones constantly varying in
extent now growing in size and again all tumb-
ling down. The lava does not simply run out
from the side of the crater like water from the
side Of oowl, but is thrown up in continuous
columns, very much like the Geyser springs, as
represented in school geographies At times
this spouting appeared TO be feeble, rising but
little above the rim of the crater, but generally
as if eager to escape from the pent-up bowels of
the earth, it rose to a height nearly equal to the
base of the crater. But the columns and mass
es of lava thrown out were ever varying in form
and height. Sometimes, when very active, a
spire or cone of lava would shoot up like a rock
ct or in the form of a huge pyramid to height
nearly double the base of the crater If the
mouth of the crater is five hundred feet across,
the perpendicular column must be eight hun.
dred feet to one thousand feet in height Then
10y watching it with a spyglass, the columns
| could be seen TO diverge and fall in all manner
of shapes, like a beautiful fountain.
This part of the scene is one Of true grandeur
no words can convey full idea of it TO our
readers. The molten ieTy-redness of the lava,
ever varying, ever changing its form from the
simple gurgling of a spring to the hugest foun
tain conceivable, is scene that to be viewed
will be painted, in oil its splendor and magnif.
cence, on ;he memory of the observer till death
Large bouljers of red-hot lava stone, weighing
| hundreds, if not thousands, of tons, thrown Up
with inconceivable power high above the liquid
mass, could be seen occasionally falling outside
or on the rim of the crater, tumbling down the
cones md rolling over the precipice, remaining
brilliant for few moments, then becoming cold
aud black, were lost among the mass of sur
rounding lava So awtully grand, so beautiful
was this ever varying scene, that the observer
who sees it from a good position cannot help
watching if with intense delight and increasing
excitement for hours together; the only draw
back being the severe cold which is found in
the night against which travellers should be
| provided
A dense heavy column of smoke continually
rose out from the crater, but always in the north
side and took a northesster direction, rising in
one continuous column far above the mountain,
to a height of perhaps 10000 feet from the cru
ter. This smoke hOvers over that island, and
indeed all the islands, and must at times, wh~-
the trade winds lull, obstruct the vic .~l
our stay, however, it pass"' ~. During
tain leaving tho "a off from the noun
We w. .ower atmosphere quite clear
"eoched closely to observe whether any
steam could be seen issuing, either from thu
crater or from any Of the streams of lava, bu
could not see any thing thJt could be cae'
steam or vspor, unless occasionally very small
indications along some of the lava streams
None rose from the crater itsclf-unly dense
heavy smoke, which came up out of the moutl
itself Considerable vapOr rose along the sire an
as the molten lava came in contact with tree,
and vegetable masses, but the mass of smoke
came from the crater itself Steam was noticed
IN various places on the plain, Issuing from tho
rocks, and near one of the camps it was so ex
tensive that teakette could be boiled over it
But this steam was undoubtedly caused by hea
Of the lava stream, which was about mile dis
tant, coming in contact with some pools of wa
ter in caves or pits.
On leaving the crater, the lava stream doe
not appear for some distance, say an eighth o
a mile, as it has cut its way through a deel
ravine or gulch which hides it from the eye
How deep this gulch may be is all conjecture
as it is impossible to get near enough TO lool
into it, but it probably is several hundred fee
deep. The first then that we see of the law
after being thrown up in the crater is its branch
ing out into various streams some distance below
the fountain heed. Instead of running in on,
large stream, it parts and divides into gTea
number, spreading out over a tract Of five or sil
miles from the crater, tbs descent is very rapid
and the flow the lava varies from tour to ten
miles an hour, according to the descent. Blu
after it reaches the plain, where it is level, tn,
stream moves slower. Here the streams ar,
not 30 numerous as higher up, there being
principal one which varies and is very irregular
from an eight to half mile in width thOugl
there are frequent branches running OIL from It
This principal stream reached the sea near Wal
nanRlli, or about fifteen miles from Kawaihae
on the 3lst after flow of eight days from th
time that the eruption commenced on the 23d o
January. This stream, on reaching the sea
spread out 20 about half mile in width Tn,
sight oil it as il poured into the sea, forming
clouds Of steam several hundred feet high, is rep
resented by those who saw it, as very beauti
full.
Some of tho finest scenes ofthe flow were tn
cascades or falls formed in before the stream
reached the plain. There were several Of them
and they appeared to be changing and new one
formed in different localities as new stream
were made. One, however, which appeare,
without change for two days, must have beer
30 to 100 feet in height First there was
fall. then below were casoadeH or rapids. 4,
watch this fall during the night when the brigh
red hot stream Of lava was flowing over II at th
rate Of ten miles an hour, like water was a seen,
, not often TO be met, and never to be forgotten
In fact, the lava near its source had all th
characteristics Ofa river Of water flowing rapidly
along, and gurgling with cascades, rapids, cur
rents and falls
On reaching the plain where il is more level
: the lava stream OF course moves along NOR
slowly and in one general stream less divide'
than above. The stream which had run int
the sea, had apparently ceased flowing and wa
: cooled over, 80 that we crossed and re-crOsse,
it in many places, and through the lssures w
could see the molten lava with its red hot GLOW
an intense heat issuing out from ,hem. Ii
= many places the surface was so hot that tn
soles Of our shoes would have been burned ha
} we not kept in rapid motion
The length Of the lava stream from the crate
TO where it enters the sea at Wainanalii, we es
innate to be thiry-eight miles. FOrthe first Tel
miles from the crater, the flow is divided int
many streams-peThaps as many as fhy-bu
! lower down, it is confined TO one or two prnci
] pal streams with frequent branches TO the righ
/ and left
~ Navigation is now fairly open on thi
end the Pennsylvania aud Ohio Canal, an