The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-03-10
ronlInercial Advertiser.
THE VOLCANO OF
mAUNA L0A, HAWAII.

-, volcanic eruption on Hawaii. which
~;.;red and viewed with pleasure by a
as ~ s.r Of our residents-ladies as well as
~, las excited SO much interest in it,
- have prepared the following somewhat
d. =. historical sketch Of eruptions on that
.-5;eb will. we trust, prove interesting at
-.s a. well as abroad.
u - W. view Its height and immense size,
- - and singularity of its dome-like sum-
tbe magnitude and length of its lava
nN' .sa v,lcano on Mauna Loa, on Hawaii,
: -. most remarkable in the world. ris-
I'm the sea to an elevation of nearly 1900
:, height it Is only exceeded by the active
e Cot,paxi in Ecuador (1s, ,ss7 feet)
of P,pocatqpetl in Mexico (l7, 700 feet,)
,brse others in Asia and America.
~ ~ -, rise from elevated table lands, and
..,,s,tIv onIv show height of to 9 ZOO
-, tbeir bases Mauna Loa, on the con-
r;-.s in one stupendous mount directly from
tbs sa-
r.,- of orr readers-sre aware that on the sum
of u,una Lea exists an enormous crater. ex-
~ IN dimensions only by that of Haleakala,
r,.f Naui. This crater was first described
\. lsmented English travelsr, Douglas, who
;..J Il in 1884. and subsequently, lost his life
- same mountain The circumference of
I'm of this crater, as measured by him, is
,,t rEsntv-fJur miles, or eight miles in diane
,nI is depth 1870 feet. The bottom of this
-.r i rent by terrible chasms, which to all
l.. 10
= divided into three lesser ones. the northern
Which. known as Mokuaweoweo, has fire.
sr;y been in action the others appear to
Is7e hnz been quiesceut.
Esrrhaaakes, though of frequent occurrence ON
Hsr.ii. are happ0y 50 slight as to be barely per-
zDiBe and have never been known to do more
s-ii,as damage than that of throwing down stone
rsIs BIsetting milk-pans, etc. The inhabit-
sre Of that island have never manifested the
EE.a,est fear FROM earthquakes. They occur. on
y average, six or eight times a year, though in
n 7.lrs nearly double that number have been
aes On the other islands Of this group, ex-
sstnE OCCASIONALLY on Maui, earthquakes are
siln OF never experienced
Of the three large volcanoes on Hawaii, which
rEs prObIbly in frequent action during the
s.isssath century, two of them. Mauna Kea and
HiAdai. are now extinct Appearances would
n .ts that the former ceased action first, rs the
Is. N its sides bear an older character. Of
HasllLIi, which was last in action about sixty
F4E since, JIrTes says:
'sTh:. mountain was aseended for the first time by
yFty from FlneouSer's vessels, in lIyi- Smoke
~ then visible at its greatest elevation few
ears ller, IL poured out volume of liquefed rock,
li.h ossrrrn a wide extent Of country, destroying
s'sril Vihges. 6sh-ponds, and plantations. hnatiy
zoenilag Itself IN the ocean. where it flet up an
rensiss bay, twenty miles in Inpgth, aud formed a
eE heid1uI several miles beyond the old terminal
Foa q the coast The mountain yet looks gi0omiiy,
> o-ue,ling some new disaster
Tie natives ON Hawaii still narrate to trav-
sr the story of the. death of a woman and
Ill which occurred in one Of the last eruptions
Hllalai The base of that mountain had
Ia Is it bas now, small fishing villages scatter
daln. its shore The last eruption began in
hsnisht. and the natives were roased from their
saabers by the noise Of the lava stream flowing
sEn towards their settlement. Nearly all she
saiet ia escaping. In one hut, however, the
Ausdlnd only was awaked, and went out to learn
nepaze Of the noise, but from freight ran OH
1sing bis wife and child. The lava approached
nFEiF, bat before the woman was walked by the
Et shrieks OF the natives, it had encircled the
ias AID found It's way TO the sea- Escape was
ng@i5le. To attempt 10 cross the fiery
Ssan. vas instant death. Nearer and nearer
n sram came until it reached the hut,
ssang It on fire. The frightened woman, with
az enid in her arms. sought refuge in o panda-
nas Fse-but here safety was only for a rnoE.ent.
N ant was fast crumbling to ashes beneath the
ady destroyer, which was rapidly approach
ns the roots Of the tree. There was now no
l'Ee, the lava had reached the tree and burned
: nois, and soon the woman and child fell
'''iaes to the insatiate goddess Pele.
Mama Loa Is :he only volcano now active on
.aS-ian Islands. It's principal crater is that OF
Aaa'ea on the eastern side, at an elevation OF
''lsi ieet above the sea. But its eruptions are
~ eonhnet to this crater, but occur on all
''As Of the mountain and at various heights
"1eines near the summit, but more fire.
s'snay between 900 and 12,000feet above the
= We have found no publication that gives
chronological account of the eruptions on
A4ana iOa, nor do we know of any SUCH Ii
'oaia De an interesting study for some OF our
aug a@slans to look up and give brief accounts
@e eruptions which have occurred since the
-,s'sry of this group
fla Dana, in his Geology of the U. S. Explor-
= lpedItion. the most valuable work to which
nave had access, speaks Of several early erup-