New-York daily tribune., 1859-08-03
@A'elp9lbrk Dailp Grih,r,ts

4 Lava SrnEAN.-P Prot. Haskell Of Oahu College,
Sandwich Islands q recent graduate of Yale, visited
the vo'csso Of Mouna Los with about thirty of the
stui.p,s and in sn article the subject he gives
vivid description Of the majestic river of lava flowing
from tho n ountan to the sea. He ssys
"Deecerdng by the stream Of lava flowing from the
mountain we aer, abe 10 follow 1t on its south side as
r. strong wind blowing from that direction. Hero
we found good Wa king Aut could h safety approach
= i u q IL = fcet of tlt chsnLel. The width OF the
,t.s4lu WA rom ~ 10 100 let, but ts velocity ALMOST
incredible. Some of our party Thought 1t 100 miles
ger hour. v could not calcua,e II IN any way, !0r
p.-c OF cold lava thrown into would slnk aud melt
almost Instantly. The vel city certainly seemed A.
pf.s 81 thar oi railroad FOR eghi Or ten nles
tie s'ream presented succession OF cascades, rapids,
curves aol edtts, with occasional ca,arlct. Some
al "a ps, t. formed by toe .ture u the ground
which u howe:, scme by the new lava Itself. Tho
-tream al built up it3 bsLks on eGcn SIDE, and
han added 20 the Oeyth cf its channel by melting a. the
bot om. The stream flowed more gracefully than
water. In consequence Of ~ lmm.nse velocity and
u.oeiect mobility, ia snrfhce took the shape
tie ground over which b. fOwel II therefore pre-
eulei not only hClioys but ridges. In several places
for ieg feet the course q the stream ascent
of i've to ten degrees; Instance Ot twenty-five
Where the turns n The stream were abrupt the OUTSIDE
of lc stream was much higher than the inside. 50
much was his the case, that the outside sOmetne,
curved over the inside forming spiral. II is needles
10 add that filed with wonder aud aimrsbon
"The chnkers are always formed by deep streams
sui generally by vide ones, ~bieh fow suggishiy, be-
COlie dsnned up IN front by tie cooling Of the sys
anu 10 some instsrces cooled over the top, forming
II were pond or lake. A. the stream gugments Do
DeaI the barriers IL front aud the cTn,t the surfse
are broken up and the pieces rolled forward ald
coutad over the melted lava which cools and adhere
10 them more less. Then, from the force Of the
IL, cC lave, behind Ani underneath, the stream roL
over and over itself In this way bank OF c.inken
q 90 forty feet high. resembling embankment Of
rslroad Is orTued. Often at the end of the stream %
hGuid lava be seen, aud the only evidence Of mo
on u the rolling of the jagged rocks of all sizes dorr
the front Of tie embankmeut. Sometimes the stream
breaks through ths emDsukEent anu flows on fora
time until II gets oOgscd up again, and then the saus
pgyccses az repeated Ia this lat er case the OUT
bursting stream often carries il its back in
Of clinkers, which look Ike hill wax
ing. We found no cinkeIa until We reached he psn
and I would seem tba. none are formed except wher
the descent Is bus htle or tue lava but in perfectly
melted.
There is only one point more Of which will SPEAK
am not quite satisfied that there il fi-sure ia IN
eide Of he mountain, through which the lava made !
xxi; 10 the surface. Those If party who had ses
the flow CT lSi0 and who had no doubt Of fsslrs
tie side 81 the moontalD then, think that there is
sure IN this case. do not, Of course believe in ~
ok theory VI perpendicular duet pipe reschia
dow to the reservoir Of lava but seems 10 me -
the lave by the pressure Of gases end steam, works.
way 70 the surface the water OF springs by the F
craulc pressure. Hydraulic pressure also constitax
| part Of the force which mpes lava. Mouna Los
full Of caves passages, &c, and very porous ana DC
sides the lays 10 Gaze Of this flow at least, could mes
| ia way more or less where It met obstructlons. l.
may be- howeyer that there is rent IN the side Of III
IL