Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-08-05
-MISCELL ANY.
A Molten River.

Prof. IIaskell of Oahu college, Sand
wich Islands, lately visited the volcano of
Mauna Loa, with the officers and about 20
s.ude nts Of the college. He gives vivid
description of the majestic river Of lava
flowing from the mountain to the sea -
Descending by the stream of lava fow-
ing from the mountain. We were able TO iol-
low It ON its south side. asca strong wind
was blowing from that direction. Here
we found goDd walking, and could with
salty appro ch within few feet OF the
channel. The width of the stream was
fiom 20 TO 100 feet, but It's velocity almost
incredible. Some of our party thought it
100 miles per hour. We could not calcu-
late it in any way. for pieces of cold lava
thrown into it would sink and melt almost
instaa,ly. The velocity certainly seemed
as great as that of railroad car. For
eight or ten miles the stream presented a
succession of cascades. rapids, curves, and
edlies. with an occasional cataract. Some
of these were formed by the nature OF the
ground over which it flowed some l'y the
new lava itself. The stream had built up
1 lis OWL UuIikS pii tdti ciNSs riff Htd atdtN
to the depth of its channel by melting al
the bottom. The stream flowed more
gracefully than water. In consequence Il
il immense velocity and imperfect mobility
its surface took the same shape as the
ground over which it flowed 1t therefor,
presented not only hollows but ridges. Ii
several places for a few feet the course o
the stream was an ascent of five to ten de
grees, in one instance of twenty-five
Where the turns in the stream were ab
rupt the outside of the stream was mucl
higher than the inside. So much was thi
the case, that the outside sometimes curve'
, over the inside, forming spiral. 1t
, needless to add that we were filled viii
wonder AMI admiration at the sights W
saw.
q "The clinkers are always formed b
deep streams, and generally by wide ones
which flow slugsishly, become damned u
in front by the cooling of the lava and Il
some instances cooled over the top, fornin
: as it were pond or lake. As the strean
augments beneath, the barriers in front an
the crust on the surface are broken up, an
the nieces are rolled forward and coates
lover with melted lava which cools and ad
heres TO them more or less. Then, fror
the force of the melted lava, behind an
!, underneath. the stream rolls over and owe
|; itself. In this way bank of clinkers te
10 forty fee, high, resembling the embank
ment of a railroad. is formed. Otien
, the end Of the stream no liquid lava ca
. be seen, and the only evidence OF motto
!: is the rolIiong of the jagged rocks OF a
8 sizes down the front of the embankmen
9 Sometimes the stream freaks through tn
5 embankment and flows on for time unit
3 il gets cIogged up again, and then the sam
5 processes are repeated. In this latter cas-
3 the outbursfing stream often carries as
. were on its back immense masses OF cilns
= ers. which look like hills walking. w
found no clinkers until we reached tn
plain. and it would seem that none ar
formed except where the descent is oat III
: lie. or the lava but imperfeciiy melted
There is only one point more OF whic
I viii speak. / am not quite satisfied fna
: tbers is a issare in the side OF the moaL
q tain. through which the lava made IT'S e1
10 the snrtace. Those Of our party wb
bsd seer the hr~ Il ,eso .ss -,s- has