The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-03-10
The Eruptioz, OF 1910.

The best account that can find of this erup-
ton of Kiauesi is given by Jarves in his Scenes
and Scenery:
IS On the Both of May, (lSl0,) the inhabitants of
the district detected smoke and fire rising in
the DIRECTION of the volcano (Kilauea) As it pro-
ceeded from unnhabited and lesoate region, they
gaze themselves further concern about IT, attri-
buting it to the burning of brush-wood. The next
day. being Sunday, the several congregations at Ho
and its vicinity, were alarmed by the prodigious in
of the flames, IN that quarter. They increased
so rapidly leave doubt that the volcano was
in melton; but in what it discharging
Itseif, yet conjecture The fiery column,
sending forth heavy masses Of smoke aud cinders.
g,tve indication that II ordinary outbreak.
Fear began 10 seize upon some. The burning torrent
was four thousand feet above them; and if turned
in the direction of Hilo, the devastation would be
dreadful. But the lst OF June ii begln TO move
in northelserly directions; and in little short OF
four days reached the having flowed forty miles
from its source. Owing to the inequalities of the
country, the rapidity Of its movement not uni
form. In places it was stayed for n consider
able tiIne until valley had been tillel up, pre-
cpee oyerthTown. In such spots spread itself into
lakes many miles wide. 0n level ground it moved
slowly and sluggishly, but when il met with de-
scent it acquired a velocity of even five miles the
hour, consuming every thing before IT. Its depth
variel according the Of the SOIL and IS from
twelve TO two hundred feet and upwards. The aver
age descent Of the country in the direction 1t too Is
about one hundred feet TO the mile Its general
yement owing TO its great consistency, was ia i'm
n,ense ssfni-circular misses waves These would
roll on gradually accommodating, until the mass had
become TOO heavy to hold itself together. while the
exterior was partially cooled and solidhel; then
bursting the lGuehed interior flowing out would join
:, new stream, and by lis momentum ceave that
asunder. By these accelerated progressive move
ments the wave-iike ridges were formed, which are
everywhere Observable on the older dykes At times
il forced its way under the soil presenting the sngu
lar appearance of eirth rocks, and trees IN notion
fnf fI.a z FINN Il
erevIces and subterranean galleries, flowing on until
il had hllel them up or met with some impairment,
then bursting the superintendent sh, u pore on
upon its livid surface, like RATS river, hillocks
with trees still standing upon them; and so great was
its risciiify, heavy rocks hoated down with the
stream A white man, who was standing upon
small lime hill, the main stream, absorbed by
the srecfacIe felt the ground beneath bIm IN notion
and before he could retire, IL had been raised Ten 10
fifteen feet above its former height. de had barely
I.ft the sput before ii burst open Ike she'll and
torrent of fire issued rapidly forth On the third Day
of the eruption three hills OF mile IN length,
and from six hun red to eight hundred feet high,
xrare frmcd In the direction where the hre nrst aP
neared In two days they had entirely d'sapPearei
To the wiudward, the running Lava could be Hp-
proached, near enough for these VINO Visi'edlI 10
thrust long poles into the iquehed rock, anu ara"
s,I, snec,uens On the leeward side, owing TO tue
inteusity of the heat. the noxious ana deadly
and gases with which the AR Was inpreSh''e" anu
the showers of hot ashes, sand, anu clnuers' "h'o
vrpre -
;lss ,ras destroyed and the inhabitants Obliged 10
see with the greatest expedition Fortunately the
stream fowed through TWO lands only aceording 10
tho Hawaiian division Of territory, those o
a,d Kanabikio: both sparsely populated, and quite
barren. Consequently. the warming being ample
although number of small haiets WERE were over
wbe med, and multitude of swine ana poultry peI-
;shed no lives were lost among the peoPe' ine ~
or an old woman, who had just died was consumed
IT, ooIor Of fhe visei mass was, while flowing slug
gshy Of the snv when %'rs s,rred
- AZ Hilo. and places forty miles distant, such
gas the brillancy of the light that the finest prsa
could be easily read at midnight This nHon'aT raT
brightness. converting night into day. prevailed
ali F.staawai for weeks, anu IS repteseeu .',-
a., witnesses, to have been spectacle ol unsu'
nsssed subimity 1t like the glare OF DAM
trmnment, and seen for upwards OF num- .6'
as =, sea, IL also rose and spread itself ao .e 'ht
onntain peaks, so as be distinctly visible on
the Ieeward side of the islam !, where tue "i'iU -"
the smoke in dense and massy clouds