The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-31
THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION At HONOLULU
SPLENDID SIGHT.

THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION At HONOLULU
SPLENDID SIGHT.
The news from Honolulu is to the 18th ult' ins
famous volcano Mamma fsoa 10 again In q sta'e "
eruption. The village OF wainaua'ii. forty "'',s
distant, on the sea coast, has been cverran WV"
tho lara and destroyed. The inhabitants were
aroused At the midnight hour by toe Missing anu
roaring Of the approaching FIRE, and had pn' Juss
time 20 save themselves. The crater 10 rem ooo
To 500 feet across It's mouth. The lava IL thrown
mn In continuous columns, accompanied by dense
smoke, to Tho height 600 feet Aietter 10 the
Alta California, says: =,
On sunday, January 2sd, at o'clock, p. NJ,
x,thout any Of the usual premonitory phenomena
of earthquakes, subterrapean sounds, or suitry
weather, the lava burst out some three Thousand
feet from the summit of Mauna Loa, or ten thou"
sand feet above the level OF the sea- and such was
the ranidity OF the flow, that before morning spec
tators at Hi,o, distance of sixty miles from the
eruption. wereof opinion that tho lava had run
distance of twenty Ave miles down the mountain
side.
This eruption Is declared by old residents TO be
greater In volume, aud more magnificent in ap-
pearance, than any previous one that can be re-
membered. At Lahaina, O distance OF over one
hundred miles from the crater, on saturday night,
the Goth January, the volcano was distinctly visis
Bile, Illuminating one-third of the heavens like
that Of an immense and neighboripg conna-
grafton and from elevated positions, it is as
serted that tho shoots Of liquid fame could DC
seen at Intervals, as the immense ceeidron poheo
and bubbied." The sea was lighted up with the
reflection Of the fame everywhere within one
hundred miles OF the crater, and the coasting yes
sells enjoyed the advantage without the presence
| OF ful! moon. Lots Of dead fish were observed
floating about in the neghborhood OF the Islands,
both before and since the commencement OF the
| eruption, and the inference is, that they were
| killed by submarine Hres or heat connected WIN
| the volcano We of Honolulu, have experienced
| a sensible change Of climate, which fact IS also
| attributable to the eruption. By last accounts,
| not far from one thousand square miles OF the
surface of the island of Hawaii must have been
| covered by the burning lava, causing great rare
faction of air all over that space.
! The eruption is on the west side OF Mauna Loa, q
new crater estimated at five TO eight hundred feet
across having formed there, from which the liquid
| mass was tarily elected IN immense jets OF
thousand to fifteen hundred feet high, aud fall
ing over the sides, poured down toward the sea-
This it reached on the 3lst ult., at place called
| Wainauaiii, about twelve miles to the westward
of Kawaihae, and 40 miles from the crater Here
it destroyed native village, aud fine grove OF
cocauut trees, running out into the sea two miles
and entirely filling the little hsrbor.
The Inhabitants of the hamlet were reused
from "the slumbers of midnight" by the approach
of the liquid IRE, and had hardly time to save
| themselves. At this point the stream is only two
hundred yards in width, and by last accounts had
cooled over on the surface SO that one can walk
over it, at the risk, however, OF breaking through
the thin crust into the still flowing stream be-
| meath. Where the fire meets water, very splen'
| did sight presents itself, old ocean Kissing and
| spouting like huge sea serpent, and constantly
| sending up clouds of steam and cascades OF water
| A second stream has started from the crater, and
| at last accounts was running down parallel WITH
the first flow.
SCENE IN CouRT.-The New York Express relates
a touching incident connected with the close Ct
the trial o. James Stephens, convicted in that city
of the murder of his wife. lie was attended during
the trial. which lasted for eighteen days, by seVe
| raj female relatives, including his little daughter
aged about six years. After the rendering of the
verdict Of guilty, the jury retired. the spectators
dispersed, and the sheriff, with his deputies, ap
| preached the prisoner. His little girl, Bella
turned towards Stephens, and after kissing him
said Some, pa! let US go now it is all over see
pa, the people are going" Human nature say
{ the Express, could not stand this; the sheriff
, turned away to hide tear and retired, leaving
, the prisoner alone with his relatives and counsel
Pocket handkerchief were drawn out by many
. present, and the attempts of the male portion o
| the audience to stop up the outlet of the hearti
fountains were of no avail. Such an affecting
, scene has rarely been witnessed.
| THE PARAGUAY EXPEDITION The American
= war steamer Atlanta. Commander Ridgely, arriv
6 we'd at Rio, January 10, on her way 10 join thu
d Paraguay squadron. The Atlanta left at Pernam
s buco, on the 18th, the war steamer Western
, port, which was TO follow on the ensuing day. Tn
y war steamer Memphis, Commander Marchant
6 arrived at Rio on the 21st of January. The new
, from Paraguay, as given by the Corrcio Mercan
til, indicates q determination of the dictator
i Lopez, to bar the passage of the American vessel
q. into the Paraguay river. The official organ de-
I scribes the defensive preparations 40 complete
: the Notifications being in excellent order, aut
abundantly armed and manned; while the troop
were all Impotence for the conflict.
| TIE AMERICANS IN BRITISH CoLuMBIA-It appear
that the Americans in British Columbia observed
Washington's birthday, by closing their places o
business, notwithstanding Gov. Douglas refused 4
allow them to fire salute. The Governor, alleg
ed as an excuse for his refusal that, although hav
ing profound respect for the memory of Wash
ington, he could not so far part from the usua
custom as to allow the firing of salues or publ
= professions in the streets by private Individuals
i The American residents subsequently issued al
y address pronouucpg the decision of the Governo
as an insult.
O NEARLY BURIED ALIyE.-A man named Johl
r Koch had very narrow escape from being bu
= ! red alive in Orange on Sunday He had fslei
from scaffolding on the preceding day, while en-
gagged in painting, and WAS taken up for dead laic
It out in a coffin, and arrangements made for hi
r funeral on Sunday. Shortly before the hour fol
p, the services, the body exhibited signs of anima
y ton. and in few minutes afterwards the young
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