The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1866-05-12
Tho Reign of Lava-A Most Sd
bliIne SDectacle.

r.r DllInc opectttcles
A let of laya of more stupendous pro-
portions than ever conceived Of is de-
scribed by Mr.. Gean, IN the Honolulu
Friend of February, in the account Of the
eruption of Manua Loa, on the island of
Hawaii:
The eruption commenced on the sum-
nit of the mountain, and only five or
six miles southeast of the eruption ia
in 1S43. For two days this summit era,
ter sent down its burning Hoods along
the northwestern slope 81 the mountain Z
then suddenly the valve closed, and the
great furnace apparently ceased TO blast.
After thirty-six hours the fusia was seem
bursting out of the side of the mouptainsi
about midway from the top to fhe base.
1t would seem that the suinnlis lava
had found o subterranean tunnel ~
half way down the mountain, when com
ing to weak point, or meeting with
sending column of incondenscent fIsia
one thousand feet high into the air. This
fire jet was about one hundred feet In de
ameter, and it was sustained for twenty
days and nights, varying in hight from
disagreement from the mountain side
was often with terrific explosion, which
shook the hills, and with detonations
which were heard for forty miles. This,
column Of liquid fire wxs an object Of
SURPRISING brilliancy, Of intense and aw-
fhl grandeur. As the jet Issued from
the awful orifice, 1t was rs white beat
As it ascended higher and higher, 1t red
dened like flesh blood, deepening its
color, until, in its descent, much Of Il as
sumed the color of clotted gore.
In few days it had raised cone some
800 feet high around the burning orifice,
and, as the showers of burning minerals
fell in 1ivid torrents upon the cone, ie
became one vast heap Of glow ing Goals,
flashing. and quiyering with restless &C.,
ton, and sending out the heat 81 10000.
furnaces in full blast. The struggles in
disgorging the fiery masses, the upwsrf
rush of the column, the force which rais-
ed 1000 vertical feet and the continuous
falling back Of thousands Of turs Of min
eral filsia into the throat Of the crater
and over cone OF glowing Goals one
mile in circumference, was sight to in-
spire awe and terror, attended with ex-
plosive shocks, which seemed to rend the
mural ribs of the mountain, and sounds
to waken the dead and startle the spirits
in Hades. From this fountain river Of
fire went rushing and leaping down the
mountain with amazing velocity, filling
up basins and ravines, dashing over pre-
cipices, and exploding rocks, until II
reached the forests at the base Of tbs
where it burned its fiery way,
consuming the jungle, evaporating the.
water of the streams and pools, emitting
down the trees, and sending up clouds.
of smoke in murky columns Of feecy
wreaths to heaven.
All Eastern Hawai-; was Q sheen Of
Fight, and our night was turned into day.
SO great was the illumination at night
that one could read without lamp, and
labor, travelling and recreation might 20
on as i'm the daytime. Mariners ct ses
saw the light at ECO miles distance. IL
was pyrotechnical display, moro mag
INDECENT and marvellous than wss made
by an earthly monarch. In the daytime
the atmosphere for thousands Of square
miles, would be filed with . mufky.
haze, through which the sunbSaffs she'd
q pale and sickly light Smoke, steauS
gases, ashes cinders--furnac& or eapil-
larry or Elementary or Notifications call
ed Pelo's hair-foatcd in the afr, some
times spreading out like fsn, sOms@tDog.
In swim currents upUa the
wind or gyrating in ever changing eoa,,
oiors i'm the fitfu1 breezes. The point
from which the fire fountain bsued i6
10000 feet above the level Of the sea,
thus riaking the igneous pillar distinct
obiecI of observation along the whol6
eastern coast Of Hawaii. ~ -
During the eruption the writer uAd3
an excursion to the source. After threq
DAYS Of hard struggle in the jungle AZ
orer fields, ridges and hfifs Of bfisf1ikg
scoria. he arrived near sunset at the sce16
of action. Ali night long he stood ~
near to the glowing pillar - the vehe-
ment heat would allow, .Hsfening t0the
startling explosions and the awful roar
of the molten column, ~ II rushed up
ward one thousand feet and fell back IN
a fiery avalanche which made the M6dn-
tain tremble. 1t wss such q. scene -
few ulortals ever Witnessed. There va
no sleep for the spectator. The Aee<r
red glare. the subteffaneou6 mdfterin9s
and srrugglings, the rapid explosion Of
gases, the rushes and roar; the sudden
and startling bursts, as Of crashing thur
der-aH were awe inspiring5 md. al
combined to render the sceno one Of ~
describable brilliancy and terrible sub
Hrnitv. The rivers Of fire from the foun-
tain flowed about fhirty-hve mileH- suo
stopped within lOIniics Of Hilo. Had th3
fountain flowed ten days longer, IL woui6
probably hare reached the shore
q.