Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-06-03
From the Honolulu Advertiser April 2
THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
of theLast Eruption of Mauua Ioa.

On Friday morning last at half past FIVE
o'clock, the volcano Of Mauua boa again
burst out on or near the summit. The fire
was soon seen distinctly at kawaihU, and is
described to have been column Of red lava
several hundred feet in height The mount
ain was clear at the time the eruption COM
menced, hut was soon covered over with
dense cloud of smoke, which has continued
day and night ever since, ohscuring the view
Of the fame, though at night the reflection
on the clouds ovcrhanging the mountain was
distinctly seen at sea. One letter states that
a stream Of fiery lava was seen from Hawai-
hn flowing down the mountain side, which
with the aid of glass, could be traced for
ten miles, though it must have been fifty or
sixty miles distant. On Saturday last Sher-
III Neville started with party to ondcavor
TO learn its locality, but returned ON Monday
without succeeding in finding IT, Up to this
writing no definite reports have reached us
regarding its locality, or in what direction
the stream will flow down the mountain.
The eruption was accompanied with unusually
severe shocks of earthquake, which continued
Saturday and Sunday, causing some little OK
ctement in shaking houses, throwing down
stone walls etc. At times the shocks were
almost continuous, and, though not severe
enough to do any serious damage, kept the
/ inhabitants in a nervous state not very pleas
ant for repose Large masses Of dirt and
stones were shaken off from the high preci-
| pico ovcrhanging Kcaakcakua Bay into the
water On Monday these shocks had ceased
or occurred only occasionally and very light
The following letter, dated Kcaakeakua Bay,
| March 20, though not very explicit, is all we
I have vet received DEAR SRA :-Mauna
Ioa is waking up. From yesterday noon till
this morning and even at the time of writing
this, there has been a continual shaking aud
no mean shake either Every fifteen or thir-
ty minutes au earthquake sudden jerk
and you hardly get your nerves quiet before
another follows, aud another aud so on
Stone walls are thrown down in places, and
] the pier at the bay has sent down stones and
rubbish into the water. Judging from the
/ huge column Of smoke seen on Friday morn
/ ing before sunrise, directly east of us there
is a general disgorging Of liquid fire going
on somewhere on or near the summit Of the
mountain. Parties started yesterday for the
scene Of the action; when they return W,
will learn more particulars The eruption Of
1859 broke out on the 23d Of January, at al
elevation Of about 5000 feet above the sea
and continued in full action for i've or ss
weeks The subterranean streams continued
to flow down for four or five months. 1t is q
noteworthy circumstance that these eruption,
generally burst out after long continued
storm or fall Of rain, which would indicat,
that they are chiefly attributable to increased
production Of steam from the water that en-
ters the various crater openings Of the noun
tain. The fall of rain during March wa,
unusually large, amounting on Hawaii, as il
supposed, to at least twenty inches. In some
districts it rained necessarily for weeks, and
even twice that quantity may have fallen OF
/ the more elevated lands of the island.