The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-05-14
GREAT VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

TERRIFIC AGITATION OF MAUNo LEO. i
ALL OF THE EAWIIAN ISLANDS AT
FECTED = TWO THOUSAND EARTH
QUAKES IN TWO wEEKs.-WAIsoLUSA
TOTALLY DESTROYED.-A TIDAL WAVE
SIXTY FEET IN HEIGHT. - ONE HUN
DRIED HUMAN BEINGS LOST. - LAVA
AND STONES THROWN 1900 FEET Sky
WARD.
SAN FRANCISCO, May THE barque
Comet, from the Sandwich Islands,
brings accounts of a terrible volcanic
eruption of Mauno Leo. The demon
strations began March 81. On the 2Sth
over one hundred shocks were felt at
Nilina During the two weeks following
to April 13, two thousand earthquake
shocks occurred At Waisoluna the
earth opened in many places, a tidal wave,
sixty feet high, going over the tops of the
cocoa trees, a quarter of mils inland,
sweeping human beings, houses and ev-
cry thing movable before it.
y terrible shock prostrated the churches
and houses, and killed many. In all,
Que hundred lives were lost, besides one
thousand horses and cattle. The craters
vomited FIRE, rocks and lava, and river
flowed to the sea at the rate Of ten miles
an hour, destroying every thing before it,
and forming an island in the sea. A new
crater two miles wide opened and threw
rocks and streams Of FIRE one thousand
feet high. The streams of lava rolled TO
the sea, at one time illuminating, at night,
an extent of fifty miles. The lava has
pushed out from the shore one mile.
At Wasoluna, three miles from shore,
eouical island rose suddenly, emitting
a column of steam and smoke while the
Iona packet was passing, splattiug mud
on the deck. The greatest shock occur
red on April 2. Prior to the eruption,
there was a great shower Of ashes and
pumice stones. During the great shock
the swaying motion of the earth was
dreadful, no person could stand erect.
In the midst OF this tremendous shock an
eruption of red earth poured down the
mountain. rushing across the plain, three
miles IN three minutes, and then ceased
| Then came the great tidal wave, and
the streams cf lava. The villages on the
shore were all destroyed by this wave.
The earth opened under the sea and red
dened the water The earth eruption
swallowed thirty persons, and the sea
wave many more.
Great suffering and terror prevailed in
the whole region affected. The sloop
Liue Yankee has been despatched with
provisions, &C., to rescue and relieve the
sufferers.
SAN Francisco, May T. The Hon.
olulu correspondence of the Bulletin
gives details of the volcanic disturbances
showing that the earthquake shock ex
tended to all the islands Of the Hawaiian
group, but no damage is known to have
occurred, except around Mauno Leo
! Numerous extensive land slides accompa
MED the other phenomena, destroying
life and property The summit and side
of hill fifteen hundred feet high were
thrown one thousand feet over the tops
of the trees and landed in the valley be-
low. The gasscs that issued afterwards
destroyed all vegetable and animal life.
| a bottomless fissure opened in the
mountain-side. One of the lava streams
iuuCtbS uH-Ci SiOUJu GIOhS Jul III IOuf
jets six miles from the sea, throwing
lava and stones one thousand OF one thou
sand FIVE hundred feet high.
The new island thrown up is four hun
dred feet high, and is now joined to the
main land by stream of lava a mile
wide. a large stream Of water has burst
from the mountain where the terrible
eruption occurred. At the base of the
volcano about three hundred miles in
circumference is desolated
At least 100000 in property is de-
stroyed. The King of the Sandwich Is
lands has issued proclamation for the re-
lief of the sufferers. Many visitors have
gone from Honolulu and others will 90
from this city to visit the scene. The
worst is thought to be over, but the town
still continues to be a grand spectacle
An earthquake shock occurred at Her
aldsburg, last night, which awokc all the
Inhabitants. Several shocks were felt in
California about the time of the outbreak
IN Hau,;;,