The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-04-29
THE voLCANo!

commencement up TO April 10th Thougi
not written for publication, it can not iail Il
interest our numerous readers.
Huo, April 6. 1865.
lien waiohiuu on Wednesday, March 25th
aud proceeded to Kapapala, where ! slep
that night. On Thursday, the s6th, arrive'
Al the Volcano House. in u rain-siorm, and
having business 10 transact with kama, VIII
lives in the neighborliood, remained Their
Tin Monday morning. March Spth. On Sal
urday, 2Sth, the series of earthquakes begaI
which have convulsed Hawaii for the pas
week. and which are not yet ended AT les
p N, tmy watch, as was standing al th'
gate of the Volcano Honse, the frst heavy
shock occurred, making me sway TO and fro
as If had lost my footing, on a vessels
deck, rolling in a rough sea. On looking a
the crater found the south part Of II flleC
with clouds of dust and smoke, which, when
it had cleared away, We found had proceeded
from the tumbllng down of portion OF the
southern wall, near the road TO kau. Al
SIS, p NJ, another smart shock occurred,
I longer in duration, but not so violent rs the
trst one That night all the lakes in the
crater were intensely active The first shock
was felt throughout kau, Puma and Hilo.
I At keaRhou, the ground shook continually
/ all the afternoon on Saturday. In Kau, the
shock seemed TO have been stronger the more
southwark you went. At Waiohinu, it shook
down walls, and cracked the stone church
from top to bottom At Kahuku, Capt.
Browns place, the dwelling house, cattle
pens, stone walls, etc, were thrown fiat on
the ground--fortunately no one was hurt
and a volcano is said TO have broken out in
the mountain, somewhere between Kahuku
and Hiilea-uka, from which smoke and fire
had been seen to proceed, though in what
direction running, was not known here. BY
subsequent arrivals from Kau, we learn that
Mr.. Pogue, c. Spencer, Capt Haley and their
families, had left Waiohinu either that day
or the following, and were living in the open
country somewhere towards Kahuku. What
damage Saturdays shock did in kona, We
have, Us yet, no knowledge of here, except
that a letter was received the day before yes
terday from Kona, via Hawaihae, per steamer,
saying that several land slides had occurred,
but not stating particular localities
On Sunday, the 29,h, another smart shock
was felt at the Volcano House, at about u
o'clock, noon. No special damage done
there. On Monday, S0th, left the Volcano
House, and descended into Puma through the
Panau woods, came out at the sea by Laea-
puki, and slept at Kalapana, near Kaimu, that
night. On Tuesday, got as far as opihike-
kau, where slept. On Wednesday, reached
Makuu, and remained there that night
During the whole of Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday, no shaking of the earth was
felt in that portion OF Puma where travelled,
though the earth had been in constant trem-
bling, with intermittent shocks, more or less
sharp, at Hilo, aud on line south and south
west from there to Kilauea, and through
Kau.
On Thursday last, April End, as was rid
ing from Makuu to Hilo, and was in Pa
naewa woods, about 81 to miles from
the latter place, another shock OF earthquake
occurred at S:45 P. NJ, by my watch, (some
minutes after by Hilo watehes). This was
the heaviest shock We had yet experienced
l was riding at slow walk ever that miser-
able road which leads through the forest,
when suddenly my horse stumbled, and at
the same time the rolling, rushing sound of
the earthquake was heard beneath the ground.
l instantly jumped off the horse, and as soon
as | touched the ground found it moving
forward and backward with a sharp, peculiar
motion, and at the same time the tall ohia
trees were bending and swaying from side TO
side like willow wands in q gale of wind
This lasted certainly while / could have
IS or 40, at moderate rate, when
the motion ceased, and We proceeded on our
journey. About L miles beyond this place
Il e, and twice We had TO ride at as rapid a
rate as the horses could go in order to get
ahead of the IRE and smoke, which were
driving up with a strong breeze across the
road, sometimes not 40 yards from US.
Arrived at Waiakea at last, We found the
whole population in connection. Shortly
after the shock of the earthquake, the sea
had risen several feet above high-water mark
S or 9 at least. When We arrived it had
receded, but the people were expecting it to
return, and were, in Consequence, packing
up and carrying away their moveables TO the
higher lands i-uka. Having escaped earth
quake and fire, trusted to luck ii had to
swim for it, and regardless of the penalty
for fast riding, We crossed that bridge and
,oursed along the beach at an astonishing
ate for horses so tired as ours really we're,
until we came 10 the corner of the Gov
,ruess's lot, where, instead of crossing the
ord of the Waiolams river, We turned up
nauka, and, crossing by the bridge above,
ode down to Hilo, and were heartily vel
,omed by Coney.
Let me now tell you what damage that
shock did to Hilo and vicinity.
t shook down almost every wall in the
own; it cracked the basement of the Cath
lie church in several places; it knocked /
Iown ever so many q think ALL, brick chin
leys; it smashed up all the crOckery and I
Glassware in Conveys, Spencer's, and the /
nina stores; it made an almost total wreck /
# DR.. Wetmore's drugstore; it knocked
-reat portion of the stone basement of old 4
Ir Lyman's scbool-house from under it, so 1
5 to render it unsafe to dwell in, and in con-
equenee the scholars were CHARTERED for the
light, and for several nights, in Hithcock's
chool-house, and at R. Lyman's; it Jared