Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-05-15
The Sandwich IsIands--Terrible Vol
canic Eruption.

SAN Francisco, May The bark
Comet, from the Sandwich Islands, brings
accounts of a terrible volcanic eruption Of
Nlauna Leo. The demonstrations began
March 27 On the 28th over one hundred
shocks were felt at Helena. During the
two weeks following, TO April Is, two thou
sand earthquake shocks occurred. At War
schema the earth opened in many places, a
tidal wave, sixty feet high, going over the
tops of the cocoa trees, quarter Of a mile
inland, sweeping human beings, horses,
and everything movable before it.
A terrible shock prostrated churches and
houses, killing many persons. In all one
hundred lives were lost, besides one thou
sand horses and cattle The craters vomit-
ed fire, rocks and lava, and a river of red
hot lava, five or six miles long, flowed to
the sea at the rate Of ten miles an hour, de-
stroying everything 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 Warschena, three miles from
shore, conical island rose suddenly, emit
AluG a fblullU VI sAEdHl du4 SkUUAEg hnAt
the kona packet was passing, spattering
mud on the deck. The greatest shock oc-
CURED April ,, prior to the eruption, and
there was a great shower Of ashes and
pumice stone During the great shock the
swaying motion ofthe earth was dreadful
no person could stand erect. Ia the midst
of this tremendous shock an eruption Of red
earth poured down the mountain, rushing
across the plain three miles IN three min
utes, and then ceased
Then came the great tidal wave and then
the streams Of lava. The villages on shore
were all destroyed by this wave. The earth
opened under the sea and redeemed the
water. The earth eruption swallOwed thir
ty persons, and the sea wave many more.
Great suffering and terror prevailed in
the whole region affected The sloop Live
Yankee had been despatched with proyi-
visions, &c, to rescue and relieve the suf-
ferers
SAN FRANCISCO, May THE Honolulu
correspondence Of the Bulletin gives details
of the volcanic disturbances, showing that
the earthquake shocks extended to all the
islands OF the Hawaiian group, but no dam
age is known to have occurred except
around Mauua Loa Numerous extensive
land slides accompanied the other phen0m-
ena, destroying life and property.
The summit and side of a hill one thou
sand five hundred feet high, were thrown
one thousand feet over the tops of the trees
and landed in the valley below. The gases
that issued afterwards, destroyed all vege
table life. A bott0mless fssure opened in
the mountain side. 0ne Of the lava streams
flowed under ground, breaking out in four
jets six miles from the sea, and throwing
lava and stones one thousand or fifteen hun
dred feet high.
The new island thrown up 400 feet high
and is now joined TO the mainland by a
stream lava mile wide \ large stream
Of water has burst from the mountain
where the earth eruption occurred. At the
base Of the volcano about three hundred
miles circumference, are desolated AT
least $500, 600 in property is destroyed.
The King of the Sandwich Islands has Is
sued proclamation for the relief of the
sufferers. Many visitors have gone from
Honolulu, and others will go from this city
to visit the scene. The worst Is thought to
be over, but the lava now continues to be
grand spectacle
An earthquake shock occurred at Hearlds-
burg last night, which awoke all the inhab-
itants Several shocks were felt 10 Califor-
MA about the time Of the outbreak in Ha-
waii.