The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-04-04
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY,. APRIL 4.
NOTES OF THE WEEK.

NEW ERuPTTos or TIE yoLcASo.-On Friday
morning last, at 81 O'Clock, the Volcano of Mauna
Loa again burst out on or near the summit. The
IRE was seen distinctly ut Kawaihae, and is described
to have been q column Of red lava several hundred
feet in hight The mountain was clear at the time
the eruption commenced, but was soon covered over
with a dense cloud Of smoke, which has continued
day and night since. obscuring the view Of the flame,
though at night the reflection on the clouds over
hanging the mountain was distinctly seen at sea.
One letter states that a stream Of fiery lava was seen
from Kawaihae flowing down the mountain side,
which with the aid Of a glass could be traced for ten
miles, though it must have been fifty or sixty miles
distant. On Saturday last, Sheriff Neville started
with a party to endeavor 10 Learn its locality, but
returned on Monday without succeeding in finding
it. Up to this writing no very definite reports have
reached Us regarding its locality, or in what direc-
ton the stream will flow down the mountain.
This eruption was accompanied with unusually
severe shocks Of earthquake, which continued through
Saturday and Sunday, causing some little excitement
in shaking houses, throwing down store walls, sc.
y times, the shocks were almost continuous, and
though not severe enough to do any serious damage,
kept the inhabitants in n, nervous state not very
pleasant for repose. Large masses Of dirt and stones
were shaken of from the high precipice overhanging
Kealakeakua Bay into the water. On Monday these
shocks had ceased, or occurred only occasionally and
very light. The following letter dated Kealakeakua
Bay, March 18th, though not very explicit, is all we
have yet received:
DEAR SIR SIauna Loa Is waking up-from
yesterday noon 10 this morning and even at the time
Of writing this, there has been a continual shaking,
and no mean shakes either. Every fifteen or thirty
minutes an earthquake,-a sudden jerk, and you
hardly get your nerves quiet before another follows,
and another, and 50 ON. Stone walls thrown down
in places. and the pail ut the bay has sent down stones
and rubbish into the water. Judging from the huge
column Of smoke seen ON Friday morning before sun
rise directly east Of Us, there is n general disgorging
0tEquid fire going ON somewhere on or near the sum
init Of the mountain. Parties started yesterday for
the scene Of action; when they return We will learn
more particulars"
The eruption OF 1859 broke out on the sd Of jan
uary. Mt an elevation Of about 5000 feet above the
sen, and continued in full action for FIVE or six weeks.
The subterranean streams continued to how down for
four OF FIVE months. 1t is n noteworthy circumstance
that these ~eruptiOns generally burst out after long
continued storm or fall Of rain, which would indicate \
that they are chiefly attributable to increased produc-
ton Of steam from the water thst enters the various |
crater openings Of the mountain. The fall of rain
during March was unusually large. amounting on Ha-
waii. as Is supposed, to Mt least twenty inches. In
some districts it rained necessarily for weeks, and
even twice that quantity may have fallen on the more
elevated lands Of that island.