The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-18
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER Is, 1868.
Communicated.
EARTHQUAKES and Volcanoes.

| Pacific ocean l5 O subject OF interest to the
naturalist, and indeed to the .inquiring
mind of all travellers on that great ocean.
The lonely ship, in sailing over that i'm
mense sea, often passes in sight of some
group or single island, with its dark or
grayish head, just showing itself above
the surface of the water. And again, others
are seen looming up thousands of feet high
in the midst of that vast ocean. Many a
ship, having come in contact with an un-
known island, has gone down at sea, and
no one left to tell of its existence. 1t has
been conjectured that the many groups of
islands of Polynesia were once united, and
formed a great continent. But the most
prevalent opinion is that the islands of the
Pacific have been raised from the bottom OF
the sea by volcanic action for on the sum
NIT of the highest mountain in Tahiti
an island composed almost entirely OF
volcanic rock-there is o distinct stra-
tum of fossil coral, resembling that OF
modern reefs. Though this may be
true or not in regard to the islands
of the Pacific, it is nevertheless fact that
a number have disappeared below the sur
face of the water, for they can no lopger be
| found in the positions where they once
stood in solitude and grandeur. Their dis
| appearance is accounted for by naturalists
| as follows, and the reasons seem to be well
founded Many of the islands are encircled
by coral reefs, forming between the reef and
| the shore atols or lagoons, where vessels ride
| Mt anchor in safety. On the outside Of those
coral reefs the depth of water is sometimes,
| by the side of the reef, over one hundre's
| fathoms. 1t has been asccrtained by al
examination of the bottom Of the sea that
the coral, in constructing coral bed, OF
when depositing its secretion and shells
| (which form the coral reefs) will never be-
| gin foundation for o reef at a greater dis
lance below the surface Of the water THAI
ten fatboms. Therefore it is believed THAI
the volcanic action that changes the level
| of those islands sinks some of them below
the surface of the ocean, as well as ele-
| Yates others. Unless this view of the
subject be admitted, there is no salts
| factory way of accounting for the
appearance of the several islands form
| ing the Paamuto group, or Lower Archl-
| pelaga, as they are sometimes called,
| situated between the Marquesa5 and Socie-
ty islands, while the latter groups are higi
above the ocean, and having every indication
of living volcanoes within them the for
mer, or Paamuto, are low, with the crest
near the surface Of the ocean, and present
the appearance of a lake of water in the
centre which was once filled with burning
lava. The detached islands Of the Pacific,
as they slowly sink below the surface Of the
ocean by volcanic action, are watched by
the polyp, and the peaks topped by coral
reefs, as they slowly disappear forever from
the ocean. And likewise, when by the same
action other islands spring up, the new
ones are by the same little aquatic animals
built upon and finally encircled by coral
reefs, unless they rise from the depths be-
low with the force and flame OF fire, a.
did the island of Graham, between Sicily
and the coast of Africa, in 1881, and Sabir"
in 1911, off st. Michael's, in the Azores. 1t
is confidently asserted that the Paamuta
group of islands are gradually sinking be-
| low the surface Of the ocean and navlga-
tors in the Pacific ocean have witnessed
with astonishment the rapid increase OF
other islands that have but recently been
discovered.
The passengers on board the steamship
Golden Age, on her passage to Panama from
San Francisco in 1856, felt an earthquake
80 sensibly that for time they were under
| the impression that the steamer had struck
on rock. The shocks in Chilli and Peru
have been felt on the ocean for many hun
dreds of miles off the coast, and the harbor
of Callao has been more than once changed
by volcanic action. The Sandwich Islands,
| discovered by Captain Cook on his last and
most unfortunate voyage, and named Tor
the then first Lord of the British Adml-
ralty. are remarkable for their volcanoes.
On the largest island, Hawaii, or Owhyhec
las Captain Cook called it), and on the
mountain of Huasair, or Ulorwing, there is
O very extensive crater, which has been in
strumental in changing the surface OF the
surrounding country, besides the centre
spiral, hundreds of cone craters, or hills OF
scoriacious lava, may be seen from the sum
nit like excrescences on its side. Its height
is 1922 feet. Mauna Loa is 1850 feet.
The crater of this mountain is o most ex-
tensive one, and although not in 1856 exer-
cising such tremendous power as the sur
rounding country gives evidence Of, is stlll
| in action. On the northeast side OF this
island the town of Hilo is situated. Ii Is
small, struggling village. Earthquakes are
common at Hilo. One occurred at this place
and on the Friendly Islands, November I,
1887, nearly coincident with the earthquake
in Chilli on the same day. On this occasion
the water rose in the bay Of Hilo (Sand-
wich Islands) eleven feet above high
mark, proving the fact that the shock of an
earthquake sometimes extends from one end
of the continent to the other, and from the
continent of South America across the Pa
cifc ocean; and in its effects on land and
sea may submerge some islands, and bring
TO the surface OF the ocean others many
hundred fathoms below. The Kilanea vol
cano is thus described by visitor The
Kilanea or Kieaneah volcano lies on the
side, as it were, and to the southeast of
Mauna Loa. 1t is merely an immense cra-
ter, three and q half miles long, two and a
half miles wide, and over one thousand
feet deep. The bottom in daytime looks
like heap Of smouldering ruins; what is
wonderful in the day becomes ten times
more SO at night. The immense pool of
cherry-red liquid lava, in state of violent
ebullition, illuminates the whole expanse,
and flows in all directions like water, while
the illuminated cloud hangs over it like a
vast canopy. The height of this singular
volcano above the sea was found to be
1870 feet. To the southeast of it is line
of craters, from some Of which great
eruption occurred in May, ls4O.
Z. B, boutwell,.