Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-05
THE EARTHQUAKE.

island Of Hawaii. and the extraordinary
phenomena accompanying the volcanic
disturbance, .r.
THE EARTHQUAKE.
The eruption was preluded by hume
rous sharp and severe shocks Of earth
ouake. which were felt on all the islands
with more or less disunctness, but were
more destructive on the island Of Ha-
waii On the 2Sth Of March the shocks
bapap. and continued with more or less
severity until the final catastrophe which
occurred on the ID of April. The earth
opaned invarious directions, the sea rose
in extraordinary waves, and the islands
rocked ike shrubs in a breeze. On the
afternoon of the I'd the earthquakes
above alluded TO took place, destroying
q number Of native villages, and result
ino in the death Of over one hundred
persons. according to estimates by cor
respondents of the AdUertissr. The
shocks increased in intensity, and dur
ing the afternoon and night were almost
iueessant, the severest being about I
O'Clock pm. when the greatest damage
was done by tie earthquake and tidal
wave. which inter swept away, IN one
instance. neatly a whole village. This
wave Is report I'd 10 have been ten or
twelve feet above the usual high water
mark. and the receding of the sea was
about EIGHTEEN feet below low water
mark. The sea rose and fell eight times
duriDu the afternoon and evening.
The whole island Of Hiwaii was euyel-
oped ia smoke. the gloom Of which was
LIGHTED up By the stream of lava flowing
down the side Of the mountain. The
greatest coasteruatioa prevailed, espe-
cially ia the Kaui district, nearest the
maintain. Ehere the loss Of life was
eighty in all, soa.e drowned by the tidal
wave and some killed by the earth
opakes. AT Hiolakaa the Lill was de-
capitated. the summit being taken on
and thrown one thousand feet over the
adjoining groves. landing IN the valley
below without breaking the mass Of
earth. At KeaiEa one thousand ant
mails, sheep, horses, goats, etc, were de-
stroyed by the poisonous gases which
axhsled from the earth, and land slide
took place burving thirty three natives.
ON Kahuka, back of the eharoE. hole
sixty feet il diameter and Of unknOEn
depth appeared aud similar cavities ap-
pear on the island. Up to the Sth Of
April 1900 shocks had occurred during
the past tsn days.
r.r-Tp rnv,r,S- ~ T5TE y-OT gANO
II. NJ. Whitney, editor Of aas .4drer-
User, Ia a letter from Kealskekua, hav
waii. April 18th. gives an account Of
what he saw, from which We make the
following extracts
On ascending the ridge jesf west Of
and opposite the Mamulu Pail Of kasu-
ka. and which was separated from US by
a valley about 3 half mile vide, the
whole scene opened before us in one
Grand pau5tama. The valley itself was
Aoored over sitb q pavement Of fresh
pahock0s lava, from U-g 20 twenty feet
deep. which appears TO haSa been the
first thrown cut, aEd came from a crater
about ten miles up tho DOuntaln, which
burst cat OG Tuesday merHing, April
9Th. This crater and stream had ceased
flowing and the lava Was rapidly cooling.
% that we yentgred 10 stand on 1t,
though 81 the risk Of burRiBg our boots
and being ehoked by the sulPburous
gases.
On Tuesday afternoon at o'clock a
new crater several miles lower down,
and about two miles directly back Of
Capt. Browns residence, burst out with
= heavy roar and frightful crash. The
lava stream commenced flowing down
Ihs beautiful plateau toward and around
the fara hoase, and the inmates had
barely time to escape with what clothes
1hey had on, before the houses were all
surrounded and inclosed With streams Of
fiery ga lava, varying from FIVE to Efty
feet ID depth Fortunately, all the IN
mates eseaped safely to Waiohinu bat
how narroE the escape was, and how
rapidly the strsam flowed, may be in.
seiged from the fact t4at the path by
Sieh they escaped vas coyeEsd witt
". -ithin ten minutes after they passed
over 1t.
Tbe now erater, when visited by Mr.
Svsin ,rss at I east one aud half Hills'
IN extent, nearly c,ireular, butconstantly
enlarging It's area by engulhng the sides
While the above gentlel' IAN was Looking
at it, a tract Of at least five acres IN ex-
tent tumbled in and was swallowed uE
ike food for the deyOuriDg element
The enlargement is going on mainly on
the lower side, toward the farm Eouses
and it is thought that its diameter Is al
ready about two miles -Four huge Jet
OF fountains were continually being
thrown up out Of this great crater, ever
varying in size and hight, sometimes ap-
parently all joining together and making
one continuous spoUting a mile aud q
half long From the lower side Of the
crater a stream Of liquid, rolling, boiling
lava poured out and ran down the pla
teau, then down the side Of the pail
following the track Of the government
road, then along the foot Of the pah o
precipice i've miles to the sea.