New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-12
TUESDAY MORNING, MAY II. 1858
VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN THE
SAND WICH ISLANDS.

A New leland Thrown up and Joined to
the MaIR Land-6reat Loss Of Life
and Property.
We find in the st. Louis Democrat of the
eighth instant an account by telegraph
from San Francisco of an appalling volcanic
eruption in the island of Msuna Loa. The
news was brought by the bark Comet:
The demonstrations began March q.
On the 2Sth over one hundred earthquake
shocks were felt at Nilina. During the two
weeks following, to April Is, two thou
sand earthquake shocks occurred at Way
china. The earth opened in many places.
The tidal wave was sixty feet high, over the
tops of cocoa trees, and extending a quarter
of mile inland, sweeping human beings,
houses, and everything movable before it.
The terrible shocks prostrated churches
and houses, killing many. In all, one hund.
red lives were lest, besides thousands Of
h0rses and cattle.
The craters vOmited FIRE, rocks, and lava.
A river of red hot lava five or six miles long
flowed TO the sea at the rate of ten miles
per hour, destroying everything before it,
and forming an island in the sea. A new
crater two miles wide opened and threw
rocks and streams of fire q thousand feet
high, and streams of lava rolled to the sea.
At one time the illumination extended fifty
from the shore one mile. At Wayschina,
three miles from the shore, conical island
rose suddenly, emitting a column of steam
and smoke, while the KOno packet was
passing, spGttering mud on the vessel. The
greatest shock occurred April 2.
Prior to the eruption there was a great
shower of ashes and pumice. During the
great shock the swaying motion of the
earth was dreadful-nO person could stand.
In the midst of this tremendous shock an
eruption of red earth poured down the
mountain, rushing across the plain three
miles in three minutes, then ceased; then
came the great tidal wave, and then the
streams Of lava. Villages on shore were all
destroyed BY this wave The earth opened
under the sea and Redeemed the water. The
earth eruption swallowed thirty persons and
| the sea many more. Great suffering and
terror prevailed in the whole regior affected.
A sloop Live Yankee, had been dispatched
with provisions, etc, to rescue and relieve
| them.
LATER,
SAN Francisco, May THE Honolulu
correspondence of the Bulletin gives details
of the volcanic disturbance, showing that
the earthquake shocks extended to all the
islands OF the Hawaiian group, but nc
damage known except around Mamma Loa.
Numerous extensive land slides, accom-
! panied by other phenomena, destroying life
| and property. Summit and side of hill
| fifteen hundred feet high was thrown thou
sand feet over tops of trees and landed in 8
valley below. The gases that issued after
ward destroyed vegetable and animal life
| Sottomless assures opened in the mounSain q
sides. One lava stream flows under the
ground, breaking out in four jets six milet
| from the sea and throwing lava and stones
ten or fifteen hundred feet high.
| The new island thrown up Is four hundred
feet high, and is now joined to the maiI
\ land by a stream of lava a mile wide.
| large stream of water has burst from thu
mountain where the earth eruption oC
CURED. The worst is thought to be over
bnt the lava now continues a grand specta
| Gle.