Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-15
THE GREAT LAVA STREAM.

.
As the principal interest was the dis
covery of the main source Of the stream
we at once went to that part of it where,
according to common report, the lava had
issued. A very light dark brown hglis7
tening pumice stone lay scattered about
long before the lava was seen. Near the
flow it increased SO much that the ami
mails feet sank deep into it atevery step.
We soon reached the ridge of hill from
which we surveyed the place where, ac-
cording to our guides account. tile foun-
tain of lava had been seen. This upper
portion cf the lava stream fills a broad
valley or depression between two paral,
lei low hills of not more than 300 feet
high, both running almost due north
and south. q From the western one.
of these hills Whitney had wit
messed the eruption. ar From the
eastern hill we in vain looked for a, era
ter or cone. We did not make out any
indication of the character of the erup-
ton until we had crossed nearly three
fourths of the stream, which here is not
far from mile wide. Then our atten-
tion was attracted by an accumulation
of 'socria. Nearing this we were struck
by current of hot air., and little fur
ther on found ourselves on the brink of
OF deep gap in the lava about 30 feet
wide, but narrowing and continuing itself
northward, We walked round the south
ern end of the gap, and followed it up
on the west. or lee side. Before long we
came to another enlargement of the fs-
sure like the former, emitting hot air
charged with acid gases, which drove us
back. Stllloicontinuing our march on
the west side of the fssures. as close
as the hot gases would allow,
we came in sight of a pretty miniature
-cone, built up most regularly of loose
'scoria to the height of II feet, and To-
Gated right over the .fssiire. 1t incloses
chimney crater of about twelve feet
diameter, with perpendicular sides, the
depth of which could not be ascertained.
Hot gases issued in abundance. On
account of the latter, we were obliged to
cross the chasm of the bridge formed
by the cone, to the windward side, along
which we followed up steadily. This
crack, or fssure, tends south six de-.
grees, west to north six degrees east,
and is in the slope of the hill that forms
the west boundary of the lava stream.
Its lava cover, therefore, is quite thin in
many places, so you can see how i'll
sinks in the originalrock of the hill. Its
depth can not be ascertained anywhere.
More than four-ffths of the lava is on
its eastern side, as it followed the de-
clivity of the hill slope to fill the trough
of the valley, where it assumed a gen
eral downward course. 1t is from the
entire length of the fssure that the lava
has welled up simultaneously. The
waves of lava for some distance from it
are all parallel to its course, while in the
middle of the stream, they stand at a
right angle to it. The edges are some
what raised above the remainder, of
the, stream, and scoria covers
it in most parts, forming quite
heavy layers where the stream
has blow-holes, Isolated flakes
of brittle lava, resembling cow-dung,
probably blown out at the end of the
eruption with ftful spouting of steam and
gas, are seen along its course. Nearing
the upper end of the valley, where 1 ex
pected to find the upper end of the fs-
sure, l was surprised at the sudden ap-
pearance of veritable cataract of lava
coming down the precipitous side ofthe
eastern hill, hight of at least 800 feet
Having assembled it with considerable
toll, l found myself again alongside the
big crevasse, which, in passing across
the valley, had DETECTED from it's former
course to a nearly northeast direction
heading direct for the summit of Mauna
Loa. ...t,