The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-05-22
VOL. XII.---NO. 81.

but most appalling ever witnessed and
almost defes description.
The immense tidal waves came rushing
in with so great height that they swept
over the tops of the cocoanut trees on the
Kona coast. eial z. is,g ~
During the severest shock ofearthquake,
which took place on the I'd of April, no
living creature could stand up for a mo-
ment Immense bodies of earth were tossed
about at great distances, as ifthey were fea-
theirs waited from point to point by storm
of wind. Not one stone stands upon anotli-
er as before In this district Immense pre-
cipices which have hitherto been terror to
all who have seen them, have been leveled
to the earth, and where the ground was
formerly smooth and unbroken for miles
around the earth has been rent asunder and
upheaved forming gigantic chasms and
precipices. mat1 rsra
The entire typographical appearance of
the country has been SO completely changed
that even those who have lived in the desc
lated district all their lives cannot recog-
nize it or point out localities with which
| they were formerly familiar. Luckily, this
part of the island is but sparsely populated,
and the lands are not in general cultiva-
ton.
The loss of life as far an can be ascertain
ed is as follows: In the village of Palinka,
thirty-three; at Mokaka, thirteen; at Pu-
lulua, four; at Honah, twenty seven; at
| Vanilo, three. This makes total of eighty
persons killed as reported up to the present
! time. There are rumors about that the
casualties considerably exceed one hundred,
but nothing definite on this matter has been
received. All of the unfortunate persons
who have lost their lives were native Ha-
waiians, no white persons being killed or in
any way injured.
At the present moment the entire group
of islands is enveloped in dense black
smoke, and the indictions are that Manua
Loa is still in active volcanic eruption.
MANUA LoA-ITs PREVIOUS VOLCANIC ERUP-
| TONS.
The account of the recent terrible volca-
mic eruption in the island of Hawaii, one of
the Sandwich group, imparts interest to the
subjoined history of the previous eruptions
of the volcano:
"Manua Loa, or Roa, as it is frequently
called has been well known to the world
for many years past as one of the most ac-
| tive and terrible volcanoes in the world
Situated In the centre of the island of Ha-
wall, one of the group of Sandwich Islands,
it gradually ascends until it reaches an al
titude of 1878 feet, as was ascertained du-
ring the exploring expedition under Lieut.
Wilkes, of the United States Navy. This
great height appears to have been attained
by accretion, and, indeed the entire island
of Hawaii is formed of the lava which has
been, from time to time, thrown from the
craters or the volcano. The lower parts of
the mountain are covered with forests and
are comparatively FERTILE but after reaching
certain height everything becomes quite
barren, and nothing but lava mixed with
clay and hardened almost to the consist
ency of flint forms the summit. This gives
it a smooth and as it is quite round at the
top, dome-like appearance. The mountain
is covered with craters. The principal one,
known by the name of Moktl-a-wep- sseo is
some $4,000 feet in length BY 5000 in
width. It's depth varies from 40 to 75U icet,
and the bottom is traversed with ridges
from 10 to so feet high, alternating with
deep chasms and smooth beds of hardened
lava. These latter are covered with assures,
from which ascend thin clouds of steam
and smoke. Another formidable, though
smaller, crater is called Pohakuonanalei-
These two craters however, do not seem to
have taken part IN the eruption reported in
the telegraphic dispatch. The one that
was, or is in action is the great crater of Kill
auea. This is three and a half miles in
length, two and half in width and 1,044
feet in depth, and stands at an elevation of
over 1000 feet above the level of the sea.
1t is completely surrounded by wall of
hardened lava, ranging from 600 to 2,000
feet in width, and 80 feet in depth. At
the bottom of the crater is lake of liquid
fire continually surging and giving to the
clouds above beautiful silvery look in
the day and q bright red at night.
In January 1871, the lake overlooked, and
Lieutenant Wilkes estimated that during
one night 100000 cubic feet of lava were
discharged, and nearly 200,000,000 cubic
feet were discharged from the small pit in
one day. In 1855 another terrible eruption
occurred, which lasted thirteen months, and
covered an era of 800 square miles with lava.
In January, 1859, the last (until the present
one) greatest eruption took place, three
new craters being formed by the convul-
sion. The eruption lasted nearly ten
months, and was Of terrible grandeur
Streams of lava were hurled from the era
tiers to a height of from 200 to 500 feet, and
after they had fallen traversed q distance of
nve miles Where tne nquid nre Moved INTO
the sea, driving back the waters: Those
who witnessed the meeting of the two ele-
ment Subscribed the scene as one of awful
fsplendor. Quite number of shocks of
earthquake accompanied this eruption.
1t would appear as if the present eruption
exceeded in magnitude and terrific gran
I deur anything that ever preceded it and
I this would make it more violent in every
respect than the recent eruption of Mount
Vesuvius. .ji , ga eat
H A young mother on the important
occasion of making her little hoy his first