New-York tribune., 1868-06-12
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKES.

FURTHER AND INTERESTING PARTICULARS FROM
SANDWICH IsLANDERS-THE GRAND ERUP-
TION.
A company of eight or ten, including the
writer r Fornander took passage In the steamer for
Kona the 9th OF April and arrived at Kahuku on the
10TH three days after the eruption broke out We conse
quently had the finest opportunity that could possibly
have been sought for seeing what proved 10 be most
brilliant display On the passage 20 Hawaii IN the
steamer the night OF the 7th. the whole island OF
Hawaii was brilliantly illuminated. the overhang.
ing clouds rejecting the glare Of the fires beneath, and
stream Of lava from the vessel distance ~ at
least miles We left Kealakeakua Bay the morn
ing of the 9th OF April aud after slow tedious rde
OF u miles, over lava cinkers. reached kapua
toward night. where we slept In thatch house.
built by Mr.. Charles n. Spencer, accom-
ON wonns 69ns and dns s,o hs from way e lnya g
now about thirteen miles During the night We could
hear the distant noise Of the erupt9n-a peculiar rum.
noise that TO wake up In the night and listen TO s unac
countable utterance tended 10 create fear with those
who the first time heard IT, In the morning. several
Of the party decided TO turn back To keakeakuA and
returned without seeing grand sight before The
others seven In number not counting native attendants
mounted horses and proceeded on 60 the hOw As ap
preached 1t the rumbng noise became more aud more
distinct and the evidences OF approach % great
disturbance Of nature more frequent The ground was
covered with what appeared to be cnders but on eX.
aminng them found that they were fragments OF
pumice stOnc which had been carried by the wind dis
OF over ten miles Mixed with these clnders were
"Pele's hair" which found floating In the air,
and when II was thick we had 10 hold our handkor-
chiefs TO our nostrlls 10 prevent inhallng H. our
clothes were frequently covered with IT, on reach
ing eminence five miles from the stream, We found
group OF 40 90 natives who waiting 20
into Kau and had been here several days. From this
point dense clouds Of smoke could be seen rising all along
the course OF the lava stream from the mountain side
the We hurried on and reached the how shortly
after noOn where from ridge 10 the west OF the whole
opened before us Between us ana the crater was
valley 800 yards wide and 10 miles long which bad re-
Gently been Overowed throughout its entire width and
length from the mountain to the sea, where wdened to
three miles The lava was OF the smooth pdhOehOe
variety from 10 TO 20 feet deep and partially cooled
though flames, smoke and gas escaped from numerous
cTevices We stood 1t, though II was hot enough 10
some 10 miles up the mountain and down early
the morning OF the 7h II had ceased flowing the erup
Beyond this valley, about quarter OF mile dis
tant was the pail Of Mamalu, steep precipice,
OF Hawaii and forms the west boundary Of the Ia.
BILE land Of Kahuku beautiful level plateau, covered
cattle horses sheep and goats About mile above tho
road were the farm houses OF Captain Robert Brown,
establishment OF C. ~ Spencer and other dwellings This
plateau several miles In extent running as far
with hllOcks. On ascending the ridge We found the
eruption IN G I blast hor enormous us l"11as nin nppa
mile long north and south. continually spoung up
from the opening These jets bloOdred and yet
fluid water varying In size, bulk and hight.
Sometimes two would Join together, and again the whole
mile in length From the lower end OF the crater
stream OF very liquid, boiling lava flowed out and down
the plateau distance Of two three miles then follow
ing the track OF the Government road, down the
prcpce at an angle Of about 80 degrees along the foot
OF the pail precpice five miles TO the the
being about eight ten miles In length. ana In some
places half mile wide.
This was the magnificent scene TO which we had
hurredly left Honolulu and had fortunately arrived at
the right moment 10 witness opened before IN all
its majestic grandeur and unrvaed beauty. At the left
those four great fountains, boiling up with most
terrific fury throwing crimson lava and enormous stones
weighing hundred tuns 10 hight varying constantly
petey filled the air. causing great noise and roar and
flying In every direction but generally toward the south.
Sometimes the fountains would all subsde for few min
utes and then commence increasing I'LL the stones and
liquid lava reached thousand feet In hight The gran
deur OF this picture varying like moving panora
ma painted in the richest crimson hues no person can
realize unless he has Witnessed It. From this great foun
tain TO the flowed rapid stream OF red lava rolling
rushing, and tumblng like swollen riyer and bearing
along In Its current large rocks that almost made tho lava
foam dashed down the precpice and through the
valley into the surgnR and roaring throughout It's
indescrbable II nothing else than rirer Of fre,
from 200 10 800 feet wide and 20 feet deep, with speed
varying from ten 10 Twenty-Five miles an hour As huge
ironead Stonewa, which had Just left haTbOrwOuld
she have oated on TO the unscathed, melted INTO
molten lava and vanished from sight
Night soon came, and with II the scene became a
thousandfod more beautiful the crimson Of the fountains
and the river douby rich and brilliant the lurd glare Of
the dense clouds and steam that overhung and the
roaring OF the crater and cataract fearully grand
and aweinsprng II like the conaagration Of all
London or Paris the whole extended over dis
tance OF ten miles Add TO this the flashes Of lightning
and the sharp quick caps Of thunder and the reader
imagine that scene was before us that we'll repaid
for opporune visit We never expect 10 another
grand as this.
Dr. William Hillebrand and others have visited the
crater since IL flowing and find that n sim
ply OF rent fssire In he EARTH from ten TO twenty
feet wide He traced IL about three miles up the
taD but 1t is quite probable that extends several miles
fnrther the mountain continues smoking In limo
ten miles above. There is therefore, no large crater
properly speaking but the lava flow was confined TO this
rupture, which continued to open lower down as the
molten lava acted on It.
Regarding the rapldty OF the stream OF lava since
reading accounts OF former eruptions In which IL is
claimed that the lava flowed IorH mixes an hour. We maat