The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-05-21
THE MOST TERRIBLE VOLCANIC
ERUPTION OF MODERN TIMES.
Great Destruction of Life and Property.
HoNoLULu. Hawaii. April Is.

In mo Tern times has occurred Oh the Is
land of Hawaii, one of the group of
Sandwich islands. For some time past.
it had been observed that the crater of
Kilauea was very active, and that new
volcano had been formed. The volcano
is the well known Mauna Loa, and it has
an elevation of IL, $50 feet On the 9th
of March last the new eruption commen-
ced and has continued up to to the latest
dates. During II days there have been
1000 shocks of earthquake, followed by
fearful tidal waves which have destroyed
entire villages and caused the death Of
100 persons.
For Is days the district Kona has been
the centre of motion for the great erup
tion A gigantic stream of molten lava
is flowing from the summit of MauHa Loa
across the lands of Kakuka and Poakini
to the sea at Kaaluala landing. The
slope and part Of the summit of noun
tain 800 feet high have been lifted up
bodily by the earthquake and thrown over
the tops of trees for distance of | 200
feet At Wahomee creek has opened
extending from the sea- To as high as
the eye can reach on the slope of Mauna
Loa the lava is from one to seven feet in
width, and an eruption of moist clay was
thrown from the side of the mountain
between Lyman's and Richardson's dis
lance of two miles and three quarters,
with width of one mile, in the short
space of three minutes. This terrible
and hundred of animals, and scattered
death and destruction wherever the clay
fell
A column of smoke seven and four
ffths miles in altitude was thrown out of
Mauna Loa, obscuring everything for
miles around, save where the bright spiral
pillars of fire flashed upwards from the
mouth Of the volcano. The sight was
one of the grandest but most appalling
ever witnessed and almost defes descrip-
ton.
II e immense tidal waves came running
IN with 50 great height that they swept
over the tops of the cocoanut trees on
the Kona coast
During the severest shock of earthquake
which took place on the I'd of April, no
living creature could stand up for mo-
ment. Immense bodies of earth were
tossed about at great distances, as if they
were feathers waited from point to point
by storm of wind Not one stone
stands upon another as before in this dis
trlct. immense precipices which have
hitherto been terror to all who have
seen them. have been !eveled to the earth
and where the ground was formerly
smooth and unbroken for miles around,
the earth has been rent asuuder and up
heaved, forming gigantic chasms and
precipices.
The entire Typographical appearance
of the country has been so completely
changed that even those who have lived
In the desolate district all their lives can
not recognize 1t 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 cultivation.
The loss of life as far as can be ascer-
tanned is as follows: In the village of
Palmka, SO at Morka, 13; at Pulalua, 4;
at Aonah, IS; at Vanilo, 3. This makes
a total OF 80 persons killed as reported up
to the present time. There are rumors
about the casualties considerably
exceed 100, but nothing definite on this
matter has been received. All Of the
unfortunate persons who have lost their
lives were native Hawaiins, not white
person being killed or IN any way injured,
Expeditions are being fitted out here
20 relieve the distressed.
At the present moment, the entire
group of islands is enveloped in dense
black smoke, and the indications are that
Mauna Loa is still in active volcanic
eruption.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS OF THE ERUP-
TION.
Honolulu. Hawaii. April IS.
Since writing my last dispatch, further
intelligence has been received Of the
great volcanic eruption. A vessel has
just arrived from Hawaii, bringing later
accounts of the lava flow and of the
eruption in general.
The first stream of lava broke out from
the crater of Mauna Loa, some two miles
above the residence of Capt Robert
Brown, and flowed directly towards it.
ltcame down the mountain side in broad
stream, several feet in depth, and travel
| ed with such rapidity that the family in
| the house had barely time to escape, tax
| ing away with them nothing but their
clothes. The path which they took was
perfectly free from laya but ten minutes
after they had left it and reached point
/ of safety, the entire road was covered
with the fiery stream.
The lava pushed onward to the the sea
and drove the water back With such vio-
| lence that it b. came agitated and convul-
sed, and huge waves rolled to yards the
ocean as if dashed to fury by storm.
The ground thus occupied is now mass
OF lava, forming point for at least one
mile / length; and as the stream con-
tinues to descend, the probability is that
| it will remain stationary and form a por-
ton of the island.
The most terrible shock of earthquake,
which took place on April burst open
| the earth at the village of Walschina, and
a tidal wave rushed inwards with fearful
effect. 1t was over so feet in height land
swept over the tops of the high cocoanut
trees, carrying death aud destruction to
personal property. Throughout the is
land this shock was felt with fearful eff
/ feet. Buildings of all kinds were torn
| from their foundations and hurled great
distances, and many persons and animals
lost their lives.
The scene at the craters was appalling.
! Huge rocks were hurled from their
mouths accompanied by streams of lava,
hot and red, which attained an altitude
of 1000 feet When it fell it rushed
down the mountain towards the sea at
| the rate of nearly ten miles per hour
The new crater, which was formed on the
| 18th of March, is over two miles in cir
conference. 1t vomited rocks aud broad
streams of liquid fire which illuminated
the night for an area of over SO miles,
In addition to the one mile of land
formed by the lava driving back the sea,
another stream extending for a distance
of'three miles poured down the mountain
striking the water with a tremendous
shock. At this time another earthquake
shock occurred, and Immediately after an