Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-05-15

DRIED LIVES LosT.-Twc THOUSAND EARTH
qUAKEs !-Advices from the Sandwich Islands
of April 18th, say the volcano of Mauna LOa
had burst forth in terrible eruption, begin
ming March 2Sth.
One hundred earthquake shocks were felt, and
during the two weeks following, to April IL, two
thousand earthquake shocks occurred at Wais-
china.
The greatest shock occurred April 2. Prior
to the eruption there was great shower OF ashes
and pumice During the great shock the swing
inc motion Of the earth was dreadful, so that no
person could stand. In the midst of this ire
mendous shock an eruption of red earth poured
down the mountain and rushed across the plain
Mt the rate of three miles in three minutes, and
then ceased Then came a great tidal wave, and
then streams Of lava. The villages on the shore
were all destroyed by this wave, and the earth
openel under the sea and REDEEMED the water.
The tidal wave, 60 feet high, rose over the tops
of the cocoa trees for quarter Of mile inland,
sweeping human beings, houses and everything
movable before it. The terrible shock Frustrated
churches and houses, and killed many persons.
In all. one hundred lives were lost, besides
thousand horses and cattle. The craterS vomlted
fire, rocks and lava, and river Of red-hot lava
1--WE or six miles long flowed to the sea at the rate
of ten mites per hour, destroying everything be-
fore it and forming an island in the sea.
Immense bodies of earth were whirled about at
4 rreat distance as if they were feathers waited
from point to point by storm Of WIND. In
rneusf ur,cipiccs, which have hitherto been
terror 70 ali who have seen them, have been
lcyelel to the earth; where the ground was for
mcrlv smooth and unbroken for miles around the
earth has been rent asunder and upheaved,
forming gigantic chasms and precipices. The
entire typographical appearance Of the country
has been so completely changed that even where
the people have lived all their lives they cannot
recognize it or point out localities with which
they were formerly familiar. This part Of the
island is but sparsey populated, and the land is
not in general cultivation.
There are rumors that the casualties consider
ably exceed one hundred, but nothing definite
has been received. All who lost their lives were
natives. not a white person was killed or in any
way injured The first stream Of lava broke out
from the crater Of Mauna Loa, some two miles
above the residence of Captain Robert Brown,
and flowed directly toward it. Ii came down the
mountain side in a stream several feet deep, and
Travelled with such rapidity that the family IN
| the house had barely time 10 escape, taking
| away with them nothing but their clothes. The
| lava pushed outward 20 the sea, and drove the
water back with such violence that it became
aritate,l and CONFUSED and huge waves rolled
toward the ocean as if dashed TO fury by Storm
Inc ground thus oocupiei Is nO" ii'-sS u 80
forming point IoI ut iels' one iIile ~
anu the stream continues u ue9e.Hi' iAe PiOo
AFFINITY Is tnI VIII remain s''''loil! am M, urn
portion OF 'Ae isl"nl' Inc e'up'I 1 sun o'i-
tInue5 win u4Ao'''eI '4o1o"'t' anu ''e So .
ono Oh inc lNosl ,ei''uy a'04 'N''' il,' e'' -
witnessed IN lioueII 'iil,cS' rom ,ne crater VI
Mauna Loa the ma e column u SMOKE collllnuT9
10 ascend, hldlhs from vie" inc say anu el''el-
| opins the entire country III PA''-at AIAle9s
livery now anu then thlck streams Oh ava shoot
upward from the nIlsts oil the SMOKE, AlQ1iiiAl-
| lns everything Tor le" MINUTES huniIels OF
iect OF flames burst IRON 'e Iata, ana are thrown
for distance OF thousand leet' the whole
forming pyroiechu.c display OF surprising mag
nidcence Shock after shock Of earthquakes con-
yulscl the island, and ever anu anon the low
rumhling sound which breaks out from amid the
din and noise Of the eruption indicates where the
earth has been violently torn asunder Or where
the SUBMITS of huge hills and mountains have
been hurled from their places and sent rolling
downward to their base. Up TO the present time
the damage inflicted has been confined to the Is
land Of Hawaii, but If the eruption continues It Is
feared that the adjacent islands VIII feel the et-
lects. The greatest terror ami suffering lmAs'n-
able exist On the island.
\ new crater. two miles WIDE, mas opened,
throwing rocks and streams u nre lpoJ ieet
high, and streams Of lava rolled 10 the sea. 1T