Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-09

In different parts oil the worm nave chho'
forth various theories in regard TO theil
cause. and many extraordinary circum
stances in connection with their appear
auce are continually being discovered
and copiectures in regard TO them ars
formed aud discarded with singular
rapidity. Perhaps the most striking fea'
ture connected with active volcanoes IS
their tendency to linear arrangement
first noticed by Sir John Herschel Ia
the Aleutian Island % volcanoes lie
almost precisely in q straight line Of 9Oo
miles; another line OF 800 miles is found
in Kamschatks, and extend through the
Kurile islands to Yesso. in Japan; those
of the Ladrone Islands form lac ex-
tending 429 miles, aud those OF Java,
Sumbawa and Flores make straight
line of 1880 miles The last number OF
Harpers Magazine contains an interest
inc account Of certain volcanoes in the
Sandwich Islands. In the Pacific,
some distance southwest from San
Francisco, there is chain of twelve
islands called the Hawaiian group,
in which each island regularly
increases in size, from northwest TO
southeast, and each of which has been
snccessively, in the same line, thrown up
by the action Of submarine volcanic fires.
The island farthest to the northwest in
this chain is the oldest and smallest, and
also the most fertile, producing fine erors
of sugar and coffee, but as they progress
towards the southeast they become larger
and more barren, showing increasing
signs Of volcanic action. 1t would seem,
therefore, in this case, that these islands
have actually been successfully created
by volcanoes in regular line, and that
time and the decrease OF volcanic action
are gradually rendering them more capa-
BILE of cultivation, and at the same time
the action of the waves is wearing them
away in some places Hawaii, the young
est and largest, is 1000 square miles in
extent, and is the constant scene OF tre-
mendous volcanic eruptions. ltcontains
three immense mountain peaks, two OF
which nearly equal Mont Blanc in hight
The grandeur aud vsstness of the scenery
are said to be unequsled even in Switzer-
land, though the outlines are less varied
than those of the Alps. One of these
mountains has two active craters, one OF
which has, since the memory of mao, pre-.
scented TO view q lake of boiling lava, vary
ing from q hundred TO thousand acres
in extent. A vast black pit, nine miles
in circumference and 400 feet deep, is
first seen, but on nearer approach, the
great chasm disappears, and sea of
lava takes its place strewed with debris
and covered with great fssares. The
steam rising from the seams of this rock
is condensed by the breeze, and trick
ling down, is carefully saved by the ma
tives, who have no stream of water at
hand. The soil is so hot that meat and
vegetables, covered with leaves aud
buried for twelve hours, are found thor
oughly cooked. A path descends into
the crater, but the assures render it dan
gerous. An hours walk leads to the
centre, where lake Of fire mile in cir
boils and ,roars, sending
brilliant sprays high up in the air. For
merly, this was thought by the natives to
be the residence of the goddess they wor-
SHIPPED, who, when offended, swept away
and shattered dwellings by the
fire of her anger, and vast numbers of
and much property of all de-
scripiions were thrown into the pit for
and to conciliate her wrath.
An eruption was lately witnessed at
this place Of singular nature. The
melted lava, as it was thrown beyond the
edge of the lake, solidi6ed and gradually
formed circular wall around the sea of
Ere. which, then being in unsual activity, |
pressed. and at length burst through the |
wall with a tremendous crash, and |
poured on river of fire, upheaviDg and
melting vast masses Of solid rock, like
pieces of wax, and at one point plung-
ing down cliff more than fifty feet |
high. The other crater does not remain
10 perpetual action, but its eruptions are
more conspicuous, as the crater is H.
300 feet above the sea.
Ten eruptions have been recorded J
from these volcanoes during the last
eighty years, ore Of which, in 1855, laste1.
thirteen months, flooded an area Of three
hundred square miles, and disgorf red
billions of cubic feet of ava.
destroying forests and filling up va .leys.
The most destructive of these cru otions
occurred last April, when, withor It warn
ing, fountains Of fire were SEP up, fol
lowed by great columns of su .oke: vio-
lent earthquakes ensued, thr ee hundred
of which were counted in '. single day.
the earth quivering all the lime between
the shocks. On the I'd of April, the
most terrific earthquake that was ever
known in these islands took place, last
ing two or three min utes, but crushing
houses, uprooting trees, and throwing
precipices into the sea. A vast portion
of hillside was torn away and carried
three miles in three minutes, celebrating
everything in its way.
In one place the top Of mountain
was torn off and thrown three miles into
an inhabited valley, carrying with it
torrents of water aud immense quanti-
ties of rocks and trees, and instantly
killing all within its reach. The sea,
which had receded far below the low
water mark, suddenly leaped on the
shore, in wave forty feet high, destroy
ing every living thing in its course, aud
devastating many miles of the coast
These varied agents of destruction con-
tinued TO rage with increasing fury for
over two weeks, and gave more than suf-
ficient cause for prououncing the volcano
of Hawaii the most fearful in the world.
Many of these eruptions, by reaching
the sea, have added new territory, and
so long as the volcanoes continue tc,
exist, so lsng doubtless will these island 4
grow in size and increase in number
Philadelphia Ledger.
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