The New York herald., 1868-05-25

stream OF liquid rolllDg boiling lava poured out ana
following the tracs Of the government road), then
along the foot OF tae pal or precpice i've miles to
the sea.
This was the scene that opened before us as we as
cended the rcge on Friday. At the left were these
four grand fountains playing with terrific fury,
large as house. to height varying constantly from
300 to loo feet. The grandeur or this scene no mag
lnati0n can pictureno one who has not seen It can
rushing and tumbling like a swollen river down
the bill over the precpce and down the valley to the
perfectly ndescrSa6ie. @ % This i river OF Of Ore varied
from 500 to 1900 800 feet in width, and when Il
Is known that the descent was 1000 feet in five miles
miles an hour will not be doubted. We
waited TIL night, when the scene was hun:
the lava douby bright; and the urd glare OF the red
smoke clouds that overhung the whole the roaring
OF the rushing stream the noise @ OF the tumoiag
lightning altogether made 1t surprisingly grand,
and showed that man is nothing as compared with
his Creator This ever-varying. everchanging pyro.
technic display watched for hours, some Of us all
night ,u.,,,,. - 49,. ,.,.,,,
turned to this place on Saturday. and hope to go
soon by steamer From the Kau side the scene is even
can get up very the crater and also directly
the lava stream. Another advantage OF the Kau side
is that the visitor not exposed to the strong sui
From several OF the residents of waiohinu, have
learned number Of interesting facts which may he
inserted in this connection.
The number Of shocks which occurred at waiohinu
from March 20 to April 10 is estimated by Mr. Sillo
way to have been upwards of two thousand, there
having been some days between three and four hun
dred The heaviest shock occurred Thursday, April
@ being the same that was felt SO sensbly at Homo
lulu This destroyed every church and nearly every
dwelling IN the whole district. From ten to twelve
O'Clock that day there had been service in the
Only four hours after they left theheavy shock came
the walls tumbled In, and the roof fell
were thrown or their feet. Horses and cattle
dropped down as If dead A man riding on horse
back had his horse tumble under him so suddenly
that he found himself and horse lying fiat on the
ground before the thought Of an earthquake entered
his mind. The earth opened all through the district,
and In some places caused dangerous fissures while
in others it closed up again. In one place 1t closed
twenty feet from where 1t opened. These assures
the roads broken up, and it will take much money
and labor to restore them to their old condition.
The new government road made by Mr.. Martin,
has not been injured, the lava not being within
mile OF its southern extremity.
As the Kona packet was passing the south point of
the island, about three miles from the Shore a conl-
cal island four hundred feet high out OF the
midway between The vessel and the land emitting
column Of steam and smoke. The lava river flows
into the at this island and has extended the
shore out to it one mile at least, so that 1t is now on
the main land: TN, the packet was SO near when thls
masts and sails Of the vessel.
The scene Of the eruption was a most melancholy
one to witness There were hundreds OF fine
cattle grazing around the farm houses, when the
lava streams surrounded them and hemmed them IN.
The poor animals seemed aware of the danger, but
saw way to escape. The fiery lava drew nearer
and nearer till the neat made them restless but they
would not run. They bravely looked the bloody foe
in the face, stood firm till it reached them, then fell
in the stream-a sudden cloud OF smoke followed,
and not a sign remained. Thus one after another
fell till over TWO hundred were consumed. A fine
horse was fastened with rope to ~ stake when the
lava approached burned the rope, ana the animal,
with almost human instinct, escaped between
two lava streams, and was saved to his owner.
An incident which ought not to be omitted Is the
shower OF ashes which preceded the eruption. Dur
ing Monday night prior to the eruption the ground
the district was covered with u coating
of fine sand and light pumice stone, of light yell
lowsh color. Where this shower OF sand and pumice
stone came from Is as yet unknown, but probably
from some vent hole near the crater.
The SuierngS and alarm experienced by the resi-
dents OF Kau during the two weeks that the earth
quakes and eruption continued prior to their leaving
appear to have been great. Night after night they
were compelled to sleep on the mountain ridge back
Df the village, exposed to the cold and damp winds
md rain from the sea, subssting taro and ishes
when they could get these, or fasting when they
could not. The whole district is in ruins field of
lesolation and probably Hve hundred thousand dol
ars would not restore il to what it was month ago.
It is no wonder that the foreigners are leaving the
place, with the intention OF never returning to 1t
again. The number Of deaths VIII be between eighty
and one hundred, as stated In my last letter. The
exact number may not be known for some time, a.
some persons missing whose absence may yet be
accounted for. The loss Of life Is melancholy indeed,
and the sympathy Of the Hawaiian people, trust,
Will be deeply expressed IN some way 10 the mourn
ing ana bereayed families Of Kau whose tender ties
have been SO suddenly and keenly severed by the
hand OF God.
greater than then stated II rolled in over the tops
OF the cocoanut trees probably sixty feet high at
least, and drove the floating rubbish, timber, &c in
land distance Of quarter OF mile In some places,
taking with 1t when it returned to sea houses, men,
women and almost everything movable.
We have been permitted to read letter from Mr..
+. S. Lyman OF Kau, and make the following ex-
tracts as OF unusual interest to our readers Under
date Of March 81, he writes:-
We still live in fear and trembling not knowing
what may come next. You may have already heard
that eruption broke out on Mauna L0a little to
the southwest Of the summit about six O'Clock last
Friday morning, 9th inst. 10 gave no iorewarning;
the ire burst up out OF the ground throwing spray
OF red lava high In the air, then great column Of
smoke rose straight up thousands Of feet and arched
over TO the east. In a few minutes new jet was
thrown up a little southeast OF the first, with its
column OF smoke, soon followed by another jet and
then by "a fourth; soon the reN lava began running
down the sides OF The mountain In four streams In
sOutherly and eaStcrly direction. About seven
O'Clock we began to hear roaring sound. which
grew louder and louder until the air seemed to
tremble with the ncessant roar OF the volcano but
IL finally subsidized and ceased entirely about eight
O'Clock.
Saturday morning tMarch 2s). we could see smoke,
and the dow had apparently run about ten miles due
south from the source but during the day and part
OF the night IL was covered with clouds
sunday morning March 29), the line Of smoke had
advanced about fifteen miles since the morning pre-
Browns place on kahuku; but what seems singular
from the BEGINNING no light has been seen from II
anywhere excepting ut the source and what was
first seen to flow, only the line of smoke has been
visible since with occasional vision OF light mt the
source.
In the forenoon OF Friday. the day the volcano
broke ont, We had quite asprinkling OF Peles hair.
The sensations or the hard earthquakes pecu-
liar; first are the hard shakes, then q swaying mo-
tion, as II the whole island were swayng back and
forth and we with 10.
Under date of April 10 he writes
Tuesday night March 81, from about ten till two
In the morning the shaking was almost incessant,
aud then subsidized. Wednesday morning April ~,
about suarise, there was hard shake and again
about five u. NJ. Then was a severe and protractcd
shaking, with great deal OF swaying TO and fro oi
the earth. Nearly all that night the shaking was
very severe and Frequent with rumbling sound from
esouth. Thursday april ~ between four and five
j. NJ, we experienced the most fearful Of earth
quakcs First the earth swayed to and fro north aud
south, then east and west round ana round, then up
and down and In every imaginable direction for
several minutes; everything crashing around u.s.; the
.t,rI,fy