The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-06-06

fury 1ndescrtDaDIe. lHlS TtDeT Of fLT
varied from 500 to 1,200 or 500 feet ii
width, and when it is known that the dc
scent was 1000 feet in five miles, tn
statement that il ran at tho rate Of tei
miles an h0uy will not be doubted.
We waited till night when the seen
was hundred fold moro grand and yivit
the crimson red of the lava doubl,
bright; aud the lurid glarc of the re'
smoke clouds that oyerhung the whole
the roaring of the rushing stream, tn
noise of the tumbling rocks thrown on
of the crater, and flashes Of electri
lightning-altogcthcr made il surpass
ingly grand, and showed that man i
nothing as compared with his Creator.
This ever-varying, ever.changing, pyr
otechnic display We watched for hours
some Of us all night. | took a sketch OF
the spot, which / send you, aud only wisl
it could be inserted in the paper as sent
1t can give only faint idea Of this granC
scene.
Finding it impossible to get over Il
Waiohuku, either by going up the noun
tain or by sea, We returned 10 this place
on Saturday, and hope to go on soon bJ
steamer. From the Kau side the scene
is even more beautiful than what we had
as there visitors can get up very near tho
crater, and also directly over the layi
stream. Another advantage Of tho Kal
side is that the visitor is not exposed L
the strong sulphurous gases and smoke
INCIDENTS or THE ERUPTION.
The same writer from whom VIC have
above quoted, gives the following:
The number Of shocks which occurred
at Waiohinu from March Goth to Apri
10th is estimated by Mr. Silloway to have
been upwards of two thousand, there
having been some days between three
and four hundred The heaviest shock
occurred on Thursday, April I'd, being
the same that was felt 80 sensibly at Hon.
olulu. This destroyed every church and
nearly avery dwelling in The whole dis
trict.
From 10 to II o'clock of that day
there had been service 10 the large church
in Waiohinu, and il was crowded with
people. Only four hours after they left
the heavy shock came, the walls tumbled
in, and the roof fell fat-all the work ol
twenty seconds.
At the same instant every man, womar
and child were thrown from their feet
Horses and cattle dropped down as if dead
4 man riding on horseback had hi
horse tumble under him so suddenly tha
he found himself j. ing fiat on the grount
before the thought of an earthquake en-
tered his mind.
The earth opened all through the dis
trict, and in some places caused danger
Gus assures, while in others it closed VI
again. In one place it closed up twenty
feet from where il opened. These fssurci
make it dangerous to travel in the dark
Everywhere the roads are broken up, and
il will take much money and labor TO re
store them 10 their old condition.
As the Kona Packet was passing thu
south point of the Island, about three
miles from the shore, a conical Island
400 feet high rose out of the sea, midway
between the vessel and the land, emitting
steam aud smoke The lava river flows
into the sea at this Island and has ex
tended the shore out TO it one mile a;
least, so that it is now on the main land
The packet was so near when this Islant
burst up, that the mud was spattercd OF
the N asts and sails of tho vessel.
The scene at the eruption was mos
melancholy one to witness. There were
hundreds of fnc cattle grazing around
the farm houses, when the lava stream,
surrounded them and hemmed them in
The poor animals seemed aware of the
danger, but saw no way to escape
The fiery lava drew nearer and nearer
till the heat made them restless, but they
would not run. They bravely looked th'
bloody foe in the face, stood firm till j
reached them, then fell in the stream;
sudden cloud of smoke followed and no
sign remained. Thus enc after anoth
er fell till over two hundred were con
sumed.
An incident which ought not to b,
omitted is the shower OF ashes which pre-
ceded the eruption. During Monda,
night, prior to tho eruption, the groune
throughout the district was covered will
coating of fine sand and light pumic,
stone, Of light yellowish color. Wher,
this shower Of sand and pumice ston,
came from is as yet unknown, but proba
bly, from some vent hole near the crater
The sufferings and alarm experienced
by the residents of Kau during the tw,
weeks that the earthquakes and eruption
continued prior to their leaving, appear t
have been great. Night after night, they
were compelled to sleep on the mountain
ridge back of the village, exposed to tn,
cold and damp winds and rain from tn,
sea, subsisting on taro and fishes whel
they could get these, or fasting when the,
could not.
The whole district is in ruins, .felt
| Of desolatioa, and probably FIVE hundrct
thousand dollars would not restore it t,
what it was month aeo. 1t is no won
der that the foreigners are leaving tn,
place with the intention of never return
ing to it again.
The number of deaths will be between
eight and one hundred. The exact mum
Der will not be known for some time, a.
some persons are missing whose abseno
may yet be accounted for. The loss 0
life is melancholy indeed, and tho sympa
thy for the Hawaiian people, trust, will b
deeply expressed in some way to th
mourning and beraayed families of Kau
whose tender ties have been so suddenly
and keenly severed by the hand of God
The tidal wave was much greater thar
before stated. It rolled IN over the co
ooanut trees, probably sixty feet high