Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-05-12

yet t is among the most active, rs well us the
most violent known b travellers Count Strzec-
ki visited it in ls3S, and bis description should
be read By all who, feeling an interest in these
wondr1us convulsions Of nature. have no oppor-
/ tunity OF witnessing them inperson Strzclecki,
whose experience was not likely 30 lead him into
/ forming an exaggerated estimate Of the physical
! phenomena which came before him, has not COM
ccalcd thewonder, and indeed theawe, with which
lle was struck on visiting Mauna loa And he
has justly remarked, that The repeated erupton-
Of the mountain are the only security which the [
whole island has from complete destruction.
Dayy sought TO explain the occurrence Of yolca- .
nos and other subternnean disturbances, by sup /
posing that by some means water obtains access
to the heated minerals in the interior of the earth
those having alkaline and earthly bases being
the must productive Of powerful effects. In the
volcano, Of Europe. whose action has been most
closely watched, this theory obtained partial sup
port but Strzolecki first drew attention to the 1
force with which 1t is sustained By what may be
seen at Nlauua Ioa The largest, but not the /
most active, crater is at the top. This is said 10
he six miles in circumference, and 10 its shallow
est part about eight hundredie deep. Butfrom
rock vast abysses dip down into depths which
it has been found impossible to estimate Sever
al other craters, smaller, but more nctyc, exist
on the sides Of the mountain, the principal Of
which is kilauca on the east II was this which
Strzelecki most iorcbly described and itsheight
is not more than about 1000 feet But the crup-
tion Of l550-whch is one Of the most remarka-
bic on record-came from opening on the north
side, at some 700 feet above the sea level,-the
great crater at the top lending its aid TO the gem
eral effect. In addition however, 10 these larger
openings the sides Of the mountain are covered
T with innumerable small fssures, which send
forth violent jets Of steam and suphurous yapors.
The number Of these it is impossible to realize.
When in action they seem to cover a vast portion
of the whole area of the mountain, giving escape
% power which, if frostr,ined, must be capable
of involving place vastly larger than the island
Il liawan m iu-tant ds-ts.st.sia-
The eruption of 1859 began in the month Of
January The day broke without any premon-
tory symptoms Of coming disturbance 1t was
one of those clear bright mornings, which are 50
delicious in winter in the tropics, when rain
gives place 10 cloudless sky. The beautiful is
land shone forth in an it, still Insurance, and
the inhabitants went about their occupations
without any thought Of the big mountain whose
turbulence had often before appalled, and stricken
s them The atmosphere was calm. As morning
advanced, there might be seen small patch Of
cloud high above the topmost crater, suspended
/ in mid air, and growing by degrees darker and
larger, till, in the afternoon, it had become
4 dense, black, motionless mass. Distant rumblins
: in the earth began now to orehode mischief and
: a. the sun went his way toward the western hor-
izon constant succession of distinct tremors at-
. tracled the thoughts of every one 10 coming dam
e ger Nor was there long suspense. Suddenly,
without any further warning, dull red light
shot up into the air, and almost simultaneously,
bright streaks Of lava began to show themselves
on the sides Of the mountain, and the thunders
grew louder, the air reyerberating with constant
roll of suen sound The sun went down and
as darkness followed, the senses began 10 be wa
kened to the full grandeur Of the scene. Vivid
a flashes Of lightning played about increasingly,
p and all nuture was re-echong with the artillery
? of heaven. The crimson light that first shot
= = forth, became wider and more intense till, in
= few hours it had assumed the shape OF brilliant
O. pillar of red fire, rising into the air, and falling
r over again in sheets of flame and red hot show
e ers upon the mountain side. But higher far than
this there rose a perpendicular column OF black
!. smoke, which, from the distance where stood,
seemed to ascend to a height equal to more than
half that Of the entire mountain. The streams
of molten rock became brighter and more numer-
N Gus as they now wound their way down the cHg-
gy steeps,-twisting like fiery snakes to seek their
ID prey among mankind below. Amid the torrent
of stones and ashes that were hurled around, vast
"a masses became detached from their holdingpaces,
Is and tumbling down the mountain precpces,
crashed through the kissing fire as whole forests
fell before the withering storm.
/, For ten days this endured, and through the
m whole of that time the violence of the eruption
n only increased. Upon the Sd Of February it at
n tanned its height and no language of mine can
NJ adequately describe the terrific grandeur Of the
- scene which now surrounded me. The whole
earth was as one seethng mass of fire and poi
sonous yapors From myriads Of holes and Grey
ices went forth blasts Of sulphurous gases and
dense scalding steam, which filled the air with
destruction. The crashof falling rocks, the un-
remitting roll of subterranean thunder, the roar
"A ing of the pent-up gases as they spent theiI
y strength in the atmosphere above, and over all
:" aV the gorgeous column Of fire and smoke rising
he lar away above the massive mountain top, com
Ky bned to form a spectacle which no words can de
pict nor any imagination conceive.
10 At distance of some miles from where first
+ saw the eruption, there was quiet, romantic lit
tic BAY, and on its banks a picturesque NATIVE
81, village. 1t was beautiful spot-just place
IA where man could stop, and under the soft all
Nd of an Hawaiian spring, sit down and indulge IL
he reyeres of admiration over the still, placid see
re &c nery--which nature in her quieter moods can S
y 81 artsticaly perfect. The inhabitants OF the pac
blo were a humble little community, living upol
,ty scanty fare, and engaged chiefly in fishing abou
We, the waters that fronted their habitations. Bu
Of now the time had come when all their belonging
''' we're to be swept away, and the place Of thei
home involved in fiery destruction. On the frs
day of the eruption, a small stream OF lava nigh
have been seen on that side Of the mountain op
the posite to where the village was situate. !
attracted no special attention, still less did it ez
ton cite any special fear. But it gradually Increase
Get in width, and gathered force, till approaehin
nearer and nearer, it at last struck terror INTO tn
y people of the little village who still refused nov
ever, to realize the full extent of their peril sue
nto denly, on the eighth day, the molten red hot 'o
die rent burst with irresistible violence upon u