New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-30
TuE EARTHQUAKES.

EXPLORATION OF THE VOLCANO OF hiL AZ ia -
WONDERFUL EFFECTS OF ERUPTION IN IIth
SANDWICH ISLANDS-THB PERUVIAN DIS
TUEBANCEs - TIE GREAT EARTHQUAKE
WAVES. f. .f. ....
Huo Hawaii, Sept. 20--I have lately returned
from tour Of exploration the crater of Kiauea
and tho volcanic district Of Puma At Klauea the acton
was dull. The central Of this immense crater re-
mains deep ,ily, depressed about 400 feet Deo"
Is margin bot this margiH Is vein or black ledge
OF lava pressed thousand feet below the BANKS
OF the crat uarkin the former level OF It's BOTTOM
In this profound basu noticed seanty growth OF Ierns
rooted the superficial strata OF lava They had gone
down unnred depth OF 400 500 feet as the crust
subsidized upon the disgwgement Of the molten aVa oe-
meath Tue Lake retains Its locality put is
contours are etiieiy changed Itis now nearly creu'
lar nit about 400 feet deep the bottom OF the crater
It's diameter measured, Is four.htths OF mlle ana
It's walls OF black hardened lava are jagged and frown'
ing; III some places bcclug; m Others perpendcuhr OF
retreatinc. To tnls sonber abyss access Is anything
but easy; u Is possible TO enter 1t al
bat a sI.l.ic place ana by making q trGjet over a
steep r g aud dcult incline of debris, yet brave
American lady OF nR party ventured 70 descend under
my guidance Ht5, $500 feet below the surface OF tho
ground, tTaped together over the moor OF the AWFUL
PIT. seems the halfeooled forge OF vulcan; the
fiery bows o longer roll and break as they were wont
10 do oyer m vast area of induratod lavas; yet In many
places NC could look INTO redhot ovens and chinneyS
aud peer down through Orees ~ the crust 10 tue Oto
sea below ana brT and and feel the lncahuescehI
mineral, boiling kissing, and surginS, flashing the slues
OF the internal and sending up volumes OF Whte
sulphur yapors broth OF Pluto, or like the sinoke
OF torment" spoken Of IN that terrible passage in Reeve
laOns, (Which ascendeth for ever aud ever Bht no"
this principle focus Of volcanic action is comparatively
oursceI Our great eruption has lowered It's merry
tides far below Usual level and we are content 10
enjoy this il ~ strife Of the teuric forces which
are 50 ably described in Dr. c. T. WnslOws recent work
Oh Force and Natures work which gives the competes
explanation that has yet appeared OF volcanic phenomena
in Hawaii spout three days at Kilauea, making care
full observations Of the crater and, when THESE were
completed, went the seaSOre at keaIak0 mo, VII
lage in the volcanic district of Pnna situated about 20
miles from Kauea In this district the subsistence OF the
land was distinctly marked Throughout coast line OF
many miles IN extent the shore has settled from six to
eight feet.
ON the 25h Of July last remarkable food tide visited
the southern shore of Puma tearing away the faces OF
the sea-c. sweeping over barriers Is feet hig rolling
in foamg suris hOndreds Of feet inland, aud carrying
with it huge olders aud angular of rock of from
tun TO three in weight Tue sea rose nearly WHB
- arif0uke wave already described in your col
lus OF the 2d April, 1868 Several houses which were
not reached ny that swept away on the 25th
By the ater calamity nearly evegythng mas peen a1
delicious bath the nSsure at Pa-naluu Is doubled IN
depth Nor the changes that the plastic volcanic
agency is undressing upon TINS county Set S0lpelg h
land. Two channels opened through the beach ana
he al
plain. Tho old stone ehurch OF he VILLAGE Is ueEpS
buTiei in SIND aud powders aud the tides sweep ehtry
it. From Ka-uai Ii TO Kapoho the shores are TER
rbly by the action of the volcanic waves Between
the villages Opihi and POhOI the waves dashed
thousand feet INLAND aud destroyed mile OF road run
ming parallel with the shore up0n line never DeIole
these gigantic would have penetrated much fur
tler inand WHAT ruin would not be done by "a success
sion of pillows 30 feet higher than the highest tides,
hurled violently upon the coasts or New
York and NewJcrsey! An electrical storm occurred at
the same time with these phenomena July 25), aud
hundreds large nullet killed. apparently by this
cause, ia the "Grecu Lake" (Wat Pele) at kapOh0
The point Of disturbance from which these remarkable
rsdi'ted stl unknown to us. The focus OF the
great Peruvian earthquakes OF 1868 the City OF
Africa where the first shocks were felt at D. M Aug
IS The resulting ca. thquake wave reached our ls'il
distance OF GOO miles u the northwest, late az night
upon ne same day and travelling toward the southwest
reached tue htbOr OF Lyitlet0n NeW-lealand, AT "a
O'Clock the Of the 18TH Making the al nces
in time required by difference In longitude OF 24S deg IS
min cOuLng eastward appears that the wave oecu-
pied but 10 hours and II minutes In making the latter dis
tancc Of mics. THIS makes 36S miles per hour
$40 feet per second about half the nominal velocity OF
oAnnOu-bali. ON the 2jd OF December, 1854, q
similar wave transmitted across the en-
tire breadth Of the Pacific Ocean, FROM Japan TO Calf
fOrnia u hours and 80 minutes The great earthquake
April 20 1868 passed from Hawaiian shores
to Of Mexico, California, and Oregon I'm fire
hours ume dedicated by selfregsterng tIde-gaugcs
FrducCU ANA Astoria which ANNOUNCED It's arrival
upon the evening Of the same day In which 1t had desc
entirely distinct from the tidal swing OF the ocean, and
al proper Ct translation IN which tho particles Of
water bUdy forward and backward like those OF
air sound They convey Impressive idea
OF the tremendous power required 10 disturb the whole
body Of the Pacific Ocean for 10000 miles IN either drec
returned to Hho by the coast-rOue, experiencing
occasional earthquakes by the way, some OF them tte
startling The ~ st continue at Intervals but we are
inclined expect Of comparative volcanic quiet
present have sensation, IN the way Of natural
phenUnena dcnulle prospect earlier than the transit
OF Venus We are already promised visits by scen
tifo observers upon that occasion.
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