The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-10-21
AN ISLAND ON FIRE.
Startling Volcanic Eruption on one of
the Sandyvi ch Islands.
From Scribners Magazine for October.


slope of this mountain, and about mid
way between the summit and the sea.
1T is vast pit, nine miles In clrcum-
ference, sunk in the flank of the noun
tain, and varying in depth, in different
years, from thousand to fifteen hun
bred feet, according as the sea of mol
ten lava beneath it's floor is at high tide
or at ebb For years this floor will be
slowly raised by the accommodating lavas
below; and when the lateral pressure
becomes at last too great to be resist
ed, the molten torrent, rending its way
with irresistible force through rock and
earth, and shaking the whole island with
the throes OF It's progress, finally breaks
TO the surface, ten or twenty miles from
the crater The river of fire leaps from
the ground, u mighty fountain that
sometimes plays a thousand feet high,
with let that is several hundred feet
in diameter, and pours down the flank
of the mountain toward the sea. This
it often reaches, charging the area of
| the island by pushing out new capes
and promontories OF lava into the wa
| ter. The lava thus elected may re-
main, IN many places, warm and smOk-
! ing for months after the eruption has
ceased yet L have seen spots where
| the natives, pulyerlzIng the cooled lava,
and mixing it with few dead leaves
before planting it, had obtained good
crops Of sweet potatoes from what was
wear before a torrent of liquid fire.
Nature thus renews the soil, furnishing
bran new article at each eruption,
white hot from her chemical laborato-
I &
With each eruption "the bottom Is
knocked out" 50 to speak, of the great
crater of Kilau-e-a The flood of mol
ten lava upon which it rests rapidly
drained away, and the vast floor OF in
durated lava, an area OF SIX square
miles at the bottom of the pit, goes
crashing still farther downward, three,
four. five hundred feet towards the
central fires as when the water-to
compare great things with small-is let
Oft from a frozen mill pond, and tie
ice settles down upon the bottom. The
mountain wall is probably not en-
tirely solid and compact, as the lavas
are extremely fluid, and III running off
honeycomb It's structure, leaving nu-
merOus caverns behind them, through
them, through which subsequent erup-
tons force their way. Yet the pressure
Of lava required to rend the mountain
wall is estimated at not less than five
hundred pounds to the square inch, OF
a million pounds for stream two feet
deep and seven foot broad. When the
breadth of the lava stream is measured
by miles instead of feet, force enough
is exerted to shake the island to its
very foundations.
Tie grand eruptions of Ki-lau-e. a &C.
cur, with some approach to regularity,
at intervals of about eight years. But
the volcano does not, like Nesuvius,
Hitna, OF Strombolt, contine its activ-
ity to special occasions. The fire
RACES continually in the southern end
of the great crater, where lake Of
melted lava losses its red surges ard
and pours forth its sulphurOus vapors
without ceasing This lake, the "Halt
Maumau," or g House OF Everlasting
FIlen of the old heather mythology
may be safely approached by the tray
eler at almost any time.
The appearance of this lake varies
greatly, however, at different times
Sometimes the lava is SO far sunker
below its banks that the traveller can
not reach it, and comes away quite dis
appointed with what he has seen
Again, in times OF great activity, the
fiery sea may overflow upon the bottom
of the crater, or force itself up through
numerous cracks and chaSms in the
floor of undurated layas. / was once
/, in the bottom of kI-lau-e-a when the
lava, boiling up from below, overlooked
its banks IN manner SO uniform and
measured as to CONCEAL around the
edges Of the great lake, and build fOl
itself a barrier around the fearful cal,
dron of fire. The lava, thus walled in,
gradually rose many 1eet above the lev
ell where /, with others, stood, at first
quite unconscious of the terrific process
that WAS going on near us. The fiery
waves, tapping over the margin, con
geale,, where they fell, and thus glided
mp, little by little their enclosing wall.
The surface Of this sea of fire was ele-
waited about thirty feet above the level
of the bottom of the crater; it was a
boiling mass of fluid lavas, half mile
in diameter, that surged and Numbered
and sent down a threatening roar.
Splashes of liquid fire hurled over the
margin Of its confined barrier, Tell
among our company. Warned by this
DANGER we Withdrew a short distance
and awaited the breaking forth of the
imprisoned fire We had hardly gained
our new point of observation befor the
lava wall gave way IN two places with a
laundering crash and roar, and
from each OF the rents thus
made Il torrent of liquid fire
poured over cliff tiftJ feet high, into
the rough channel of former flow.
Roaring glowing, smoking, and
wreathed in blush flames, it ground
along the lava channel with q peculiar
dull thunder, that was caused by the
ponderclls weight Of the molten mass
1t Tapped up huge rocks and bore them
away upon its surface; [ could see
them oscillate sluggishly upon the red
river, and finally melt and sink into it
! like so much wax. The power and
splendor of this sudden display, the
fierce sweep Of the mighty torrent, the
strange process that had heaped up the
! food of lava to disgorge it with such
! resistless power, all made a spectacle
never to be forgotten by any of the
party who witnessed.
| How Joke Ended.
Some two weeks ago party of Car
roll township boys started home about
midnight, going up the pike on horse
back At the Valley Inn school house
/ they halted, to have a moments talk
/ before separating While there a man
/ The boys determined to find out who
] I I L, I,