The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-07-15
The Hawaiian Volcanoes.

memory of man. Mauna Loa is still
treacherous, aud has been in eruption
many times but hot for several years
At the last eruption the burning lavt
camo pouring down the sides of the
mountain, and the four thousand inhabi
tants Of the Hio district appeared to be
doomed. Upon sudden shift OF the
wind it changed its course toward the
Pacific, into which it passed without
damage to any one.
Lula Pole, or Kilauea, is unlike any
thing of the kind, and stands by itself
an anomaly in nature, the mightiest and
most wonderful of earth s safety valves
As we gazed Its immensely grew upon
us more and more. We realized the
vastness, and the stupendous area Of the
whole became more apparent by analyz.
ing its parts. Vcsuvius might easily
have lost itself in that pit. All was black,
with occasional gleamings of red, like
the forkings of lightning in a dense
thunder cloud. Mr.. James says: ave
estimated the circumference OF the whole
crater at five miles, the western side OF
which was the highest, but in no place
did the depth to the black ledge exceed
SOC feet. 1t is more oval than circular,
its greatest breadth being from northe-
asst 10 southwest and IS aptly termed by
tho natives Iua Pcle' (Pclc's P.O, for II
is nothing but an immense hole which
the fire has eaten in the ground. The
natives have no other tradition Of its
origin than that it has been burning
from the time of chaos until now, grad
ually extending itself latcrally and per-
pendicularly. Formerly IT overfowcd
its banks, and the reign of each Of their
kings has witnessed destructive erup-
lions.
"Count St:yelccili makes the north
east cliff four thousand one hundred and
one feet above the level of the sea,
Douglas three thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four. Small caves and
diminutivo piles of lava were sctttered
ever its whole surface, where they had
suddenly risen and as quickly cooled.
They had assumed many fantastic and
even beautiful shapes, and their hues
werc singularly brilliant and varied. On
the Southeast and southsides lava had
gushed literally from the bank and
flowed down from the ledge. Near
here arc the Sulphur Hills, from which
the finest specimens are obtained. They
were prettily coated with fine white,
blue, and green salts, but owing to the
intense boat and suffocating fumes Of
the gases, we were unable to secure
many. A little further on we find the !
lava assures encrusted with the most
beautiful crystals and efflorescences,
which had condensed into every variety
of form and figure, but too delicate to
bear exposure to the atmosphere.
"Havlng reached the southern extrem-
ity, we obtained our first view of the
lake, the light of which had attracted
our attention the previous night. 1t
was several hundred yards in circum-
ference, and in the most sunkcn part of
the cauldron the lava was twenty feet
below its banks, a liquid body, boiling,
bubbling, and thrashing in great fury.
Occasionally it would become encrusted
over, aud then red streaks would shoot
rapidly across its surface, leaving a
momentary glimmer like meteors. In
the centre the lava was tossed high into ,
tho air, with putting, spluttering noise .
led with the roar of the surf. It's color ,
livid, much resembling clotted blood, of
which the whole might be taken for an
immense hell-brewed cauldon, and tie
unearthly noises for the means of
agonized spirits and the fiendish cries of ,
their tormcntors. The effect upon the
imagination was powerful, and the reali- !
horrible and hellish beyond description. !
To the leeward the gases were strong,
requiring much caution 10 avoid the
sitting currents of heated air. On the
northwest side filamentous lava, com
monty called 'Pele's hair was thickly
strewed for many acres, like field of .
mown grass"
Mauha Loa, which is one of the most
remarkable, is fourteen thousand feet
above the level of the sea, and is the
first sight that greets the sailors eye
Its summit resembles, on much larger
scale, tho dome of st. Peters, and is at q
all times partially covered with snow.
At this vast mountain there exists two
that of Moku-a-weo-w on t
he summit and Kilauea on the southern q
slope. The summit crater, as measured s
by Admiral Wilkes, is III 90 feet long n
and 5000 feet wide, being about six
miles in circumference, with an average
depth of 500 feet. Tho crater of
kilaueS, just described, is, on account h
Of its burning lakes, the chief point of {
interest to travellers. Hard and rough :
is the journey to it-nearly thirty miles
ride from Hello. The eruptions of
Mauna Loa arc not canfincd TO these two
craters. On many occasions, as far
back as 1901 eroptions broke ont on the
sides OF tho mountain at an elevation OF
from 5000 TO $4,000 feet. As far back
rs 1889 the first eruptions OF Kilauea
of which the natives have any
definite knowledge. In 1923, 1882, Is
10, 1913, 1852, 1855, and 1865 eruptions
occurred, the last being followed by
tremendous earthquakes that shook
Down all the houses in the Hawaiian
Island, knocked people PROSTATE in the
Hawaiian Island, and knocked people
PROSTATE in the streets. About the same
lime mud eruption burst out in the
' alley of kapapolo, distance OF fifteen
Mules from the crater. The red mud re.
sembled that with which Pompeii and
Herculaneum were covered. This mud