, 1877-04-21
The Eruption ofNlauna a.oa.
A COLUMN OF FLAME OVER THREE
MuEs Hon a NoLcAEo IN KEALAKEA-
EUA BAY.
From n, E0l Flaciaro CIronirir.

is III" intelligence Of the grand eruption
I'm Mamma l.oa and a submarine outbreak
in Keaukcnkn Bay As yet the details
received here are m"agre, nut the general
accounts Ngrce in prououncing the recent
outbreak OF the Old safety valve Of this
hemisphere the gmnlcst ON record. The
eruption began between . and 10 o'clock
ON the evening Of Wednesday, the 18th
Of February, with great violence and
without moments warning The point
OF activity WAS the old crater on the top
Of the mountain When the eruption
began the flames suddenly burst from
the mountain, and formed a magnificent
column ot fire to the height of $1,000
feet above the summit. From the deck
Of the steamer EiiaRea, lying at anchor,
at kuwaihae, five distinct columns of fire
could he seen belching forth from the
mountain, apparently not from the great
summit crater OF Mokuawcoweo, but
from u smaller crater situated some miles
distant from it called Pohnkuhnnulri.
The sight was grand one, as the columns
of illuminated smoke shot up almost in
simultaneously to an immense height in
theair. The velocity with which they
assembled was such that the first 5000
feet were passed inside of q minute. A
few days after intelligence reached here
that the fire had disappeared, to the
great disappointment of thousands who
were preparing to start for the scene.
But soon after news came that the great
pyrOtGchnic exhibition ot nature was
still on the boards, or otherwise the water
and that the animation of the spectacle
was enhanced by frequent earthquake
shocks. 1t is the general opinion thot
the stream Of lava is flowing rapidly
down the mountain side toward Kuhuku
in Kau. When last seen it had progress.
cd number of miles from the place OF
its first outbreak, but did not seem to
have reaC he'd the woods. The illumina-
tion WAS so brilliant that all parts of the
island were lighted up, and even on Maui
the reflected glare WAS 50 great that IN
Wakapu it was supposed that the cane
fields and mill buildings of hlakee's plan
tation were on fire. One spectator, who
has witnessed number of eruptions,
says that he never saw more magnih-
Gently ilumcd, olfsmokc cloud from any
previous one.
On the Gath tho steamer Kilaued ar
rived with a party OF cXcursionsts at
Kealakeakua bay the place whore Capt.
Cook met his death. There they found
that a submarine volcano had broken
out near the entrance to the harbor the
preceding night. About u mile from
shore Jets of red, green and yellow fire
eaped from the waters, interspersed with
columns of steam and spray that glowed
with inndmerabe rainbows, the specta-
Gle being one Of the grandcst sights con-
ceivablc. In this locality the water is
boiling and whirling like an immense
cauldron--or one might better say,
kettle Of fish Thousands are seen float.
ing on the surface, ready cooked for the
repast of swarms of Kanakas engaged in
gathering the dainty abundance in their
canoes. Large quantities oflnva are also
thrown up and float Tor some time on
the surhcs. The matter is either buoyed
by the intensely boiling water or sustain
ed by gases that gradually ooze frcm its
pores One specimen of the strange
matter emitted from the scething waters
is light, porous substance resembling
charIed sugar Another is much similar,
with the exception that it spOrkles with
Silvcry flecks. The submarine eruption
is apparently from n seam in the bottom
Of the sen, about mile in length 1t
reaches the shore, and is traced inland
between two and three miles The flames
on the water were first noticed by the
natives at o'clock on the morning of the
cath, and created much CONSERVATION.
The depth Of the water here was former.
" from 80 to GO tathoms; but if the
eruption continues, very likely rect will
be formed, which would render this bay
one Of the finest harbors on the Pacific.
Az far as known no damage has yet at.
tended the eruption