Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1877-04-12
MAUNA LOA.
The Old Volcano Warns up and has
aGrand Eruption.
4 column of flame Three Miles high
1.-The Sea Full of Boiled Fish.

Correspondence of the San Francisco Chronicle]
HONOLULU, March 1.-The prime news Of
the hour, as we'll as the freshest. is the intelli-
ycnce of the grand eruption on Manna Loa
and o submarine outbreak in Kealakeakua
Bay. AS yet the details received here are
meagre, but the general accounts agree IN
pronouncing the recent outbreak OF the old
satety-valve of this hemisphere, the grandest
on record. The eruption commenced be-
tween 8 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
commenced the flames suddenly burst from
the mountain and formed a magnificent COL
umn of fire to the height of 16, 600 feet above
the summit. From the deck of the steamer
Kilauca, lying at anchor at Kawaihae, hve
distinct columns of fire could be seen belch-
ihg forth from the mountain, apparently not
from the great summit crater OF MokauWeo-
weo, but from smaller crater situated some
miles distant from it, called Pohakuhanalei:
The sight was grand one, as the columns OF
Illuminated smoke shot up almost instantane-
ously to an immense height in the air. The
velocity with which they ascended was such
that the first 5000 feet were passed inside OF
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 pyro-
technic exhibition of nature was Still on the
boards, or, otherwise the water, and the ami
nation of the spectacle was enhanced by
frequent earthquake shocks.
It is the general opinion that the stream ct
lava is flowing rapidly down the mountain
side towards Kahuka. in Kau. When last
seen it had progressed number of miles
from the place of its outbreak, but did not
seem to have reached the woods. The illumi-
nation was so brilliant that all parts of the
island were lighted up, and even on Maui the
reflected glare was SO great that in Walkapu
it was supposed that the cane fields and mill
buildings of Makee's plantation were on fire.
One spectator, who has witnessed number
of eruptiOns, states that he never saw more
magnificently illumined smoke cloud from
any previous one By some ardent American
patriots the theory was started that Nine.
Pele had instituted this festival in honor of
the newly-elected President, but the Kanakas
entertain quite different view. On the Oath
the steamer Kilaueau arrived with party OF
excursionists at Kealakeakua Bay, the place
where Capt. Cook met his death. There they
found that submarine volcano had broken
out near the entrance to the harbor the pre-
ceding night.
About a mile from shore jets of red, green
and yellow fire leaped from the waters, in
terspersed with columns of steam and spray
that glowed with innumerable rainbows, the
spectacle being one of the grandest sights
conceivable In this locality the water is
boiling and whirling like an immense caldron
or one might better say, kettle-of fish.
Thousands are seen floating on the surface,
ready cooked for the swarms of Kanakas
engaged in gathering the dainty abundance
in their canoes Large quantities of lava are
also thrown up and float for some time on the
surface. The matter is either buoyed by the
intensely boiling water or sustained by gases
that gradually ooze from its pores.