Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-06
The Great Tidal Wave.

User of the great tidal wave of May 10.
1t appears to have occurred simultane-
ously all over the group. At first an
unusual subsistence of the sea was
noticed about a quarter before five in
the morning. An observer in this
town, who was near the harbor and saw
reefs exposed, places the occurrence at
exactly the same time. j. J. Parter,
Of Hilo, Hawaii, fixes the moment OF
the wave which overwhelmed the vii.
lage Of Waiaka at precisely the same
time, and the statement Of Capt.
Smithers, of the whaling bark Pacific,
which was lying at the time in Hilo bay,
corroberates this. The difference be-
tween the highest and lowest water
mark at various locations we ascertain
to be as follows:
At Hilo, on the east side of Hawaii,
Sc feet; at Kealakeakua bay, west side
of Hawaii. 80 feet; at Kawaihae, west
side Of Hawaii, feet; at Kahului.
north side of Mani, % feet; at Lahoa,
south side of Mani, % feet; at Lahina,
south side ofMani, II feet; at Honolulu
south side of Oahn island, 4 feet IL
inches; at Nauiliuili, southeast side o.
Kaukai, 3 feet. In some cases the
difference in the height of the wave
may be accounted for by the confgura-
ton of the coast and outlying reef.
The following is an account of the
disaster at Hilo, from an eyewitness.
H5zo, May Ito W. 0. Parke,
Esq.-Dear Sir: We have had great
disaster at Hilo. On Thursday morn.
ing. 10th inst, about 4 O'Clock, the sea
in the bay was seen to rise and fall in
an unusual manner, and at 5 O'Clock il
swept in mighty wave, washing up
and into nearly all the stores in front Of
the town, carrying off great deal Of
lumber and all the stone wall Of the
Makai wharf, the perpendicular height
of the wave, since ascertained by
leveling, to be u feet 8 inches above
the ordinary low water mark. At
Waiakea the damage was frightful.-
Numerous houses were swept away.
The steamboat wharf and storehouse,
Spencer's storehouse, the bridge across
the stream, and all the dwelling houses
were swept away in aninstant, and now
lie mass Of ruins far inland. Five
lives were lost. and numbers bruised
and limbs broken.
The body ola woman was found by
boats. off Hoalii. The boats Of the
American whale ship Pacific, Capt.
Smithers. lying in the harbor. picked
up six people who were swimming fol-
their lives in the bay.
The Pacific was lying in four tathoms
of water. but she grounded when the
sea receded, and then would be whirled
round and round as the sea came in.
All expected to see her drag ashore.
The sea continued to rise and fall all
day. [ timed one Of the tides in the
morning about I O'Clock, and from its
lowest ebb to its food was only about
four minutes. 1t rose about fourteen
feet perpendicular height in that time.
In the afternoon, in the space Of one
hour the sea rose and fell three times.
with height above the half tide level
of ten and half feet each time. The
wave al Waiakea must have had q per-
pendicular height of sixteen feet &c
have taken the bridge and wharf where
they now lie. The water swept COM
pletely over Ccc0anut Island, and the
hospital there has disappeared.
L. SEVERANCE
The volcano Of kilanca has been IN.
usally active Of late. The steamer ar
irving at lille Wednesday, I'd instant
reports as she passed down the coast
on the following night the light Of the
crater was unusually brilliant. Friday,
at 2.45 P. NJ, several pretty severe
earthquake shocks were felt, followed
in few minutes later by jet Of Laws
thrown up from the floor Of the crater
near the east bank. through a cracI
which had evidently been made by
earthquake.
The lava continued to spout at tht
place, gradually ascending the steer
bluff to it's summit, then moving along
the isthmus connecting the large crater
with the smaller one of Kilaueaki
down into the pit Of which the lava ran
This continued for six hours, the lava
beng thrown upin numerous jets along
the line at different heights, at times
reaching one hundred feet. Frequently
there would be at least fifty Of these jet
at once, making magnificent display.
The locality Of the eruption and its gen
eral characteristics appear to be identi
cally the same as those Of 1892, 104(
and 1868. simultaneously with the
appearance Of these fires those Of the
old South Lake were suddenly eXtin-
guished, and for two days following nc
fires were seen on kllaane.
THE LOSS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO.
SAN Francisco, May 31.-The San
Diego correspondent Of the California
Association Press sends the following
additional incidents Of the loss of the
steamship City of San Francisco, CLEAN.
ed from the passengers and officers
The perfect GOODNESS of the men, wo.
men and children was extraordinary
There was only one instance Of panic.
A young man from New Y ork, fearing
the ship would sink, leaped overheard.
but was rescued and taken into boat
All the passengers lost more or less
money, most Of them every penny they
possessed. Mrs. Smith, the wife Of a
revenue officer Of San Francisco, lost
about $4,000. A german and his sister,
from Valparaiso, had between $4,000
and $4,000 in their trunks, which is to-
tai loss, together with all their trunks,
with all their clothing. None Of the
cabin passengers lost less than $500.
and some of them lost as mush as $10,-
600. Mr.. Hahn and wife, Of Anaheim,
California. who were returning from a
European trip, lost all their baggage,
which included over $4,000 worth OF
presents, etc., bought for friends. DR..
Rhein, a dentist, from New York, lost
$1,000 worth of Instruments, besides
his money. A Chinese servant after
the disaster placed his little store Of
cash into the hands of an officer, saying
You need this more than / do"
Another Chinaman came to Captain
Waddell with the captains purse,
which he had taken from drawer and
saved till he landed.
THE EARTHQUAKE THEORY.
A theory prevalent among naval
officers is that there was submarine
upheayal at the time of the recent
earthquake which destroyed Iquique.
The wrecked ship was sailing on her
regular course, and as already stated,
Captain Waddell had frequently sailed
over the spot where she struck. The
captain had made up his log early in
the day, SO that there could have been
no nossihilitv of a mistake about his