The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-06-01
The Great Tidal Wave.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 3l.-By the ar
rival of the steamer City of Sidney, we
have accounts from the Honolulu Adver-
tiScr of the great tidal wave OF May 10th
1t appears to have occurred slmulta.
eously all ovsr the groupe. AT Hasa
lien island, June Let, an unusual subsi-
dence of the sea was notice about quar-
ter before five in the morning. An
observer in this tswn who was near the
harhor saw exposed reefs. j. j.
Parter, of Hilo, Hawaii, fixes the move
ment of the wave which overwhelmed
the,villsge of Wsrikee At precisely the
same time, and the statement OF
Capt Sm theirs, of the whaling bark
Pacific, which was lying at the time in
Hilo Bay, corroborates this difference
between the highest aud lowest water
mark at various localities, which we as
certain to be as follows: Hilo, on the east
side of Hawailn, SO feet; Ksukala bay,
west side of Hawaii, 80 feet; Kahuali,
north tide of Moni, 22 feet; Lshshi, south
side of Moni, % feet; Sshshs south side
of Moni, 22 feet; Lahslna,
south side of Moui, II feet; Honolulu
south side of Oahu, feet 10 inches;
NswsiIiawsli, south side of Ksnah, 30
feet In some cases the difference in
the height of the wave may be account.
ed for by the confgurstion Of the coast
and Outlying reefs. The following is an
account of the disaster at Hils, from an
eye witness:
HILA, May q, 1877.
w. o. Parks, Esq:
DEAR SIR:-We have had great
disaster at Hils. Thursday morning,
the 10th, about oclack, the sea in the
bay was seen to rise and fall in unequal
way, and at 5 o'clock it swept in In q
mighty wave, washing up and into all
the stores in front OF town, carrying of
great deal of lumber and sll the stone
wall In front Of the wharf. The per-
pendiculsr height of the wave has since
been ascertsined br levelIing to be II
feet 3 incnes sb I'VE the ordinary low water
mark. At Wsksi the damage was
frightful and every house within q
hundred yards OF the water was swept
away. The stesmbo wharf and store
house and Spencer's store house bridge
across the stream and the dwelling houses
were swept away in an instant and now
lie a mass of ruins far inland. Five
lives were lost and number bruised and
had limbs broken. The body Of woman
was found by the boats Of the HooIii
The boats of the American
whsler Pacific, Captain Smithers, lying
in the hsrbor picked up six people,
swimming for their lives in the bay
The Pacific was lying III four fsthoms OF
ws.er, but she grounded when the sea
receded, and then would be whirled
around and around as the sea came in
again. All expected to see her drag
ashore. The sea continued 10 rise and
fall all day. l timed one OF the tides in
the morning about seven o'clock, and
from its lowest ebb 10 its food was only
about four minutes. 1t rose about four
teen feet perpendicular height in that
time. In the afternoon, IN the space OF
one hour, the sea rose and fell three times
with the height above hslf-tide. level
lO1 and 3 feet each time. The wave s.
Waksi mus. have had perpendicular
height of l6 feet - have taken the
bridge and wharf where they now lie.
The waters completely cover Cocosnut
Island and the hospital there has dissp-
peared. Yours IN haste
ISrgned L. S. EvERAscE.
volcanic Eruption.
The volcano o: Rilsinsbon Is unusual.
ly active OF late The steamer arriving
At Hilo. Wednesday, the "a INST, says as
she psssed down the coast on the follow.
ing night the light Of the crsters Was
brilliant. ;,
On Friday night at 2:45 A. " several
pretty severe earthquake shocks
were felt, followed few moments lat r
by let of lava, thrown up from the
foor of the crater, near the east bank,
through crack which had evidently
been msde By sn earthquake. The lava
continued TO spout st this place, grsdu'
slly ascending the steep bun 70 the Top,
then moving along the ist!hmus con-
Meeting the large crater and the smaller
one of kIlsniki. and then down into the
nit from which the lavs ran. This con-
tinued for six hours, the lava beng
thrown up in numerous jets along the
line. a. different heights, 1t sometimes
reaching 100 feet. Frequently there
you'd be q. least fly Of these Jets At
once, making 8 nagnihces display. 10
c.lly tins eruption and It's general chsr-
scteristics appear 70 be ident,cs5'! .ne
same as those OF ls37-4O and 1905. oI-
mul.aneously with this the fres OF the
Old South were suddenly eAtlnguliued
I'D tor tvo days following DO ires were