The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1880-12-23
A BOILANG VOLCANO.
atauna Ions Greatest Effort
MYERS Of Molten Lava Thirty
Miles Long.

Mnuna bOn's Greatest Effort
MiTer. OF Molten Lava Thirty
Miles Long.
Ihe eruption OF lava from Manua
Loa, upon the Island Of Hawaii,
which is nov progressing, is one Of
the most important in extent and
grandeur Which has been known in
mSdarn times. It broke out about
IP,M on Friday, November S, about
SIX miles north Of the crater Of
Mokuaweoweo on Mauna Loa, near
the crater Of IS43, and flowed down.
to The elevated plateau lying between
Mauna Loa and Kea, sending ont two
branches, one from near its source
toward the old crater Of Kilauea, and
another further down, tending toward
the cast At 1rst the laws could be
seen sporting high up in ths sky.
By Wednesday two streams OF Mol
ten lava thirty FIVE to fifty miles
IN length bad formed. termina
ting with lake Of Ere fifteen miles in
circumferenoeI and on the elevated
plateau Columns Of smoke and steam
assembled from both streams and uni
ted in an arch overhead, forming an
avenue through which could be seen
Tor miles the molten mass boiling and
seething, here and there throwing M
Immense cones, to be as suddenly
burst asunder, and in other places
Immense columns OF lava would be
thrown to the height Of 200 feet or
more. An eye-wltne,s describes the
scene in the Hawaiian Gazette as fol-
lows: .---.
There lay river OF fire before us
at least 80 miles long, every inch OF
which was one bright rolling tide OF
hre. There was not single break
in the whole length, It divided about
! milo from the top and ran down.
forming paralelogram, Joined again
and ran ave miles below. The Whole
tront edge being about three fourtbs
OF mite wide, was a most intensely
brilliant light, and as 1t slowly ad-
vanced and rolled over small trees
and scrub bright flames would fash
up and die out alongits whole edge ,
"As We sat there In the COOL Still
night watching il, every now and then
report as OF a cannon broke on the
stiffness all along the whole line OF
hre, caused, | suppose. blythe heating
OF ar under the new lava in the old
lava caverns and busting up through
The crust. Then, too, occasionally
a deep but.loud rumbling noise would
almost start US from our seats, evi-
dently coming from the deep lecesses
OF the old mountains as if It was
spoutlng forth its lery flood. The
cannonade was very frequent, now
right close TO Us and again coming
rom a distance away up the side OF
the mountain. l could compare the
whole view with nothing but like a
streak of chain lightning frozen in its
tracks, as the Ere seemed TO come out
OF The heavens, it was so far above
US. AS we sat there watching it, all at
once huge dome OF molten lava was
thrown up about half way up the
mountain side and continued to flow
over like an immOnse fountain as
long as We watched it. We also saw
aLother stream OF lava start from the
fountain head and run Fight along
the ridge of the mountain for about
two miles and then apparently stop.
We crossed the old fow for about
1000 feet md then stood on the very
edge OF that lowing river Of rock
Oh f! what a sight that was Not
twenty feet from us WAS this immense
bed OF rock slowly moving for
ward with irresistible force, bear
ing on Its surface huge rocks and i'm
mense powders of ton weight az
water would carry a toy boat. The
whole front edge was one bright RED
mass OF solid rock incessantly break
ing off tFom the towering mass ant
rolling down 10 the foot of it. to b,
| again covered up by another ava
laHehe Of white rocks and sand. Tht
whole mass was at its front edg,
flom II to 30 feet in height. AlOn!
the whole line Of its advance 1t wa
one crash Of rolling, sliding, tum
bling red hot rock. We could SEQ NJ
fire or liquid lava at all, the whole ad
vance line Of red hot stones ant
soerie. The latter would frequentl,
run down the slope like water, onll
all separate in red hot grains. Their
were no explosion while We we're nea
the flow, only a Tremendous r6arin
like ten thousand blast furnaces a
at work at once. The flow here wa
only "aa,s and was 80 far as we 6onl
see it. Whit a tremendous heat aros
from ITS surface. The whole mas
was, on top where no fsdlhot roc
could be seen, q dull brick coloI
It's sdvance was very slow, bat sur,
i do not think Il win get over on +
the fiat where that k0a grove Is, hea
where wetuFn 70 20 10 Klpukaabins
for at least four days. AFter that
will run much faster down the Kipuk
above Halealoha. Well, AFTER "
got through looking at II for awhil
and setting cur sticks on Gre, W
started back for Kalaeeha and Wal
mea, where we arrived the neS
, Wednesday morning in time fc
breakfast, having seen a sight whio
/, Is seldom seen. I'D. -.
TO- ..ss Va -.