Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-12-30
A Splendid Outburst Of Flames from
Mauna LOao


AN extra Of the Hawaiian Gazette Of
November is gives an account Of an
eruption of the volcano of Mauna Loa,
exceeding in volume any ever before
known on the island. The grand out
burst of fire is described as follows: 1t
broke out about p. m. on Friday, No
vember 5, about six miles north of the
summit crater of MOkuaWeoweo on
Mauna Loa, and flowed down the elevat-
ed plateau lying between Mauna Loa
and Kea, sending out two branches, one
from near it's source toward the old
crater of Kilauea, and another branch
further down, trending toward the east.
On Wednesday, November II, the flow
could be seen distinctly from Hilo wind
ing its way toward Puma, with small
branch stream running toward Hilo.
The stream running toward Puma was
about thirty miles in length, and from
100 to 200 yards in width, with a depth
of about twenty feet. A correspondent
of the Gazette accompanied party to
view the grand sight, and they climbed
the mountain side. "Soon, - he says, Gas
the fog gradually cleared off the sides
of the mountain, we saw a tremendous
river of fire pouring down the steep
sides. We could see it distinctly down
the slope, till it ran into the fog bank,
which had settled like huge snow-bed
all over the lowlands. The fire was an
intense white light, running furiously
downward" They then went toward
Puma to see the molten rivers by night,
and he adds, "the moon set and still it
was light enough to see to read. Away
above us in the heavens shone the brill
liant fountain head, and thence to the
end was continuous stream OF liquid
lava. There lay river Of fire before us
at least thirty miles long, every inch
of which was one bright, rolling tide OF
fire. There was not a single break in
the whole length. The whole front
edge, being about three-fourths OF
mile wide, was q most intensely brilliant
light, and as it slowly advanced and
rolled over the small trees and scrub,
bright flames would flash up and die
out along its whole edge. Then there
were giant explosions, vast and terrible,
as if the earth was being shattered by
earthquakes, and all at once huge
dome of molten lava was thrown up
about halfway up the mountain side,
and continued to flow over like an i'm
mense fountain. The next day the party
crossed theiold lava-beds for about 200
feet. Not twenty feet distant was. this
Immense bed of lava slowly moving
forward with irresistible force, bearing
on its surface huge rocks and immense
powders of tons weight. The whole
front edge was one bright red mass Of
solid rock necessarily breaking off from
the lowering mass and rolling down. to 4
the foot of it, to be again covered up by
another avalanche of white-hot rocks
and sand. The mass was at its frort
edge from twelve to thirty feetin height.
Along the line of its advance it was one
crashof rolling, sliding, tumbling red
hot rock. We could see no fire or
liquid lava at all, but the whole advance
line of red-hot stone and scoTia. There
were no explosions while we were near
the flow, only a tremendous roaring,
like ten thousand blast-furnaces all at
work at once. Some fears of the safety
of Hilo are still entertained, but the flow
seems turning in another direction"
A correspondent of the Honolulu
Press, writing from Hilo, November ~,
says: "The sight on Saturday was in
describably grand. All day, with or
without the glass, our eyes were turned
toward the mountain. A fountain of
liquid lava was pouring up from the
summit line of Mauna LOa. Two fiery
streams were distinctly visible, cOursing
down its side, one toward Mauna Kea,
the other nearer HilO. Atnight the sky !
was glare Of light that made objects
visible in the streets and in
our rooms. Wednesday night the sight
of the mountain was most glorious. The
broken clouds lying around the summit
sides were irradiated and shone in Won
derful splendor. The force of eruption
saa1oe nOuy diminishing -