The Owosso times., 1881-10-28
The Eruption of Mauna LOa.

The recent eruption of the great vol
cano of Mauna Loa, on the Island of
Hawaii, has been watched with pecul-
lar interest by the inhabitants of the
town of Hilo. The lava flood has for
nine months past been approaching the
village and threatened its destruction,
and the filing up of the beautiful bay
upon the borders Of which it is built.
But half mile away the stream of fire
ceased its flow, and the lava cooled and
hardened, the volcano was at rest, and
the village was saved.
The magnitude Of the eruption of
such a volcano may be estimated by the
fact that, according to Prof. Dana,
Mauna Loa contains rock material
enough to make 125 Vesuviuses. We
suvius is 5000 feet high, Mauna Loa
is $4,000. The crater of Vesuvius is
perhaps a thousand feet in diameter;
the constantly active crater of Mauna
Loa three miles in width. 1t is esti-
mated by competent judges that the
amount of lava thrown out of Mauna
Loa during the recent eruption which
continued from November, 1880, to Au-
gust, 1881, would cover 100 square
miles to depth of twenty-five feet.
On the 10th of August, the lava,
slowly pressing forward, had reached a
point about half mile from the upper
street of Hilo, and the inhabitants had
become much alarmed. From all
quarters strangers came to view the
magnificent spectacle. The Princess
Regent, who, during the absence Of
King Kalakaua, is the reigning sover-
eign, the Governors Of Oahu and Ha-
waii, and many of the higher classes,
both natives and foreigners, were
among the spectators. 1t was time
of great anxiety, and there seemed to
be no hope for Hilo. The food found
it's way fifty miles from its mighty
source, and was close to the border of
the village. But on that day its flow
was checked. For nine months and
Ave days it had overcome all obstacles
in its path, but at last, just as its far
ther progress would have brought ruin
to so many homes, it ceased to flow,
and the danger was over.
Some of the incidents of the eruption
are interesting. The owners of the
great Walakea Sugar Mill had built a
stone wall some five feet high, at a dis
tance of about three-quarters of mile
from the building, in hopes to divert
the course of an arm of the main cur
rent. This small advance stream was
heading in the direction of the mill;
and though not in itself of formidable
dimensions, it had behind it a great
fiery column, whose force no human
power could repel or turn aside. The
smaller stream came within few feet
Of the wall, and just there spent its
force. At only one point the fiery tor.
rent reached the wall. There it rested
a little, and then, urged forward by the
great force behind it, poured over the
wall, and, as IL that were its final effort,
cooled and stiffenedinto sheet of hang
ing stone. The energy Of the noun
tain's fiery furnace fifty miles away had
brought it thus far and no farther.
| The course of the lava flood as
it flows from it's mountain
source, $4,000 feet high, down toward
the sea, is a curious one. Its surface
coels upon reaching the plain at the
base of the mountain, and its flow seems
to be checked. Yet while the volcano
far away is still at work the pause in
the torrents course is only a temporary
one. The lava is pressing down from
behind with inconceivable force, and
soon, bursting through the inclosine
crust, the stream rushes onward until
again meeting some obstacle, it sudden
| ly ceased its flow only to be again sent
forward on its fiery path. Thus, 81
long as Mauna Loa supplies the mater
ial and the resistless impetus, the rivel
of destruction flows, sometimes slowly
but always surely on it way. Now
happily, there is no pressure from afal
to urge the messenger of destruction
across the little strip of land that lie'
between the lava's edge and the vii
lage that borders the sea. And so Hilt
Is saved.
l. ....4. L. Hl U.--.--