Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-07-28
A FIERY RIVER.
Overflow of Liquid Lava from the
Sandwich Island Volcano of Mauna
loa--A Magnificent and Terrific
CfUht

Overflow of Liquid Lava from the
Sandwich Island Volcano of Mauna
loa--A Magnificent and Terrific
Sight.
san francisco Special 10 Chicago Times.
Honolulu papers, per the city of New
York contain alarming letters from
Hilo, which is threatened with destruc-
tion flom lava from the volcano of
Mauna Loa. The population is prepar-
ing to fly from the fiery flood. Two
streams of liquid lava are coming down
in rocky channels, which are some
times filed with roaring waters, but
are nearly dry at this time. These two
gulcheS are too small to hold the seeth-
ing mass, and the fiery food oyerruns
the banks and spreads out on either side
The united width of the streams may
vary from fifty to two hundred feet.
Going down the sleeper parts of these
rocky beds the roar is like that OF the
surf and often like thunder. Under
date June 80, the correspondent says
ABOUT Wednesday of last week the old
m, sa1Itain was observed to ,bemore than
usually active, the whole summit of
the eerevasse pouring forth immense
volumes Of smoke. By Friday noon
the three southern arms all joined into
one, rushing down the gulch in rapid
flow. Saturday noon it had run a
mile. Monday morning it was reported
to have reached the fiat back of the
Halai hills. The stream was entirely
confined tc the gulch and intensely
active when about half q mile from
the flats. The flow on the average is
seventy-fve feet wide and from ten to
thirty In depth and filled the gulch up
even with the banks. The sight was
grand. The whole frontage was one
mass of liquid lava carrying on its sur
face hugh cakes of partly cooled lava.
Soon after we reached it the flow
reached hole some ten or fifteen feet
in depth, with perpendicular sides.
The sight as it poured over that fall in
two cascades, was magnificent. The
flow WAS then going at the rate of
about seventy-feet an hour. About
midnight we noticed a diminution in
the activity of the gulch flow, and soon
saw a bright red glare above the tree
tops, and presently were startled by
burning "gas-bursts," and the crack
ling and falling of trees somewhere
above. The whole sky was lined with
the light of burning trees and shrubs.
About a. IN. we made an attempt to
reach the scene of the great activity
and succeeded by going up the south
side of the guich a quarter of a mile.
The Oncoming overflow had swept over
the banks of the narrow gulch, and
was flowing like water into a dense
grove of neneleau and guava trees.
There they stood in sea of liquid lava
over space of more than all acre, while
the fires were running up their trunks,
and burning branches and leaves over
head. The flow was SO rapid that the trees
were not cut down for more than two
hundred feet from the first Of the flow.
In one place we saw huge dome of
hah-melted lava rise up fifteen or
twenty feet high, and twice that in di-
ameter. and apparently remained sta
tioRary while the fiery flood went on.
We watched this Tor about an hour, see
ing how rapidly it was advancing. AT
early noon we started back for home.
The reason of the quick advance Of tn
flow the past two weeks has been the
increased activity at the fountain head,
the junction of the streams mentioned,
and the fact that this narrow rock-bed
gulch has formed a flume to pass the
liquid lava along in solid, narrow
stream without any chance for spread
ing out literally. 1t is impossible to
say now when the flow will reach the
sea, but the probability is that it will
take the Kaukwan gulch, now not over
1874 miles from the sea- 1t may
spread out on the flat above Hilo, and
ruin down to the north of the hills, but
the tendency is toward Fishponds.
There is no hope now of its not reach
ing the sea, and in short time, proba
bly, before you hear from us again. If
it goes through Kaukuan, probably al
the lower or front part of the town
will fall prey to Nine. Pele.