The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-10-01

the water, now boiling, up In a vast
column of spray twenty ar thirty feet
HIGH; at others, the lava would flow
sIower. and cool as it touched the wa
teri surface, over which it would spread
like a cake of ice, thickening with the
flow. till the water could support it no
LONGER. and then, with report like a
can. it. would break at the bank and
Sink to the bottom with tumultuous
noise.
Similar phenomena, even on grander
scale. were repeated. The flow was
about half a mile lower down the river
bed from which it had consumed all
the water. Arriving at a cascade some
twenty feet high, it fell over in a great
red flood of flame sixty feet wide, and
was precipitated into a large pool of
water nearly fifteen feet in circumfer-
ence. Transforming it into a mammoth
caldron of fiery explosives, that sent
hot spray and steam up and about for
almost incredible distances, till all was
consumed, and the pool was filled to a
level with, the, river bed above-an op-
GRAFTON which occupied about an hour
and half, during which time nearly
| one thousand cubic yards of lava were
| deposited. i+,'it '''
The manner of flowing is very erratlc,
and it is impossible to determine its
course beforehand. Like all liquids, it
seeks its level, but it does not remain
liquid. The terminus may harden and
cool. The next outbreak is as apt to
occur on top, or either side of the flow.
as at the end. If on top the stream il
creases in height and flows back Over
itself till it becomes as high as an ad-
Joining hill. The next break may Is
rection It viii run. On reaching it Ae
stream is banked up only to bresi out
afresh on the top, or upper side per.
haps, till it attains greater eleation
than the hill. when, of course, flows
over it.. Thus, places secure frop mum
dation by water cannot be reckned as
perfectly safe from lava flow. Several
instances of = this kind have occurred
here. The flow forms for itseEa great
black or steel gray tunnel, through
which it flows in a white flame out OF
sight, and reducing everything it
touches, from tiinty rock tt grass
blade, into the gaseous foam Ian oper-
alton often attended by deaening ex-
plosions. A. tree trunk mS, be en-,
veloped before being consumed. The
gases into which it is transformed seek
an outlet with force that truly APP
paling. b.. .ar...- ..irrit -
The natives, regard the ffw with SUI
perstitious dread, and are in attend
ance daily, the women being especially
devout. They will kneel by the side Of
the flow for hours, chanting in doleful
measure to. the goddess Pile, whom
they seek to propitiate with offerings of
silver, which they throw into the
stream. 1t would seem that most of
the earnings of some of them are thus
disposed of. Tourists follow their ex-
ample, as far as throwing their money
into the lava is concerned, but they
subsequently take the lava and coin
both away with them to preserve as
specimens. hu. ei.. .rl.;rl .greI
The unique and grotesque forms as
sumed by the fluid in cooling are won
derful, and weeks could be passed in
viewing their endless variety Familiar
forms in miniature or natural size, or
in bulk, are seen on every
hand. Parts of the human body and of
animals abound. The natives call this
kind of lava lDdtoehoe The al is ROUGH
and rocky.h P1toehoe often appears like
ropes, straight aid coiled, or like pulled
and twisted candy. Again, it is some
times ike dough being kneaded, or like
mammoth modelling in black clay.
A fortunate turn in the flow of lava,
a few days after the above was written,
saved Hilo from the threatened destruc-
ton, Since then the eruption has near
ly ceased.