The Cecil Whig., 1881-09-10
A RIVER OF FIRE.
t|"m Hupcr''s WeehI1.

November ), 1880. there was a sudden
outbreak near the summit of Mauna Loa
the famous volcanic mountain of Hawaii.
the largest and Southernmost of the
Sandwich Island group. The new crater
or series of rraterS. i on the side Of the
mountain some twelve miles distant from
the summit crater of Mokuawcoweo.
which remained quieSccnt. The erup-
tion was unacc"mpanicd hy any earth
quake shock. and no ashes or showers of
volcanic cmdcr were emitted. but three
immense rivers of lava poured down the
mountain slope. one flowing toward kau.
and largest toward lIilo. Oh the eastern
side of the island. and in a northcaStcrly
direction from the new crater.
The last mentioned was from the first
the most active flow. and is the only one
now moving. 1t is divided into different
branches, but is pressing onward toward
the sea. sometimes quite rapidly, and
again SO slowly that its progress is no.
ticeabc. For some time after the out
break the extreme point Of the flow was
composed of kind of lava known as n-n.
simply large masses Of rocH and req hot
blocks of lava pushed forward by the
great body OF p"hosdoe, or liquid lava,
behind.
The main stream confined itself to no
valley, canon, or other depression. but
followed down the mountain, crossing
and recrossing old flows of previous
dates, but not keeping in the track of
with irresistible force, making a pathway
for itself as it went, filling up holes,
caverns. and old crevasses, tumbling
down PERCEPTIONS descents, falling over
cliffs in its way in some eases obliterat-
ing them, and i'll others adding to their
height, levelinG forests in its course. and
spreading destruction on every hand and
leavin" behind desolate stretch of black
and broken masses OF lava piled in heaps
and strewn about i'll the greatest disorder.
In the day time this "-u in the van
guard of the flow, a great wall of red
hot debris some thirty feet in height,
appeared like confused mass. sliding.
rolling. pitching downward. slowly but
steadily pressed on. while the long line
Of the flow upward toward the source
could be traced by the columns of as
cending smoke.
But at night the long river Of molten
lava. windin. its way like a fiery serpent
along the side of Mauna loa. was grand
in the extrcme-:t line of the most mag
nitircnt pyr"technic display imaginable.
The fountain head near Mokuaweowco
was u blaze Of brilliant light, spreading
a dazzling halo over the summit of
Mauna l.oa, Illuminating the whole su-
pcrincumhcnt heavens. and visible at
sea distance of more than a hundred
miles. Ever and anon fountains of the
liquid fire would Spurt hundreds of feet
above the summit line. only to disappear
anu bS "tlNttt'tIt W otiltiS vi ttllidl
hrillancy: again huge mass of the
seetlling fusion would burst upward aud
outward, thrown from the crater ap,ar-
entity by some great explosion. and de
sCend i'll showers of fiery spray: fierce
tongues of flame would leap into the sky
and the effect of these cvaueScent darts
~ IIht r,iI Ia,
dense clouds of ovcrhanging smoke was
wonderful to behold
Below the summit fires was the stream
of burning lava marching onward to the
sea. like Il grand army bearing weapons
of flame. Steadily it crawlcd along. inch
by inch foot by foot. rod by rod. mile
by NILE working its way through dense
woods and rank underground. spreading
over great rocks, and passing seemingly
insurmountable obstacles. Nothing could
stop it: nothing could check its onward
career. In some places it would spread
over little flat or valley, forming shall
low lake of liquid fire, and the surface,
cooling, would assume different hucs,
from a blood red to dying purple
Then the stream beneath would suddenly
break through tissures in the crust, and
trace uneven lines of white and bright
red lava of varying width and form over
the paler light Of the slowly cooling sur
face. Small Struggling branches from
al, -, i. - ~ a
their way into the surrounding forest.
and the light from the burning bushes
and trees that fell before it was dull in
comparison to the dazzling brilIiancy of
the liquid mass.
Disappearing from view behind some
intervening ridge or point. it would
emerge lower down, flowing quietly
along, having the appearance of a strip
of FURNISHED gold enamelcd with flame.
and would then descend into Il narrow
gorge between high walls, and as if an
gered at being thus confined, would tear
onward an avalanche of fiery fluid. I'M
mcnse rocks weighing many tons We're
borne along like chips on a Winter fresh
ct, and the grinding and grating and
groaning of the mass as it plowed its
way, the kissing of the water as the hot
lava plunged into it, the dcafening roar.
like the beating of the angry surf on
ploSions. like the discharge of heavy
ordnance. were sounds appalling to hear.
Reaching Il declivity, the glowing tor
rent would pour downward and form sue
ceSsive cascades of liquid fire. Occa-
sionally Il great quantity of red hot and
white hot d-0 would he thrown upward
like pebbles tossed from the hands of
giant. and again column Of lava would
shoot upward from the burning river.
and cooling in mid air descend i'll show
crs of blackcned beads. Great bubbles
would lift themselves above the surface
for 4 moment. and then be swallowed by
the moving mass. Huge cones would
suddenly rise upward from the body of
the flow. and grow until like towers or
castles of frozen flame. and then slowly
cool off. and remain stationary like great
black monsters in the center of the
stream of lava. Small branches from
the main flow would crawl in all direc-
tionS through the tangled underbrush
and beautiful ferns, which. dropping over
the front of tie burning lava, would
tremble moment, and then, slowly