New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-02

One'6 ard0r Rete emasoulated and. ~ with us, IN.
form Of another flow, that of 1885, serves to PM
ones pluck to the test. But the black line beyond
with its rising smoke. had great attractions. and we
scaled the rough scOra and picked our way among ls
Jagged teeth TO descend at last on the smooth sur
face OF an ancient flow of pahoehoe over which We
stride rapidly to the very flank of the new flow.
on LAVA STREAM.
Here we were at the mountains base, standing on
the lava that only ten or twelve days before wac Of
a white heat and rushing along like o river oil
molten iron. Now it was smoking, and sending out
great heat. but not spark of fire could be seen.
was with great difficulty that we mounted the mass,
whose sides almost vertically and hung over us
in most forbIddinR manner. What afeld OF cllnk-
ers Had all the Stag of thousands of smelling fur
naces been beched forth in q body the sight could
not have been hideous than that long stretch OF
az, probably hundreds Of square miles in extent.
We had to move briskly enough in some places,
owing to o dry heat, which plainly told of melted
lava not far below SO far the eye could reach in
the direction taken by the flow there was no evil
dence of pahoehoe. but an lndescribabe tumble of
great powders, and immense slabs. and
aggregations of Stag in every conceivable
shape. The movement of the lava had
been rotary tumbng the conPeang portions
to either side and rolling them ahead with irresist-
ible power. The flow had somewhat the appearance
of an ice-jam at the time OF spring freshets Small
OhIa trees were found broken and shattered by tho
flow. with their foliage showing only the slightest
effects of the heat that must have risen from the
centre of the stream as the current moved on. As
the lava had flowed down the mountain side it had
divided sending out branches hore and there be-
tween two of which we found ourselves. much to
our SURPRISE. Had the lava started n little ln-
crease of action would have compelled il TO do, 1t
would have hemmed in and overwhelmed us.
hn
centre and an outside OF scOrIa, looking a though
a giant had twIrled his wakng-siIck IN thick mo-
lasSes and then rolled the mass IN gravel. AcurOus
freak WAS noted in the course taken by tho lava
straight line from Mauna LOa toward lilo was ap.
Darentlv that of greatest drcivty; but instead or
following this the stream had moved in bold curve
to the south on TO land considerably higher. finally
working Its way round TO the flow Of 1870. up
which it mounted aud along which It role for sew
eral miles,
Our return to camp was uneventful though RI
some. That night the flow toward kau seemed .ess
brilliant OWING Doubtless 10 tine increased brlllancy
Of the fires facing US. Two large though short
flows. moving side by side, doubtless disappearing
underground, and feeding with new momentum the
lava had visited that day, Increased III brightness
and size all nlgut.
A BIRDSEYE VIEW
We started at midnight for The ascent OF Mauna
Kea, stopping occasionally to rest aud view the
grand Illumination On the opposite mountain side
From The summit we had glorious view of the
greater art of the island. IIilo aud the eastern
shores were covered by cloud-land but the vast in
terror, over which innumerablc lava streams had
spread themselves. and marking whose boundaries
rose the three mountain sentinols, lay all before us
as a pictured map. TO the north, sweeping around
the base Of Ilualaai, that wonderful flow OF
1850 which was less than three days in reaching tho
sea- DISTANCE of Oync g)r miles. To the south, and
flowing east toward " g. we're the two flows OF 1892
and S55 the latte "a least having an area suii
Gent to cover the iIos oi Boston, Chicago, Baltl-
more and Cincinnati. with 900 acres to spare AT
our feet was the flow ~ 1918 hch struck the base
of Mauna Kea and sprc u one arm 20 the north and
another TO the east Blscker than oil and appar-
emily as extensive as any, 81 far it had flowed.
was the one which less than two weeks before was
imprisoned in the great furnace whose hO0d-gates
had so often opened for the molten tide To rush out
Tie smoke and steam could be rising from
this flow throughout its course. 1t will take long
years TO efface the impression made npon me by the
fiery flank of the otherwise sOmbre mountain, as
saw IT in the weird light Of that early morning on
our march up Mauna Kea That night on our return
TO camp we noticed huge column Of smoke several
hundred feet high. rising vertically from poin'
about mile to the north of all previous action.
The base of the column was highly illuminated aud
the next night the area separating tins from tho
the united layas. Great cones have slnce bcen
thrown mp in this vicinity, showing by the dense
smoke that IS issuing from them that o large area
Of intense activity underlies hat whole region.
GlRT WITH LIQUID FIRE.
Perbaps the most exciting part Of the expedition
was When on our return, we found the lava had
pushed ahead several miles, rendering it doubtful
whether we could pass il. We were on table
land and in broad daylight could see numerous
places where the molten lava was exposed gltterng
with a white. sIlvery hight. So Gar as VIC could
trace the stream it smoking as we had not seen
It before showing that 1t had received reinforce
ments from the summit. and that the liquid lava
was in all probability moving along under
the CONCEALED crust. We could not see the
front of the flow, for 1t had worked its way
INTO the woods. aud for all that we knew,
might even then no stretching athwart our home
ward track. From point of observation We
must descend into low, wooded tract. through
which the road lay for two miles coming out ut
Halealoha, where we had camped the first night
On the right rose a high ridge Of old lava covered
with trees, so that from the time we entered the
woods all view of the new lava flow completely
lost. To push on would perhaps bring Us where
escape would be dfcnlt either way. for If we could
reach Halealoha and the lava was moving. II might
he impOssible for us TO 90 ahead, aid 10 GO back
would be equally hazardous. But We decided to
rnn ihe gauntlet, ready 10 turn in our tracks and
retreat at the first sign Of danger We snuncd the
air ,as we hurried on, aud peered anx-
iously through the trees, and kept
our ears open for the frat sOnnd of the
moving mass, until we reached Ha,ealola, where
we supposed ourselves at the very centre Of danger.
Here we divided forces ono going up the IA flow
in front TO learn the position and proximity of tho
flow. another going further INTO the woods to refill
onr ca,.tecns and the other adjusting the baggage.
ready for speedy march il found necessary. Tho
lava was found to be mile away. being at point,
however only about hall mile from the road on
which we had come; so we made tea and ate dinner
and got we'll rested before resulning our journey.
After emerging from tie woods, and coming out