Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-09-24

THEIssO.i ERUPTION OF MAJ.
Ma Lon.
Observations made upon ~ before nm Au-
di-nco assembled in Hilo, Sunday cvon-
Ing. August 2lst. by Rev. y. +. Baker.
Thoorio, OF Volcanic Action
SFPTEWBER a., 1891.


owe their origin TO acdm-tbat the earth
being molten inside and water coming in
contact with the fiery mass, tho result is
the generation Of steam. Tho expansive |
force of tho vapor of water thus generated |
pushes up the liquid matter from below |
and SO creates mn eruption. In this case |
however, there should be an issuance of |
steam, rather than lava; nor is it wholly /.
clear how water makes its way beneath |
the molten mass 20 lift il up. Another
theory is that Of the generation Of gases in
the midst of the fiery mass Thus pushing it
10 the surface: bot gases should and do is
sue from liquid lava as bubbles, making it
boil, not pushing it upward rs n whole.
Another theory is that the pressure of
the ernst of tho earth upon the viscid mass
beneath has the effect TO squeeze portions
of the molten matter beneath up through
orifccs aud crovicos, through which the
pressure is relieved. But why should there
not he in this case quiet cooling of the
whole subterranenn mass, just ms reservoirs
or valleys full Of lava, quietly cool on the
surface of tho earth
The contraction Of the cooled crust of
the earth, granting such contraction TO
take place. will account for fssures in The
same crust, bat will hardly account for the
ascent of the fiery ocean beneath through
these fssuros The inside of the earth
however. is most likely solid rather than
LIQUID, Git is not liquid l. g. in one sense of
the term,) although the materials com.
posing it are undoubtedly, by reason of tho
pressure Of gravitation in condition Of
tremendous tension. The earth has not yet
got through solidifying. The contraction Of
matter in volume by pressure, always dc.
velopes heat. Were cubic acre of water
in the bay to be subjected to pressure sufii.
GENTLY violent to contract it, great heat
would undoubtedly be impaired to the ad.
joining waters. Matter contracting in
volume inside the earth imparts heat to
other matter. Liquid lava is that other
maaer which has received heat from solid.
fyiug matter, and which of course presses
upward to find vent.
VOLCANIC cRUsrs.
The qualification Of the earth being n
constant process, there are necessarily es.
tablisbed in the crust of the earth perman.
eut oriices through which the interior
heat developed relieves itself; and, mas.
much as there would naturally be great
deal Of action throughout the entire area
crcumscribing any given volcanic orifce
Other oriices would tend to form in the
vicinity of any point where one was estab.
ished. Hence the grouping of volcani,
craters on the surface of the earth.
DIFFERENT METHODS or ERUPTION.
Sometimes tho lava rises upward in
tunnel, which has it's opening in the top o
mountain. (The upward pushing of tn,
lava has created the mountain). Some
times tho opening is far down the mountain
with reservoir of liquid lava above it, il
which case there will be n spiriting erup
ton; sometimes the opening is far up tn,
mountain, but still somewhat below tn,
summit, the lava finding exit through
lateral fissure.
The recent eruption is through latera
fissure far up the mountain, but below tn
summit, the source Of the recent eruption
being some twelve miles northeast of an,
below Mokuaweoweo. The point on tn
mountain where the fiery stream frs
reaches the surface, seems to the spectator
to be the uppermost vent hole, while tn
point the highest up at which the thi
crnst covers the subterranean stream ha
fallen in, is the uppermost or termins
orator.
THE MopUs oPERASDI OF A FLOW.
A lava flow can advance ordinarily onl
so fast ms it constructs hollow viadu,
for itself in which to keep the matters
hot, and Of which itself is created. 1t
like gang of railroad builders, which ca
90 on only so fast al il forms a road.b,
and lays track to enable it to advanc
A lava flow FIRST lays bed for itself al
then spreads ont and thickens up to
sufficient depth, so the hollow tube viii,
conveys it shall be large and cover,
enough to hold and keep warm tho flown
material. A flow tends to move ultimate
in straight line. Its greatest force is @
eried in y straight line. Like railro
track, its curves are very gradually. 7
last direction it takes is quite apt to be
final direction. The recent eruption fiji
ran north, forming the Kipukaahi
stream and cooled, then south, forming /
Kau stream and cooled, md then en-
forcing the Hilo stream. This last prov
to be the final direction Of the fow I
first two streams being each only fifteen
twenty miles in length, whereas the la
or Hilo stream, is some tifty.fve mi
long. At Lomaa, eight miles above Iii
and lastly southeast, and this last beca
at that point the final and prevailing
rection Of the whole mass.
HOW BILo WAS SAVED.
At Lomaia the stream ran north.e
and cooled, then east and cooled. ii
southeast and continued on. Had it 7
first southeast and af,erward north.e
ard continued on, Hilo, lying north o
from that pout would have been destroy
Aud Waiakea would have been dostro,
had not a large quantity Of lava been
verted into an easterly aud north.easte
direction The northeast or LON
s,rcamlet threatened HiIo but saved W
akea, while the southeast stroamlet thre
ened Waiake. aud saved Hilo. And :,
was danger all around aud sairdtion
around. Had the amount Of lava actuu
poured forth flowed all in one direcii
either Hilo or Waiakea must have b.
destroyed.
InE "A.
Lava, composed chemically of 60
cent. Of SILICA aud 81 of protoxide of ire