The Russellville Democrat., 1881-09-01
A RIVER OF FIRE.
 Tie Lava Flow Moving Down Steadily Upon Hilo.

Tie Lava Flow Moving Down Steadily
 Upon lilo.
 A correspondent of the Hawaiian Gd- zette, writing from Hilo on July IA, gives the following particulars about the lava flow which threatens destruction to lii To: During the last week a small tongue has shot out of the Waiakea flow seventy feet long and six feet wide, but the flow is very active on top and has spread very much latefally on the Hilo side. The Waiakea people have become quite san guine as to their chances of escape. Be- yond the seventy feet reported the Waiakea flow has made no progress, but it may break out at any time with in- creased vigor, however; if it does so, it will come upon a sort of marshy basin which may take considerable time to fill up; according to our informant, months. It will go on piling up and spreading out time and again before it will be sufficiently concentrated to burst forth-but unless the central fire of Mo- kuaweoweo weakens, it must inevitably fill up. and then it will break out at some point and come down with rush to the sea. A tremendous distance this moul- ten stuff has come. Taking into consid- eration all the windings it cannot be less than forty five or fifty miles. People need not think that ravines or gulches have any effect upon it. The only thing that is saving Hilo and the vicinity at the present time is the number of off shots which the original flow has to feed. The main and most dangerous flow is overlapping the old flow of 1856, and has not up to the present writing, reached l the end of 1t It will take months, at i its present rate of progress, to reach Hilo, | but if it does it will almost infallibly go 1 to the north and overwhelm the town. I Another correspondent furnishes this graphic description on the scene on the mountain The Laumaia branch is com ing to meet the other, which is widening out and going towards Hito; although it will not reach there probably for two weeks, if so soon. 1t has been more ac- l tive since our last visit, although we ! thought it very active then. The night we were there it came down about half a mile toward Hilo, not from the bottom live were a mile and half above that poi4t), but it is spreading out on both sides. We moved our camp twice. The l first time the lava came towards us at l the rate of six feet minute some of the l time, and that although our camp was on rising ground. The ladies of our par tv felt anxious, so we moved across a small gulch, thinking it would protect Us from the fiery stream. We had eaten our lunch beside the water in this gulch, some distance from what was then the active stream, distance above the spot, but to our surprise the lava followed along in our track at once, and 1t was
 magnificent spectacle to see it pouring
 over the upper side and entrance. There
 were three cascades of from six to ten
 feet high. Soon the wind freshened, and
 as the lava crept nearer the smoke from the burning trees grew so dense and sui locating that we coultn't endure 1t, so
 we moved one of our tents and finally | the other. Ii seemed ominous the way the fire crept in after us, for all night the loud crash of falling trees drew nearer and nearer I did not sleep, for 1 could
 not, but kept running down the track to see the pouring fire. It crawled steadily up enc path, but downward, too, so that it would abate in this direction in few
 hours. Ii was like missing, roaring
 monster. We had moved down about half mile, and it had followed us. The fire in the trees does not spread at all, as it is so very moist from the frequent
 rains. It burns no further than the edge
 of the flow. But the burning trees and
 shrubs made some of the most piteous
 moans. It sounded like those tiny
 sounds which a sick child makes in
 sleep.
 STREAMS OF BOILING WATER.
 Some of our streams are beginning to
 run boiling water. It is a mistake to suppose that when the lava enters and fills up a gulch it dries up the stream; the water continues running under the
 lava. As proof of the heat, little dog
 which followed it's owner up to the flow
 the other day plunged into pool and
 had all the hair taken off in a second; it
 died almost instantly.