The Cecil Whig., 1881-09-10

"a bucketful minute
I'm January of the present year there
was quite Il diminution in the action of
the fires at the source, and the progress
of the flow for a time was scarcely per-
reptible. only occasionally exhibiting any
signs Of activity. The lava was proceed
ing toward lIilo, and it was hoped that
Madam Pell. the Goddess Of Volcanoes,
according to Hawaiian mythology. had
decided to spare the beautiful little town:
but early in May it began again to flow
more rapidly. and the end of the flow
being no longer a-a but consisting of
p"hochoC. has made greater progress
For some time it moved slowly. as the
lava stream forced its way through Il
swampy region covered with a dense
wood.
The flow is divided into two principal
branches. known as the IIilo and Waia-
kea streams. The latter is the smaller
of the two and is much in advance of
the former. IIilo is threatened by both,
and should the main body reach the sea,
the town and perhaps the harbor will be
destroyed. The onward progress of the
flows is much retarded 10y having to feed
numerous smaller streams that shoot off
from the main branches. Some of these,
after proceeding Il short distance, cool
down, until, pressed by the great mass
behind, they break out afresh. Some
penetrate into the wood. and there die
out, and some shoot ahead until the main
flow sweeps over them. Sometimes the
flow stops for three or four days. making
little or no headway. and then it will
suddenly break out with renewed vigor.
Sometimes it dies ont at the end. and
breaks out at the side, and moves on
ward as before. An outbreak through
the hard crust in the center of the flow
will overrun 4 portion already cooled,
and again branch will flow off to one
side, and making detour, pass on to
and over the main body that feeds it.
\ stream of lava is subject to no law
that governs the action of water or any
other substance, fluid or solid. 1t will
follow Il canon or cross one, and will run
up hill as well as down, the firm crust
incaSing the igneOus fusion acting like a
conduit or hose. The atmosphere has
more effect on it than water, and it cools
very quickly, like melted glass. when
exposed to the air. u crust usually form
ing in ten or fifteen minutes sufficiently
firm to bear ones weight.
About two and half miles from the
village of IIio was fall in the Waia-
kea Crcek-a narrow and shallow bed in
which the advanced portion of the lava
stream WAS running-and the views of
the artist taken at this place show well
the action oil the flowing lava. This fall
was twenty feet high. and the depth of
the water below was about the same, and
it was thirty-iive yards wide. The flow
above the fall was one hundred feet wide.
and was moving at the rate Of one nun
dred feet III !orty-c;@ht minutes. and was
one hour and folty-two minutes i'll filling
up this depression even with the top of
the cliii,. When the lava began to pour
over the cliif it was of the consistency of
molasSeS. and had much the same appear
ance, and the ends of the slowly dripping
streams would blacken and harden and
break oil before reaching the water
When it had nearly flied the water hole
below, the steam arose in great clouds,
and the kissing and bubblinm sound it
made was like steam escaping from a
number of large boilers.
The lava flow was months in passing
through the wood back of IIilo, but now
both the Waiakca branch and the main
body are below it. and have but to ira
verse IN open stretch Of country. cover
ed only with ferns and grasses. and Slop-
ing gently toward the sea.
The sight of the lava working its way
through the wood was strange and grand.
but to reach it required the severe labor
of cutting way through the dense jun
gle. and sometimes, before the party was
ready to return, a branch of lava shoot
ing off from the main flow would cross
the trail, cutting off the line of retreat,
thus necesstating the cutting of another
path. Eating its way through the for
est, consuming every green thing before
it, the flow leaves behind dreary waste
of broken lava, fringed with long uneven
lines of beautiful tropical shrubbery As
the lava would surround the trees-prin-
cipally lauhala, kukui, hau. snmac, and
guava-the crust forming ON the surface
would in many cases hold the tree up
right. while the stream of molten matter
beneath would burn off the lower por-
would dart up the trees, licking the
branches with their blazing tongues, and
blasting the leaves with their death deal
ing breath. In some places the leaiiess
trees would be left standing. and in other
places the flow would be covered with
the half charred trunks of the fallen tim
oei' ~ Ihe Puiu 'tHu olHeI iaiSc Clet
ferns. and the bushes and smaller ferns
Of all sizes and unending variety, the
same fate was meted out by the merci-
less lava, and when, through the sudden
opening of the seams at the extremity of
the flow, the red lava would pour out, it
was really sad to see the emerald pillows
of foliage bow and disappear before the
flame crested waves of the on coming
flood Of liquid fire.
CuriositieS of Kleptcrnanla