The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-12-09
A VALUABLE WORK.

department OF tne lnterlOr-U. -.
Geological Survey; j. w. Powell,
Director. r.-HAwAIIAN VOLCANOES,
by Capt. Clarence Edward Dut-
ton, Ordnance Corps U. $. A.
Extract from the Fourth Annual
Report of the Director-1SS2-S3.
Washington: Government Print
ing Office, 1884.
Hawaiian Volcanoes !" makes a
volume of 219 large octave pages.
1t is handsomely printed on heavy
calendered paper, is divided into
thirteen chapters, and contains thirty
illustrations, including six maps and
three diagrams. Chapter l. treats
of the geography of the Hawaiian
Islands. Mentioning the unmistak-
able volcanic origin of the whole
group, Capt. Dutton cites recent
deep-sea soundings as having dis
closed the fact that these volcanic
piles are only the SUBMITS of gigan-
tic mountain masses rising suddenly
from the bottom of the Pacific,
which for many hundreds of miles
around them is only moderately
diversified" A submarine chain
of mountains is presumed to con-
tinuc from these Islands, many hum
dred miles to the west-northwestward
of Kauai, the evidence being minute
islands and shoals strung along at
intervals of fifty to hundred miles,
and q remarkably uniform depth of
$500 to 3,1O0 fathoms being found,
about 500 to 500 miles south of this
presumptive range, by the soundings
of II. B. M. S. Challenger in 1855,
extending from Japan to the Ha-
waiian Islands.
In mentioning the two sole points
of volcanic activity remaining on
the Islands-Mauna Loa and Kilau-
ca, on Hawaii-the author lypothe-
tically discusses the antiquity Of the
volcanoes now extinct, without ap-
preaching any definite conclusion.
Mauna Loa, the great mountain"
'' is certainly the king of modern
Volcanoes" he says. mo other
in the world approaches it in the
vastness of it's mass or in the mag
nitude of its eruptive activity. There
are many volcanic peaks higher in
air, but they are usually planted
upon elevated platforms, where they
appear as mere cones of greater or
less size. Regarding the platforms
on which they stand as their true
bases, the cones themselves and all
the lavas which have emanated from
them never approach the magnitude
of Mauna Loa. Etna and all its
adjuncts are far inferior, while
Shasta, Hood, and Rainer, if they
were melted down and run together
would fall much below the volume
of the Island volcano. We do moi
know at what level the base OF
Mauna Loa is situated. We only
know that it is below sea level, anC
probably far below it. But, on the
other hand, it may not be SO low as
the adjoining depths of the Pacific
for, as will appear in subsequent
chapters, there is evidence that its
platform has been hoisted, and to
considerable amount, during tn,
progress of its eruptions." Maun;
Kea-" the white mountain +" 80 i
also colossus among volcanoes,
the only one besides its neighbo
comparable to it being Mount st
Elias. Although Mauna Kea's sum
nit is a trifc higher than Maun
Loa's, its slopes are sleeper and il
base therefore much smaller 18Th
magnitude of Mauna Loa is du
chiefly to the great area of its base
which is nearly elliptical in shape
with major diameter of "A mile
and n minor of SO miles, measure
at sea-level."
Mauna LOa's supremacy in til
aggregate of its eruptions is neS
noted, one of its moderate erul
tions representing more materii
than Vesuvius has emitted since til
days of POmpeii. "The great fo'