Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-06-22
A Cataract Of Fire.

In Volcanoes and earthquakes"
DR.. Samuel kneeland gives popular
account of those interestial disturb
ances, their nature, causes. effects and
geographical distribution from per-
sonal observation i'm the Hawaiian
and Philippine Islands, Japan, Ice
land, the Mediterranean Basin. Spain
and the United States. During the
past sixteen years he has visited every
quarter of the globe in pursuit OF
knowledge on this interesting subject.
The earliest of these journeys was un-
dertaken in 1872, when the author
visited the Hawaiian group Of islands,
and made the ascent Of Mauna Loa.
the largest volcano on the Pacific
Islands. with crater nine miles il
circumference. Fifty years ago IL was
a sea of boiling lava. In 1910 the
crater was filed from 500 10 900 feet
deep with molten lava, the immenS"
weight OF which broke subterraneau
passage of twenty-seven miles, and
reached the sea, forty miles away, in
two days. IL flowed for three weeks
in stream half mile wide, heating
the water twenty miles from shore.
The scene il thus described by an eye
witness
When the torrent Of fire precipita-
ted itself into the ocean, the scene "A
Sumed character OF terrible and i'm
describable grandeur The magniii-
cence of destruction was never more
perceptibly displayed than when
these antagonistic elements met In
deadly strife. The mightiest of earth's
magazines Of fire poured forth its
burning pillows To meet the mightiest
of oceans For two score miles it
came rolling. tmbling. swelling for
ward. an awful agent of death. Rocks
melted like wax in its path; foreS,
cracked and blaZed before its fervent
heat: the works Of man were 10 il bus
as scroll in the flames Imagine
Niagara : stream, above the brink ot
the falls, with its dashing, whirling,
madly-ragins waters, hurrying on 10
their plunge, instantaneously con
verted into fire; u gory-hued river or
fused minerals; volumes Of kissing,
steam arising; smoke curling upward
from ten thousand vents, which gave
uttersnce To as many deep-toned NUT
terings, and sullen, confined clamor-
burst from their hot prison house; the
heavens lurid with flame; the atinos-
phere dark and oppressive; the hori-
zon murky with yapors, and cleaning
with the reflected contest
Such was the scene "a the fiery cat
aract, leaping n precipice Of flfty feet,
poured its flood upon the ocean. The
old line Of coast, "A mass Of compact
iudurated lava, whitened, cracked and
fell The waters recoiled, and sen
forth tempest of spray; they foaIned
aud dashed around and over the
melted rock they boiled with the heat,
and the roar of the conflicting agen
cies grew iiercer and louder The re
ports Of the exploding gases were
distinctly heard twenty-five miles dis
tant, and were likened 10 n whole
broadside Of heavy artillery. Streaks
Of the intensest light glanced like
lightning in all direction; the out
skirts TO the burning lava M IL fell.
cooled by the shock. were shivercd
into millions Of fragments, and scat
tered by the strong wind In sparkling
showers far into the country. For
three successive weeks the volcano
disgorged an uninterrupted burning
tide, with scarcely any dlminution.
into the ocean. On either side TO-
twenty miles the sea became heated,
and with such rapidity that on the
second day OF the junction Of the lava
with the ocean, fishes came ashore
dead in great numbers st a point III.
teen miles distant. Six weeks later.
at the base OF the hill, the water con
tinued scalding hot and sent forth
steam at every wash OF the waves.