The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-07-01
Professor DGKA's BOOK ON HA-
WEIAE VOLCANOES.

This book. which bears the title OF
CHARACTERISTICS Of Volcanoes" will
be 70 most readers living on these
islands q book or treatise on the vol
csuism OF tic islands, rather than vol
cznisn IN general; since the author
cites Hswaiisn facts mostly to sub
stEntzte his general conclusions.
The book Is pleasant reading, is emil
nsutIy judicious in all its statements,
and OF great value as being what the
latest and best science has to say
about Hawaiian volcanoes.
kEuai. Oahn and Maui are treated
ot u their relations to volcanic &C
non II the past; however, the bulk
znd principal interest of the book
are gathered round two Ito volca-
ulstsl well-knOwn centers KiLdued
and MGunaJOa. There is a tracing, IN
dssziI. OF the history of Kilauea; the
great eruDtions Of 1889, 1923, 1882,
lS40. 1865 and 1856 being the most
outstanding facts of that history
That the terrible eruption of 1889,
while Il on the one hand destroyed
ksOuR's army, created also on the
other hand the kau desert, is what is
70 be gathered from the pages under
review, though not affirmed in so
mzny words
Kllsusa Is even now large crater
with Z smaller one IN the floor Of 1t,
znd has been the same substantially
through all the historic past; only in
the early past the inside and deeper
crz1sr took up the greater part of the
space Of the outside and shallower
one. 50 that all there remained of the
lEr1er IVES q narrow rim or brink run
mig round the interior crater. This
ring=shaped rim or brink was the
famous black ledge of the past of
kllsuea. which the molten lava of
the interior crater used ever and
anon 10 overflow and obliterate and
ever and anon retire from and expose
10 EieE,tbe black ledge growing con-
tinuzlly wider and larger in proper
hon e the interior crater grew mar
rover and smaller. 1t is all black
ledge now In Kilauea, except the
small basin Of Halemaumau
The once narrow rim has
grown 10 be whole floor. Great
credit Is due Professor Dana
Ion bringing to light facts at once
uumsrOus. striking and touching
general principles. This one e. G.
mat the successive discharges from
Kilsuea have taken place each one
al 3 point higher up than its prede-
eess0r. 1.-THE 1892 discharge at
point Z or 500 feet from the top, the
$40. ESQ feet from the top, the 1868,
5 OF 600 feet, and the 1856 $50 feet.
That kilauea aud Maunaloa are
bzsalt volcanoes, (easiEy fuSi5Ie, basalt
lava IS, and so these volcanoes
quietly pour forth immense quanti-
nes Of liquid material, as other vol
canoes do not; that the 1868 earth
ouzkes which emptied Kilauea were
Of Msunslos origin; that 1868 is a
case OF one mountain-volcano acct
dsntaily discharging the conduit
lava OF another. That Kilauea and
NEunslOs, though one mountain,
are Yet two volcanoes. professor
Dana speaks Of the mountain having
Two regions Of liquid lava, and SO
implies that the layas of Kilauea
and Msunaloa are not liquidly con-
necte6)- two volcanoes in close re
lElOn being what he also says); that
kilEnes Is probably located on the
old Mzunakea fssure, rather than
On the assure of Maunaloa; that the
NzgaalOs lava columns having
much greater ascensive or up-thrust
force than the lava column of XII
lsuea, Is probably due to the fact
that much larger quantity of mois-
tire, (transmutable into elastic
stssm), Is able to make its way in
ward 70 the 1900 feet in length lava |
solumn OF Maunaloa, than is able |
% make Its way inward to the 1000 |
Ieei N length lava column of XII |
E1ea- The above are but few of |
he inferential facts or conclusions
1ssched by one who is careful not to
Erite down anything as probable even,
without good reasons for so doing.
Haleakala, the Maui crater, is
inely and amply treated of; while
he chapter on Hawaiian Petro-
,rsphy by Prof. E. S. Dana, son of
he author, indicates that Hawaiian
5Esslts show off finely under the
and afford a valuable ad-
iriOn 70 the cabinet and information
L the mineralogist. The book is
enlivened by the pres
nee OF numerous plates, wood cuts;
5 published by Dodd, Mead & Co.,
Few York city, and should be read
y every intelligent dweller on the
iEwaiian Islands.
EDw. p BAKER.
lilo, Hawaii. June 3, 1890.