The Opelousas courier., 1891-11-21
GREATEST OF VOLCANOES
THIS rs MAUNA LoAMIN THE
SANDWICH ISLANDS.
1t is the Most Important of Modern
Volcanoes-A Great River OF
Lava 100 Feet Deep.

VOicanoeS-A Great kiyeF Oh
Lava 100 Feet Deep.
On a recent map of Hawaii, the largest
island of the Hawaiian group, are a num-
Der of black marks, some narrow ana
some very wide, extending from a com
mon center in the interior to many
points of the compass, some of taenl
reaching the sea, forty to sixty miles
away. These marks represent the areas
that during this century have been coy
cred by lava, flowing from the greatest
volcano in the world. In 1887 Mauna
Loa gave two terrific displays of the most
intense volcanic activity. The average
interval between the eruptive periods of
the volcano is about eight years. Mauna
Loa, which means ':The Grft Noun
tain," is by far the most Important of
modern volcanoes. Several years ago
Captain G. E. Dutton, of the Ordnance
Corps in our army, made a careful study
of the Hawaiian volcanoes. He says
that a moderate eruption of Mauua Loa
represents more material than Vesuvius
has emitted since the destruction of
Pompeii. The great lava flow of 1855,
which extended torty-fve miles toward
the sea, with an average breadth of a
miles and an average depth of 100 feet,
would nearly have built Ves,yius. The
flows of 1859 and 1881 were little less.
The first eruption in 1887 lasted two
weeks, and the molten lava flowed for
twenty miles down the gentle slope of
the mountain, its lower edge entering
the sea. In this way Hawaii is grad,
ually growing, the great lava floods en-
croaching upon the sea and charging
the coast line.
Although all the twelve islands that
form the Hawaiian group are of volcanic
origin, it is only in that island which
gives its name to the group, and which
is larger than all the rest put together,
that volcanic energy is now displayed.
The greatest number of Mama Loa's lava
northwest coast of the island, bat thej
stream of 1887 reached the southwest
coast. Unlike most other volcanoes, the
streams of melted matter which roll down
Mauna's Loa's sides do not issue from its
summit, but from great assures in the
side of the mountain, sometimes thou-
sands of feet below its top. The main
axis of this s%tupendous mountain mass is
about seventy-fye miles long, and the
mountain slopes very gradually toward
the sea on all sides. Instead of being a
cone, which is the usual form of IL vol
cano, Mauna Loa is a great dome-like
elevation. The reason is that the out
pourings from the bowels of the earth
which have formed it have been in Their
molten state SO completely l|iquiied that
they could spread over a large surface,
while the more solid matter issuing from
Vesuvius and many other volcanoes re-
manned near the place of vent, and con-
sequently built up the mountains in the
form of peaks.
Mauna Loa is nearly Ia, 900 feet high,
and the ascent along the most accessible
route to the summit can easily be made
on mules. The slope of the mountain is
St gradual, that it takes, along the usull
route up the mountain, twenty miles of
travel to gain an altitude of $500 feet.
1t has been observed that the great erup-
tions of Mauna Loa have generally been
preceded by intense activity at the sum-
NIT orifce-the emissions there, how
ever, never overdowing the great lava
walled basin in which they are confined.
After the main eruptions there is perfect
quiescence in all parts of the mountain.
Captain buttons theory is that wi5hin
the mountain an accumulation of erup-
tive energy and material is constantly in
progress, which s'at first seeks an outlet
through the summit %oritice; but at the
accumulation goes on the mountain itself
is ruptured." The lava is discharged,
and the volcanic energy is for the time
being depleted.
Eleven years ago a great stream Of lava
for som months poured down the vo.ca-
nos northeast slope and advanced stead
lily over the plans, some of them almost
level, to the coast, some forty miles
away. It was making straight for the
pretty village of Hilo, and the inhabi-
tants concluded at last that there was no
hope of saving their town. In the last
sidYS Vi It's AoW It's progress was muSu
rapid, but still it kept pushing on at
a rate of 800 yards q day. All the port
able property in the town was packed up
and the people prepared to move at a
moments notice. The stream of lava
split in two long arms and appeared to
be about to e~ncircle the town. The two
branches had reached the outskirts of
the town, when suddenly, without any
premonition, the flow stopped and the
was not renewed.-Gold-
thwaite's Geographical Magasine.