The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-31

hurled from these immense chimneys of
the earth
Most volcanoes have periods of rest. A
very few are continually active, as Strorn-
boll in the Mediterranean. which from the
earliest historic times has been emitting
steam, lava and hot stones without stop
ping, or as Sioa among the Molucca Is inds
or Totua among the Friendly islands. or
Sangay, a volcano of the Andes.
The demonstrations accompanying q
volcanic eruption depend upon the char
acter of the material within the crater.
and the passage leading downward. If
the crater has thin floor and the passage
below is partially open. or hlled with
molten lava, the volcanic gases can escape
upward and outward with comparative
quiet. But if the passage is badly OBJ
structed violent explosions may take place.
preceded by rumbhngs, and even by earth
quakes far-reaching in effect.
In Hawaii the layas are very liquid. and
often are discharged quietly, but IN 1S6S a
great eruption was accompanied by earth
quakes.
Where the sides of the volcano give way
before the door of the crater or before the
hardened materials of the passage yield to
the upward pressure, assures occur in the
mountain, generally diverging from the
cone toward the base and showing the red
hot mass within, if. indeed as IS most
likely, lava is not discharged from these
vents. Finally, the lava in the assures
coots and binds the mountain together
more firmly than before.
At times lava may appear at the mouth
OF the volcano without overfiowIng, or it
may break out In spots, causing minor
cones
The force of volcanic explosions cannot
be comprehended. nor can the depths from
which material is thrown be stated. We
only know that thousands and thousands
OF tons of ashes and both liquid and solid
rock are thrown from points tar from the
crater of the volcano, and that the force
which is sufficient for such exertions IS
mighty. 1t is reported thot the volcano
Antuco, in Chile, has thrown stones
thirty-six miles and that Cotopaxi threw
block weighing 200 tons for distance Of
nine miles.
Ashes thrown from volcanoes travel
many miles away and carry darkness with
them In the year 1885 a volcano in
Nicaragua called Coseguina caused dark
ness in all directions tor distance Of
thirty-iive miles, and deposited ashes, 1t is
said, TO depth of ten feet over twenty
miles away, while some of the minute
volcanic dust was carried up to high cur
rent of air and feltfour days later 700 miles
away at Kingston, Jamaica.
The ashes and other fine materials
thrown from volcanoes are said to be
caused by the action of steam, which pen
etrates and divides into minute particles
the white hot lava, and when the explosion
which throws out the liquid, steam-laden
lava occurs the once solid matter is scat
tered in dust
The immense volumes of mud, ashes
and dust which are thrown from volca-
noes change entirely the surface of the
surrounding country, building up the WE'LL
known volcanic cones and sometimes
changing miles upon miles of fertile lands.
vine and wood-clad hills into desolate
wastes. Trees, animals, men, women,
children houses, whole cities, like Hercu-
laneum and Pompeii, may be buried be-
meath the debris of one volcanic eruption,
to be hidden for centuries, and to disclose
in later years the life of historic ages.
An interesting change takes place in
lava as it issues forth. First, it is white
hot and flows like honey or melted iron.
Next it is red, and from redness changes
to black, with all the SUGGESTIONS of color
which may be observed in a coal flung on
a cold winters night from large old fire.
place. Constantly changing as 1T moves.
the surface of the lava stream finally be-
comes like cinders in appearance and grad
ually hardens, often in very rough forms.
color and shape, adding to the desolation
which it conveys.
The cooling of these moving masses Of
melted rock is slow, SO slow that the red
hot lava can be seen through the assures
for years afterward so that at Jorullo, in
Mexico, cigar could be lighted at assure
twenty-one years after the eruption.
Sometimes flowing lava dams a stream
and forms lake, as in the case of Lake
Aidat, In Auvergne, or in few hours
deep channel is filled, which the slow ac-
ton of flowing water has been hundreds
OF years III excavating.