The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-27
HAWAlI'S GREAT VOLCANO
Nauna Loa Again Covering Its Slopes
with an Enormous Outflow of Lava.
Previous Eruptions of the Earth's Grandest
Spouter Of Flame, Smoke aud Molten
Stone-Picturesque Hilo Periled.

New YORK, Dec. 26-It is only five years
since Maun Loa was covering it's south
western slopes with an enormous outflow
of lava. 1t is again IN eruption. and its
lava streams are lowing east and north
east. Mauna Loa Is the greatest volcano
In the world. IL lie almost in the enter OF
Hawaii, the largest island of the Hawaiian
archipelago. The greatest elevations Of
the big island are all active volcanoes. and
their enormous crsters are just now spout
ing furiouslv. The other islands are also
pitted with crsters. but p~lutonic pho
nomena are very feebly displayed in them,
and are chiefly revealed only by the sp-
pearance at the surface of hot springs.
The volcanoes of these lesser islands have
lost their primitive force. and most Of
their craters and lava streams have be-
como indistinct and are covered with
dense vegetation. 1t 10 evident that vol
canic fires in the western part of the archi-
pelago became extinct many centuries AGO
Mauna Los means 1.-THE great mountain"
Ii rises by long and very gentle slopes to Q
height OF about 1000 feet. The fact that
It's slopes are SO long and gentle shows
that it's lava streams have always been
what they are to-day. SO completely liquie.
fled that they flow easily for a great dis
tance and spread over the country many
miles away from their outlet IL they
were of . more solid character they
wouldn't travel so far from their vent and
the mountain would have far sleeper
slopes. The mountain rises three thousand
feet above the zone of vegetation Its
summit is own by a group of ~craters.
specially designated by the natives under
tha mama nf MnEuo uonNAn 10 nm m
mense symmetrical abyss, with it's longer
axis In q north and south direction.
AT the center of this immense cavity 10
the primitive crater. which has q diameter
of about a mile and q half. ard q depth OF
over one thousand feet. lt 10 still the most
active of Mauna Loa's cTaters. and lofty
buttes OF scorla. some OF them volcanic
vents and Others extinct. are lifted high
above the bottom of this fearful abyss. To
the north and south of this greatest crater
are terraces, on which are many volcanic
vents, ana others Are scattered along the
sides OF the great depression. When
Mauna Loa becaues fairly active there 10
little rest for the people of the island. The
sight at night 10 one OF the most mag.
nitcent spectacles that can be conceived.
as the great mountain belches forth col
umns Of flame and smoke, while streams of
rcd-hot lava How down the sides The
lava streams sometimes pour dowp one side
Of the mountain and sometimes down an
other.
" N OhEh Eh UT Lhft
In 1s43 q great lava river flowed far to the
northeast. and divided into two streams at
the base of Mauna Kea. which they partly
surrounded. In 1880 another stream. escap-
ing from the same part of the big crater.
spread it's burning flood for six days in the
same direction, until it had deposited on the
surface of the island 700, 600, 900 Gu bic meters
of material. In 1852 q stream flowed down
the eastern tank of the mountain to
the cultivated coast regions. aud destroyed
q number of villages. The great Orators Of
the summit, however. are not the sources OF
the large volumes of lava that are carried
seaward Most of the Laws comes from ~orifices
that are far below the great dome of the vol
cano Ii 10 thus that in 1855 a food of lava.
pouring ont OF an orifice that opened on the
east side of the mountain. swept towardstho
sea, until IL reached the outskirts of Hilo,
stopping at a time when all the people in
that little town believed that their homes
werA doomed. This last stream covered
two hundred square miles of territory. liz
had an average depthlof one hundred feet,
and its volume would nearly have built q
Vesuvius. Three years later . great oriice
opened six miles TO the north of the big
~craters summit. and the stream thatpoured
out Of it flowed to the sea. and half tiled
the Bay of Kbiolo.
When Mama Los is IL Q qulescent state
it 10 o favorite resort for tourists. Every
body who visits Hilo takes the regular
tourist stage line or n mule or private con-
voyapce for the top of Mauna Loa. Ii is q
lovely journey. The richest of vegetation
10 seen along the route. and as the road
winds to the upper slopes of the mountains
o grand view 10 presented of the country
and the sea beyond. A comfortable house
on the road M the mountain, known as the
Volcano House, has long been maintained
| for the accommodation of travellers. The
slope of the mountain Is so grsdual thatle
takes along the usual route mp the mount
ain twenty miles of travel to gain IN alti-
tude of $500 feet. The sight that the
Tourist witnesses when he reaches the top
and looks down into the enormous abyss OF
Mauna Loa. with it's bubbling lava. it's ris-
ing smoke and fumes, the Kissing of steam
as it escapes from q hundred vents. is one
Several years ago Capt. c. 4. Duttop, OF
| the Ordnance Corps of the United States
m made q careful study of the Havaii-
an volcanoes He said that a moderate
eruption OF Mauna Loa presented more ma
terial than Vesuylus had emitted since the
destruction of PomDeii. After the big
eruptiOns thore IA generally perfect qules-
cence for some years In the mountain. The
telephone il q great institution in Hilo.
and the underground system of disposlng
of the wires has not yet been introduced.
The news from Hawaii is that Hilo il
again threatened by the ontpourings from
Mauna Loa. When the eruption of ESQ
threatened Hil0 the inhabitants concluded
that there was no hope of saving their lit
tie village The stream WAS making
straight for Hilo. in the last days of It's
flow, however, its progress was less rapid.
Still il kept pushing on at the rate of three
hundred yards q day. All the portable
property In the town was packed NJ and
the people prepared 10 move at q moments
notice. The lava stream split into two
i large branches and seemed 20 be about TO
e~ncircle the town. The two arms had
reached the outskirts. of the village when
suddenly. without any premonition. the
flow stopped and the movement was not