The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-17
MAUNA LOA IN ERUPTION.
IiI.tI'Y EARTHQUAKES ATTEND 1HB
BRILLI.fN7 ILLtMIN.I1YON
Flames from the Great Crater Nlsiiis sissy
Miles Away Destruction Of the Neigh.
boring Villages aud Limitations IL Feared

Miles Away Destruction Of the Neigh.
boring villages aud Plantations Is Feared
SAN Francisco. Dec. 16-Mauna Loa. the
great volcano of Hawaii Is in eruption again
after twelve years quiet and threatens tho
destruction Of tho villages Of lllo and Waia-
kea ut its castorn base and extensive planta-
tons Of cocoa nuts aud cane. j.. A. Thurston.
member OF tho Hawaiian Legislature. and
late Minister OF the Interior. who arrived hero
yesterday BY tho steamer Australia. brngs
the news Of the overflow.
IL was contained in u letter to him from
lilo. and WINS brought TO Honolulu by steam-
er and handed to him lust before tho Austria
liza sailed. Tho steamer Hall had left kau on
Monday, Dec. D For five days previous tho
Examinations had been on a grand scale. Tho
whole country had been shaken by earth
Iuukes Even in thu neighboring district OF
Knu there wcro heavy earthquakes. and
Muuna I.oa for II distance OF more than sixty
miles threw weird light over tho ocean and
country round about.
The earthquakes began on Friday morning.
Dec. ,. and increased in force until evening.
when flames burst from Mauna Loa and grew
in volume from that time on. Tho rumble OF
tho crater was terrifying. 1t was feared that
the village OF ililo. undcr tho mountain. and
tho moi .hboring town Of Waiakea might be
destroyed. and that tho valuable plantations
SURROUNDING tllNln Woulu DO VONCTcu WIN ldNit.
1t is not improbable that the destruction Of
both towns has already taken place. Tho
most intense action was goin. on within the
walls of the crater Tho orator is nine and u
half miles in circumference and 800 feet deep
IT is II terrible volcano when in action. and has
two or three times previously sent rivers OF
lava almost to tho village Of Hilo. Tho last
eruption was tho worst. and tho town at that
time narrowly escaped.
THE earthquakes in Kau. when tho Hall
sailed. had injured several buildings. and in and
about NiIe tho Mauna Loa commissions had
probably done much N ore damage.
"Those who have been living in the vicinity
OF Mauna Lon." said Mr.. Thurston have for
some time been expecting one OF the PERIOD
zeal outbreaks and flows.
1T may have ruined the country. but nobody
as yet can tell with certainty. Each succeed
ing outbreak has come closer to tho towns OF
IIio and WuiSkea. lIilo Is thirty-nve miles
away to the East. In 1852. the lava rose to
height Of 7O1 feet over the crater. continued
to flow for twenty days. and came within ten
miles OF Hilo.
" In 1852 tho side Of the mountain slid OF
three miles in us many minutes. overwhelmed
village and buried thirty three PEOPLE and
400 cattle. besides opening assures twenty
| miles in length. Lava was thrown up 1000
| feet. and rocks weighing as much as 100 tons
| apiece wero tossed UP so numerously that
they seemed a lot of balls in the air
! In 1880 the lava rose 800 feet. Peeshair.
| fine glass spun by tho wind from tho lava fell
in the streets Of IIio. The flow stopped. but
speedily started again. and continued for nine
| months over tho old lava track toward Hlo
! Its deadly flow stopped in the very outskirts
| Of the town. and within half O mile OF tho
| harbor. If it had continued IL few days longer
1t would have overwhelmed the town. buried
the sugar plantations OF Waiaken. and de.
stroyed tho harbor front. The lava stream
was from twelve to thirty feet in height"