Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-03-16
The Volcano Mauna Loa.

Anew interest attaches to thisgreat
volcano since the island in which it is
situated ia now likely to become prac-
tically one OF our possessions. All OF
the twelve islands of the group are of
volcanic origin, and are entirely COM
posed of the products of eruption, al
though volcanic forces are still in oper-
alton in the island of Hawaii only.
| Mauna Loa is 8 ,760 feet high, and it
has slight eruptions, or displays some
form OF activity, almost every year.
There have been several years in which
the eruptions were remarkably vio-
lent, viz, in 1851, 1855, 1859, 1868,
1881 and 1887. In the latter year
the first eruptions took place in Janp-
AIRY, when great streams of fiery lava,
mixed with smoke and gases, rushed
out OF a newly opened crater, and dur
ing thirty-six hours there WAS an al.
most u~nceasiug series of earthquakes,
accompanied by tidal waves that were
very destructive of life and property
along shore. The lava did not flow
over the brim of t~hecrater, but seemed
to make it's way downward by under
ground passages or through clefts in
the mountain side, forming new reser-
voirs out OF which the overflow of
lava poured down upon the plain. A
correspondent who visited the scene
at the time says:
"The writer in ascending the noun
tain came OIL one of these %clefts, three
quarters of a mile long and about
twenty-five feet wide, apparently very
deep, put OF which the lava was pour
ing. A quarter of a mile higher up
was a cone, the side of which next the
sea had fallen in, disclosing a boilitg
caldron of molten materials. This
liquid mass must have found n way
underground to the great cleft Just
mentioned and discharged its contents
by it. Just II little above this cone
another great cleft opened which pro-
ceeded up the mountain in zigZag fash
fashion to the crater Mokuaweoweo,
the chief seat of thelava manufacture.
For twelve days it sent down it's river
OF fire fully twenty miles in length.
The picture presented to the spectator
at the spot WAS remarkable-the
snow-capped mountain dischargingi its
glowing flood, at its foot the blue Pa
cific Ocean, with it's worll of islands.
Fifteen pillars of flame shot up from
the crater to a heiglitfrom $50 to goo
feet, while lower down the other lava
reservoir sent up columns over forty
feet high. The crater at the top ofthe
lava river was about forty or fifty
feet across, and 1T a sometimes
I,.lIal lao, a. cat - -,I,, - g..
ain the fifty-three hours between 2
p. m. on January 18th and z p. m. on
January 18th, L distinct shocks of
earthquake were noted. The lava
stream vas much more copious ami
energetic than in 1868. Then it was
accompanied by an incessant rain of
ashes, which covered theland for miles
around; but this time it was clear,
thick lava. The upper portion of the
mountain seemed for miles wide % be
II sea of fire, which swept away in its
course great blocks Of Tone. Owing
to the rapid development OF the erup-
ton Immediately after the series OF
subterranean shocks, tie island es-
capped the horrors OF a regular earth
quake, and the mischief WAS confined
togreat destruction of the plantations.
Several days after the first outflow OF
lava (which lasted a fortnight, n fresh
outburst occurred about 1000 feet
below the Mokuaweoweo and "A new
outflow established itself, following
the direction of the stream of 1859,
when the discharge continued with
little interruption for fifteen months.
Explosions were being frequently
heard, caused, no doubt, by expand
ing gases, which were followed by the
projection into the air of columns of
fire TO a height OF five hundred feet"
scientific American.