Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-03-02

Mauna LOa.


The Great Mountain of Fire i'm Actlve
EruptiOn---SOme OF the PeculiorIties
Of the Largest Volcano In the World.
Mauna Loa, the greatest volcano in the
world, which is now in state of active erup-
ton, is Ia, 900 feet high, rearing its head 5000
feet above the line of vegetation. 1t
stands nearly in the centre of the island of
Hawaii. Instead of rising abruptly from
the sea level, as mountains of great height
usually do, 1t slopes to the summit with
such gentle incline that the main axis is
about 70 miles long. The slope is so
gradual, indeed, that it is accessible from
almost all sides, and by the usual route
to the summit 20 miles must be traversed
before an altitude of $500 feet is reached.
Besides this peculiar feature, Mauna Loa
differs from most volcanoes, in that the
lava is not projected from the summit,
but is poured from huge assures in its
sides sometimes several thousand feet
from the top, and, instead of the shape
being conical, it is formed like huge
dome.
Not only is Mauna Loa the largest
volcano in the world, but the amount of
material 1t elects is extraordinarily prodig-
ious. Captain Dutton, of the ordnance
corps of the United States army, estimates
that moderate eruption of this volcano
represents more material than Vesuvus
has emitted since the destruction of
Herculaneum and POmpeii. As the aver
age interval between the eruption is but
eight years, it can readily be believed that
Hawaii is gradually growing in extent.
The main eruption now in progress in
Mauna Loa is from Kilauea, the largest
/ o. nd .nf4 l,a oil 80
Kilauea is but 5000 feet above the level of
the sea, and is huge depression or
| pit about three miles long two miles
wide and some 800 feet to the main
floor, with precipitous and irregular
walls. At the bottom of this pit and
some distance from the sides is a sec
ond depression surrounded by hielock
or curb. Between the eruptions the main
floor is cold and hard, but the central pit is
a mass of molten lava, which bubbles
like boiling water, and throws fiery waves
upon 1.-THE curb about its edge. At night
the display in this molten lake is said to
be indescribably grand, and on one occa-
sion the lava rose and poured over the
curb in magnificent cascade of fire esti-
mated to be so or more feet wide.
Should the lava in the present eruption
continue TO rise it will fill the main pit
and overflow the basin and run down the
sides of the mountain. When the flow
has ceased the material may rest, or the
bottom may, so to speak, drop out, as il
did once before, and leave great yawn-
ing abyss. AS an illustration of the
amount of lava thrown out in a single
eruption of Mauna Loa 1t might be men
toned that in 1855 the flow of lava ex-
tended 40 miles toward the sea in a river
100 feet deep and four and one-half miles
wide, and would have, if gathered together
in heap, made mound nearly as big as
Mount Vesuvius. Great as this amount
seems it was nearly equalled four year:
later, and again in 1881. In 1887 the
flow of lava reached the sea, but one Of
the greatest and in some respects the
most dangerous eruption occurred in 1881
In this year, for months, the lava poured
down the northeast slope, and advanced
steadily over the plains, some Of then
almost level to the coast some 40 mile
away, at the rate of 800 yards a day
Directly ahead was the village of Hilo
and the inhabitants daily expected thei
homes to be overwhelmed. Just befor
the stream reached the village, 70
some reason the fiery stream divided an,
seemed about to enciTcle the settlement
but Just as il reached the outskirts tn
eruption and flow suddenly ceased and tn
hamlet was spared.