Evening journal., 1898-04-27
HAWAIIAN CRATER REKINpL1Na.


For the first time in fourteen years
the great crater Of Moluaweoweo, at
the summit of the high mountain OF
Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii,
has commenced to show signs OF ac-
tivity, and hundreds of settlers on
coffee plantations around the base of
the mountain have become greatly
alarmed over the prospect of an erup-
tion that may be accompanied, as at
all previous times, by flow of lava
that will destroy thousands Of acres OF
tillable land and probably wipe out
many plantations and homes.
The apparent increasing activity OF
MOkuaweoweo has not come unexpect-
edly. For several months the active
crater OF Kilauea, on the side OF Mauna
Loa, about which so much has been
said and written, has shown signs OF
life, and those who watch the volcanic
phenomena closely have predicted that
great eruption would take place very
soon. But it was only last week that
the mountain crater commenced to
smoke. Particulars of the phenomenon
as 1t appeared to the people in the
! valleys below are meagre, but the Of
ficers and passengers OF the steamer
Mauna Loa, which coasts along the
Windward side OF the island, report
that heavy cloud OF smoke and steam
was pouring from the summit ct tle
mountain when they last saw it from
the sea, and had been so for two
| days.
Since the last great eruption and
| lava food, in 1884, when the lava stream
| came down within two miles of the
city OF Hilo, the crater OF Mokuaweo-
weo has been apparently lifeless. Dr.
| Guppy, a German scientist, spent four
weeks at the summit of Mauna Loa
alone last Summer, and during that
time tramped all over the hardened bed
Of the crater, making accurate meas
urements Of It. observing the tempera-
ture, and studying the characteristics
OF the place generally. He afterward
| expressed the opinion that the vel
cano was merely sleeping. A brief ac-
count OF DR.. Guppy's daring adventure
and its results was published in the
Chronicle at the time.
Professor Friedlander, another Ger
man scientist, who has been making q
study OF the islands OF the Pacofic f0l
some time, has just returned from H4-
wall. where he spent several weeks in
I
From his observations there he pre-
dicted that another great volcanic
eruption on Hawaii Is close at hand
The huge volume Of smoke and steau
that usually pours forth from Kilaue'
has ceased altogether during the pas
fortnight, and only thin, blush va
= por is rising. In the meantime th'
, steam vents on the higher ground ar
3 pouring forth a very much greater vel
| ume Of steam. Professor Friedlande
accounts for this by saying that tn
surface rock is becoming greatly heat
; ed, and that the surface water is speed
4 lily vaporized by it, whereas 1t formerl
= ran down to the deeper levels befor
coming into contact with the super
heated rock, when the steam foun
II vent only through the cracks in the be
q OF the crater.
The great lava flows which cover II
y small portion OF Hawaii have most {
u them come from the crater of Moku,
2 weoweo, bursting through the sides {
% the mountain at an elevation OF fro
& 10 600 to 1000 feet, whereas the crat,
10 OF Kilauea is but 1000 feet above 6,
level. Old settlers say that whenev'
Mauna Loa commences to smoke
ie lava flow is sure to follow. Withc'
N warning usually a stream Of lal
ne breaks through the side Of the mou
ne tain and flows into the fertile valley
% carrying death and destruction wi
it. At the same time the crater
TO- Kilauea usually fills up with molt
lava. sometimes brimming over, b
Vi never to any great extent
IN No one has essayed TO climb Maui
ng Loa in several months, as the mou
n tain has. Tor the first time in sever
na years, been covered with cap Of sns
~ that extends almost down to I
ny Kilauea.-San Francisco Chronicle.