The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-07-31
College Scientist Talks
On Ash Formations
mAUHA L0ES NEW GROWTs
Views on ths Relation of Earth
auEkss WIN Lava Flows SoH
Inv st'aa'ionE

Professor c. 10. Hitchcock. the Ecol- &,
uEist ot Dartmouth College. who has I
been or Hawaii for the past two
months. returned on yhs Kinau. HIS
visit to the Islands at this time Was
mainly To investigate the ash fprma-
tiuus ON Hawaii. but hc Was fortunate
tn being able tn include the recent /
eruption of MoIuawcowco in his trip.
He found in all parts of the island
evidence that prior TO this century
there had been explosive cruptions by
which great volumes OF volcanic ash
have been blown out and distributed
generally over the island.
ION the other side 81 Hawaii" he
told the Hawaii Herald. ia Is quite
apparent in the soil. though Il Is of
lighter color than ON this side owing to
the lack of rain. ON the Olaa road il Is
in plain view in many Of the cuts and
my Investigations showed that funda-
mental base OF the island formation Is
"a. In subsequent years there was an
explosive eruption which sent ont
ashes ia the form OF smoke. 50 fine Was
it In texture. This settled over the
island and years aftcrward these ashes
became soil and seeds carried by the
wind or 10y birds were dropped ON t.
and took root Then came another
gsh-fuw and that is what appears ON
the surface. it WAS many years ago.
evidently. when this took place. as the
vegetable growth on this side uf the
ISLAND bears. sEirugss- -I1ts Cgmh.cZ-
tiun is what makes tnr soil uf Olaa so
wonderfully rich and thg fact that d.
has not packed enables people tn run
sticks iusy tse ground u number uf
feet without .u effort Z would ssg ta4G
the large quantity Uf smoke noticeable
over these islands and far uuL af sea
contained g percentage ut this same
ash. though l du uu. know positively
tina. such ss tEr case. As tD the date
OF tGr .lec flow uf ghls character. DC
would Er hard tu determine. ! lm not
familiar ys,h the history CO the islands
.E tu tE" rc.Eu ~ kings. bGt Nc know
that what .E known .E the Cmi road.
which was buiit under slr direction
of that sovereign. Is on top Of the most
IE.e-t -El-iDw.
'lt is possible tias DAMAGE laa been
done uE them Co the extent Uf covering
up buildings. primitive ones. OF course.
though IL probably was not accUmpa-
MED 10y loss OF life. Unlike the uuw
at TUmrc.i. which was of gravel. and
came suddenly. tLis came gradual. and
persons had time 90 get uUt 90 the
way. ]. is easy to- imagine tls dee
s.rrJt.Yu Uf thH native houses uf that
ywe because they were Islil compared
with those uf today. 10 is barely pos
sihie that these explosive c-urtlons
from Nguu1 LDa have ceased. and that
there Will D." but one kind. such as
the recent one. iu the future.
Questioned regarding the relation of
the earthquake % Monday with rEr
@1usidiug uf Ia" lava flow. s'rU!. aur
Hitchcock said:
1T is diGlruft tu Gx the connections
10 may br shat The explosion ut the gas.
which caused the shock. opened up
bsEsfutgg" closed channels under thr
<uI.EC" o.: the mountain side. and that
the lava is escaping somewhere. on
the other hand. % may mean that there
ts flow going iu another direction.
possibly into tine sea by JtEtiucftvrlE
underground channels. kl.auFa we
know is getiy. during long or short
periods and then surface activity
ceases. The fire and lava disappear
somewhere. but scientists have not y~t
discovered the direction. Erup,I1ns
may continue from time Co time on
;hss island for many years % come.
Iut look for them 90 be principally ON
Nlgua I.u8 because that - the young
est mountain. G.pluEists hav. "a Eulr
for determining th. reIat5v. difference
in the age % islands. and fp5TDW5lE
iliE rule We find that the end of iIa-
wait around Eohala was made first.
tls1 came Mauna ksa. and finally