Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-10-05

by the steamer Port Arthur. This
steamer reports that the citizens of
the threatened city were trying to
change the course of the lava with
dynamite.
Hilo is the second largest town in
the Hawaiian group and the largest
town upon the island of Hawaii, for
Honolulu, the capital city, is situated
upon the island of Oahu. Hilo con-
tains polyglot population, consist
ing of mixture of Asiatics, Polyne-
SLAMS, Europeans and Americans. The
town slopes gently back from the
shore of Hilo bay, an excellent har-
Dor. This bay is inclosed by cres-
cent shaped beach, said to be the most
beautiful in the Pacific.
The first reports concerning the en-
tire destruction OF the island of Ha-
wall reached San Francisco about a
fortnight ago by the steamer Austria
liza.
After leaving Honolulu the ship ran
into remarkable cross sea, which
the crew thought was caused by a
submarine disturbance of unusual
force. A blush vapor hung over the
water four days, and heavy cloud
shaped like an umbrella came borne
on the winds from the direction of
the volcano. Speaking of the erup-
ton, Chief Officer Lawless said:
1.-THE afternoon we left Honolulu the
evening papers contained the news
that the lava flow was within ten
miles Of Hilo and travelling steadily.
The interisland steamers were crowd
ed with passengers. Some of the peo-
pie were going to view the eruption,
and others were going to see how
their families and relatives were far
ing.
In my opinion the whole crest has
been blown off and if the waters of the
sea have found their way into the era
ter, then the whole island has been
shattered. In no other way can / ac-
count for the peculiar experience we
had after leaving Honolulu"
In the light of the terrible volcanic
eruptions which on occasions have de-
vastated Hawaii, catastrophe like
that indicated by the officers of the
Australia is by no means impossible
The island of Hawaii supports the
two grandest of active volcanoes in the
world, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Near
to Mauna Loa 1.-THE Great Mountain)
is Mauna Kea (the White Mountain)
which is now an extinct volcano.
These mountains, rising as they do to
an elevation of upward of 1900 feet.
are, in fact, when measured from their
true bases at the bottom of the sea.
the Hottest of all known mountains.
overlapping Mount Everest, of the
Himalayas, by from one to two thou
sand feet.
Captain Dutton, U. s. A., an ac-
knowledged authority, who a few
years since made an official survey of
the Hawaiian group on behalf of the
United States Geological Survey, thus
describes Mauna Loa:
"Mauna Loa (the Great Mountain)
is certainly the king OF modern vol
canoes. No other in the world an
proaches it in the vastness of its mass
or in the magnitude of its eruptive
activity There are many volcanic
peaks higher in air, but they are us
uaily planted on elevated platforms.
where they appear as mere cones of
greater or less size. Regarding the
platforms on which they stand as
their true bases, the cones themselves
and all the lava which have emanated
from them never approach the magni-
tude of Mauna Loa.
"Etna and all its adiuncts are far
inferior. while Shasta. Hood and Ra-
nier, if they were melted down and
run together. would fall much below
the volume of the island volcano"
Captain Dutton goes on to say that
while some volcanoes, as those of Ice
land. have disgorged al a single out