The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-20
DIR. S. T.. BISHOP SETS FORTH HIS
THEORIES.
The Source of Energy in Volcanic Erup-
tions-The Whole Globe Like Super
charged Soda Bottle.

EDITOR STAR:-The present violent
volcanic eruption, and the astonishing
mass of smoke which has just been en-
shroudng our Islands, give good occa-
sion for calling attention to faVorite
solution of my own of great physical
problem, of which no satisfactory ac-
count has hitherto been given. 1t is this:
Whence and what is the force which
elects such enormous quantities of mol
ten rock from the earth's interior with
such stupendous explosions?
The theory supported by the eminent
geologist, James d. Dana, is that steam
is the ejecting force. That steam is gen
Grated by the contact of the interior
molten masses with surface water or
sea water percolating down through
the intervening rocks. DR.. Dana sup
ported this theory by alleging an OBJ
served escape of steam in great guam
titles from flowing lava. Clouds of wa
ter vapor are always to be observed
lowering over lava flows.
To this 1t may be replied that such
water clouds are necessarily formed by
the colmun of air constantly drawn in
and sent aloft by the heat of the lava
stream. After reaching an altitude
of few thousand feet, rarefaction and
consequent cooling of the air compels
it to precipitate its burden of water
vapor in the form of cloud. Often, in
looking from Lahainaluna, l used to
see such local clouds formed over the
large fires produced by the burning of
cane trash in Lahaina, 800 feet below
us. Such clouds invariably rest over
lava flows, but the vapor forming them,
comes from the atmosphere, and not
from the molten rock.
Again, it seems impossible that water
from outside could become So thor
oughly and intimately commingled with
t1,s, .,r1f nly &c q l1n fTlG "
| fill the vesicles of lava. Look at the
masses of CLASSY foam on the surface of
| the flows in Kilauea. Especially OBJ
serve the many square miles of delicate
spongy pumice lying on the southwest
of Kilauea. The gases initiating that
| pumice are most minutely commingled
with the molecules of the lava glass
How could water from above have SC
intimately interpenetrated those mole
| cules?
| Now for my own theory. 1t is thus:
| The whole of the superheated magma
or lava of the interior, is saturated with
| condensed gases under pressure In
liquid or solid form, but ready to eX-
pand and effervesce when the superin,
| cument pressure is removed. This con
dition is analogous to that of the wa
| ter i'm soda bottle. 1t is heavily charg
| ed with carbonic acid gas, but looks like
| simple water. Remove the stopper, anC
| the liquid particles of carbon dioXide
| instantly fly into vapor with explosive
force. Just so, the various gases in
| cluded in solid or liquid form through
out the molecules of the hot magma
! fly into Vapor wherever an exit is open
| ed.
How came those gaseous particles in
| side of the molecules of the magma?
| answer, they were always there. Whel
the formess clouds of meteorites origi
nally gathered out of chaos into sola
| system, and into our globe, all the sub
stances composing their frozen con
tents became embedded together in tn
depths of their combined masses, whet
her sun or planets However heated VI
the gaseous elements were eVerywher
included throughout the more solit
elements, and had no escape. The.
have remained thus included in tn
magma. Only when vent is opened
do they force their escape with titani
effervescence and explosion.
Those occluded and escaping case
doubtless included all of the lighter ele
ments of matter. We know that chic
rine and sulphur are prominent amon
them. Doubtless hydrogen is presen
in immense volumes, also oxygen an
carbon. The components of the smok
which we see are probably eXcessivel
minute particles of lava borne fort
and communted by the gigantic eXplc
: sions.
, 1t is easy to see that the source of eX
plosive force which 1 allege as bein
that of volcanic eruptiOns is completed
( adequate for the appalling effects pre-
| duced. 1t is not steam, but a com
pressed energy universally diffuse
throughout the earth's interior, await
, ing some opening for its exit in over
: whelming violence.
S. Z. BISHOP.
Honolulu, July 20, 1899.