The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-07-25
Mr.. Baldwin Tells OF the DiT6C-
tiOl Of the Lava Streams.
{ COMPARED WITH FORMER FLOWS
Present Flow Has Reached the Mid
die Ground ana Turned Towards
the Rainy City.
Hilo. Hawaii. July u. 1899.

EDITOR ADVERTISER: - There
seems to be so much confusion in re-
gard to the direction of flows coming
from the present outbreak that a word
in explanation of the nature of the
country thereabouts may be helpful.
Before doing this should like to- say
that the information in regard to- the
location of the present outbreak. which
was contained in the article signed by
One of the Party" in the Gazette of
July 18th, was obtained from Surveyor
+. ID. Baldwin. No one is better ac-
quainted with that region than he, as
he has surveyed and traversed the
whole of il. Also he has taken partic-
ular pains to- locate the position of
the different outbreaks from that
spot. 1t was he who mapped out the
route of the first Hilo party. which
route has now been established as the
best one from Hilo to- the source OF the
flow of 1899.
Running from the summit of Mauna
Loa towards the east and part way
down the side of the mountain there Is
a ridge. or long spur. Ii is along this
ridge that so many OF Mauna Loa's out
breaks have occurred-those OF 1872.
1855. 1SS0-S1 and the present one.
4 flow breaking out upon this ridge
might flow directly toward Waiakea.
toward the Volcano House. or toward
the middle ground between Mauna kea
and Mauna Loa.
A flow breaking low down on the
ridge. or toward the east, would flow
toward Waiakea One breaking high
I'D would flow down either one side or
the other, as it could not follow the
summit of the ridge for any length.
owing to its narrowness there. Thus
it would go either towards the Volcano
House or toward the middle ground
between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
A flow going toward the Volcano
House would turn at right angles To
its first course after flowing twelve or
fifteen miles, owing to the natural
trend of the ground. and thus ultimate
ly would flow toward the sea between
puma and Kau. For some reason none
of the flows from this ridge have ever
taken this direction, but have. most OF
them. followed the opposite course.
that of 1912 breaking low down, went
directly toward Waiakea; the lSSV-Sl
flow also started for the same place.
but. striking the hill, Pun Ulaula. split
upon IL, a small part GUMS to"a.N ~
Volcano House, but by far the larger
portion making for the middle ground E.
The flow of 1855, being high up. went
directly toward the middle ground, as
also did an ancient flow high up.
Any flow reaching the middle ground
would turn at right angles to its hrst
course. either toward Kawaihae or to-
ward Hilo. With the exception OF the
ancient flow spoken OF above they nave
all gone toward Hilo thus FAR.
The present outbreak being high up.
lust above that of the 1856 flow. the
stream of lava has taken just the
course we would expect ii to take: ana
lit now has reached the middle ground
and has turned toward Hilo.
At the time of the visit OF our party
| there were no indications OF there haN'
ing been any flow directly toward Hilo
There had been flow five or six miles
toward the Volcano House. but II had
stopped. II this flow had continued
ultimately il would have flowed to-
ward the sea between Kau and Puna
but there could be no flow from TINS
spot directly toward Kau or kapapala'
| Yours truly. c. w. BALDWIN.