Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-03
WHEN MAUNA
L0A SINKS.

DR.. Wilhelm Meyer, the noted German
professor of geology, is predicting that
all kinds of horrible things are liable to
happen'a al any time. What makes his
predictions of more than ordinary inter-
est to the people of this country is the
fact he believes that the United States
is to be the very head center of all these
catastrophes. OF course, it is quite pos
sible that, like man other prophets of
evil, DR.. Meyer is mistaken, but he is
now engaged in explaining his theory to
'the scientific world. and it must be ad-
united THAT many prominent European
scientists have been pessimlstic enough
to agree with him.
According: to the theory of Professor
Meyer, the earth rs liable to be visited by
q deluge at any moment, for he believes
that the two great volcanoes of Hawaii
are on the point OF collapse. If they
should sink INTO the sea the result would
'be simply appalling, for the flood, which
would have its greatest effect in the ter
ritory of the United States would be
world wide In its power for destruction.
While much of DR.. Meyers theory is
too technically scientific to be of general
interest, the idea chat he advances is one
that will attract attention in every part
of the world. 1t was only a
lively few years ago when a similar cata-
stlophe occurred, and, although it was
upon a much smaller scale than the de-
huge that is now predicted, t.e terrible
destruction of life and property that re-
suited is a ma tier that has never been
forgotten.
The Sunda Islands horror, which is
now being used by Professor Meyer to
illustrate his theory, occurred in August,
1883, when. on a particularly hot day, the
volcano Krakatoa suddenly blew it's head
Off. opening a channel for the angry wa
ters. There is no limit to the waters
of the sea and thera is practically no linn
it to the fire in the center of the earth,
but this time the ocean was the victor.
although the volcano threw up a tidal
wave OF such gigantic proportions as to
wreck the coasts of the Sunda Straits
in their entire length and for thirty OF
forty miles inland.
Before the immense wall of water.
more than one hundred feet i'm height,
everything built by the hand of man fell,
the country ia the neishborhood of the
Sunda Straits was made desperate for
every living substance was destroyed
which was upon the face of the ground,
both man and cattle, and the creeping
things and the foyl of the heavens"
1t was q deluge after the pattern of
Noah's although smaller, and the entirs
world felt it's powerful impetus. AS it
gained space and broadened. however, it
grew smaller and smaller and it's de-
structive power was lessened. In spite
of this in a single day, starting from both
sides, this tidal wave Travelled half the
circumference of the earth, with a VelOc-
tty that was twice as great as that of
sound travelling Through the atmosphere.
OF course, there is no comparison be-
tween the defunct Krakatoa and Mauna
Ioa. The volcano that laid waste the
Straits of Sunda was a mere infant when
compared to the gigantic Hawaiian vol
cano. Krakatoa was ituat about 200
feet under the waters of uhe Sea of java
n was a comparatively sdmall affair
whereas Mauna Loa is one of the larg-
est of the active volcanoes to-day.
1t rises 5000 feet above the sea, 1t has
a crater that is 5000 feet in diameter and
Us at least 600 feet deep. The estimate
OF 600 feet, however, is one that. is seri.
ously questioned and it must be admitted
that no one knows how deep it is. 1t may
be 5000 or it may be 10000 feet under the
water of the Pacific, and the wall tina
separates it from the ocean may be only
a few hundred feet thick.
If the bottom should drop out of ,M,au.
ma Loa, therefore, there would be few
people left to tell the story Of the disas.
ter. If the gigantic volcano should fal
into the Pacific ocean the wave THAI
would rise would be powerful enough tt
sweep across all the continents. of tn,
earth. Cities and hills would alike b,
1azed and every living creature. not mat
ter how far inland,' would be drowned.
It is possible that there are som,
mountain dwelling peoples who would es
cape such a deluge, for there is : limi
to the height and strength of even .
great a wave. In such a case thes
mountainesrs would have. to be the lord
Of the new creation, the modern Noah
whose duty 1t would be to repopulate tn
earth.