The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-16

matter the volcanoes break out.
There seems to be some reason VIII,
a number of volcanoes break out at tn
same time. There is one very curious
circumstance in craters like Kiiaues
and Mokuaweoweo. which is that Law;
comes down. not In the crater. but upoi
the land outside the crater. This hal
occurred both at kilauea and Mokua
weoweo. Here Is something that ma,
shed light on the subject You benz
wire back and forth repeatedly anC
you develop heat Take a piece OF cubs
sugar and break IL in the dark and yoi
II will see a fash OF light The force
used in doing II is changed into hea
In one case and electricity in another
II Now IL Is known that the crust of tn,
earth Is more or less plastic, and Il
would be likely in that case to feel the
II force of attraction OF the sun anc
moon. This force OF attraction varies
as the earth turns on its axis and thus
Il produces a stress upon the material OF
the earth's crust Well, now. even II
! produce heat. and OF course. with the
| sun and moon together the effect Is
| greater. and we would naturally ex-
pect to find more liability OF earth
quakes and volcanic action at such
| times.
In the eruption OF 1ss0-lssl. when
the lava was flowing from Mauna Loa
toward Hiio. and the front end OF the
flow was many miles from the source
upon Mauna Loa. IL was noticed that
the stream would sometimes come to
an entire standstill and then break out
with renewed vigor at intervals. These
were intervals OF about a month. Well.
noticed that they also came about
the time OF the new moon. and people
laughed at me to think that such a
thing as the moon had anything to do
with IL. and considered II impossible.
However. I wrote up to Hilo. saying
that ! expected an advance in a part
OF the flow at such and such a time.
with relation to the moon. Well, the
flow came as predicted and that was
also The last flow. Whether IL was my
prediction or the incarnation of the
Princess Ruth. according TO ancient
Hawaiian rites. that stopped further
flows. 1 have not yet determined.
That was what set me to thinking
about the effect OF this gravitation. 1
am inclined to attribute the precipita-
ton OF volcanic action very largely to
this stress OF gravitation.' as I call IL.
II the earth Is molten IL would certain
ly cause flows Of lava. and II solid. the
heat developed might be sufficient to
make lava. as well as to change solids
into gases and cause explosions.
.Kilauea and Mauna Loa are not ex-
piosive volcanoes: that is. in their main
characteristics. / don't think the sea
water gets under Kilauea. and GER
tainly such outfiows as come from
Mauna Loa cannot be produced by gas
eous action
THE volcanoes in the West Indies.
faWt 81
might be connected with an influx OF
sea water through a broken stratum.
i think also that there are periods when
the earth Is more susceptible to vol
canic action. There Is some reason
why the great flows from Mount Etna
and from Mauna Loa have been more
OF less synchronus. I don't say that
these two volcanes are connected. but
the same influences which cause out
breaks in one part OF the earth are Ii
able to cause outbreaks in another. In
1873. while visiting Kilauea. / went
over the intervals OF the great lava
formations on Hawaii. and II struck
me that eleven or twelve year periods
would coincide more or less: that is.
counting the flows OF the SOS as one
group by itself IL was not for many
years afterwards that I found any cor
re spondence between these and the sun
spot periods. When I found a table
OF sun SPOT periods. was surprised TO
find there was such a correspondence.
make the distinction between mere
crater activity OF the volcano and an
actual flow OF lava. We who have
lived on Hawaii are best able TO judge |
about the relative Importance OF erup- |
lions. and not those who simply pick 1
up a miscellaneous list from the en-
ENCfnnadfa and gfFftra a n "a CO arfnH i
in that way.
There Is one other significant thing. /
The only sun spot period when there |
was no flow here was in 1872. In that
year there We're terrific outbursts in
the West Indies and South America all
at the same time. st. Vincent's vol |
cano broke out then. / believe. Since
then ] have found that scientists else
where grant that volcanic activity and
are more common at the
time of the new and fun moon. II is
worth noticing that the present period
OF moon Is nearest the earth. and there
fore the new moon has the greater ef-
feet. / also took list OF the scatter
ing earthquakes on Hawaii for a year
and I find that "a per cent OF them
came within n couple OF days Of the
new and full moon.
There Is new moon about July 5.
I don't want 10 be classed with the
who are always predicting
something great. but IL Is my belief
that On that date. or Whereabouts. we
viii hear Of more volcanic activity.
1T Is also worth noticing that dur
ing the early part Of this year the
Earth was ia a very peculiar position
with respect u the solar system. For
example. draw line through the earth
n right ANGLES To the direction OF the {
sun and you will find that every planet
excepting a few asteroids would be on
he same side Of the line as the sun.
N that the earth was really in the ex-
RENE limit OF the solar system. wheth-
r that has anything 20 do with the in
'reased disturbance OF equilibrium I
win leave II TO the scientists 20 deter
nine