The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-31
NO NEED TO FEAR.

our volcanoes, and the announcement
that there is a possibility. of the Kilau-
ca crater becoming active agd'h sends
cold shivers immediately down their
backs, Then there are very large
number of tourists who have an idea
that Kilauea is. close to Honolulu,
and who expect that Honolulu will be
engulfed like st, Pierre Both sets
Of people need to be instructed in the
chances here as. compared with the
West India Islands outbreak.
The working Of the volcanic forces in
the West Indies is from south to north.
The worst eruptions have ever taken
place at or near the end of the Island
chain of the lesser Antilles. There
have been many efuptions within the
historical period ana they have result
ed in serious. loss of life, though never
so widespread and fatal as this last
one has BEEN sa. -
The working Of Hawaiian volcanoes
has been from north to southeast
There is no ddaht q bout Kauai being
the Oldest Island in the group, and Ha-
waii being the most recent. Indeed
Hawaii may be regarded as in some
measure in PROCESS IF FORMATION. If
there is to be any outbreak of volcanic
force it will be either among the still
active or semi-dormant craters Of Ma
una Loa, or it might be a submarine
action yet further topthe southeast.
Many biologists have predicted this
as a possibility.
The flows of lava which have occur
red of late years have ali come from
Mauna Loa, and are traceable TO the
summit crater, OF MokuaweoweQ. The
summit crater has spouted columns Of
fire and shot up red hot rocks, but, all
this has fallen back into it's capacious
cup, the outlet has been found in some
weak spot in the mountain side. Ii
may be noticed that where the out
break has been On the lower slopes of
the mountain there has been much
more earthquake action. At least such
are the results as Witnessed in 1868 and
1851, both Of which come from the low
err slopes, indeed sprang into existence
IL the forest belt.
The 1868 How, though a very short
one, was accompanied with tremendous
seismic phenomena, which resulted in
the lowering OF the coast of Puma some
four or five feet and caused an earth
quake wave, enormously called a tidal
wave, to sweep along the southeast
coast Of Hawaii from Puma TO Cape
Flattery. 1T was during this Eruption
that some lives were lost Part of
these We're lost through Inc elfthldake
wave watch swept away The small vii
lagos along the coast, and part were
overwhelmed in a mud flow when
broke out of the mountain side far
from Kapapala Ranch. The total num-
Der of deaths was seventy-one. Since
then there have been no lives lost
through volcanic action, o.. ......... H..
The flow of 1881 burst out not very
far from the site of the flow of 1868,
both being on the lana of the Kahuku
Ranch. This now was accomgqpieu by
mucn seismic disturbance, and Mr..
Jones, the then owner OF the rahch,
kept a wonderful record of the shocks
which occurred. StonewaLs We're
thrown down ana other damage done
III kau, but there. was no Widespread
obstruction.
On the other hand the flow of 1880
started high up the mountain in COM
Paratively close vicinity to the com
mencement of the n5Ws oflSIS 1855 and
1856. The seismic phenomena connect
Ell with TINS flow We're not nearly SO
marked as those. of 1868 and of 1887,
The flow OF 1899 STARTED in or near the
same area, where eyidepty The NOUN
tain size is weak, and again the seis-
mic phenomena We're not remarkably
pronounced None of these ilOws from
the higher levels ala any harm They
flowed over Old lava flows, and it was
merely s,one covering stone. The fiow
OF 1881 came Within three miles OF Hiio
out there it STOPPED. Moreover none
OF THESE VOLCANIC Hhenomeua. mad any
effect upon tEe other islands. A..
NOW with regard 70 Kuauea. When
it becomes actIye it does not indulge
liz seuumg forth lava lows, In, the
memory OF man there has never been q
lava now IRON LhIs crater. In ages
past there mas been a now from the
main crater into Nitauea-iki, 'rhe Graz Z.
ter for over fifty years has Consisted
or a black floor Of lava, and the aoriv-
ity has been confined to the end near
est the sea where so-called lakes We're
formed. These kept changing both in
size and in number, till at last the
liquid lava was confined to one lake
and finally disappeared altogether, If
Kilauea lights up again we can hail it
with JOY instead of looking upon. it
with fear or alarm, Many of the scien- |
tic observers of our volcanic pkeno- |
mena regard Kllauda as the safety |