The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-18
WEATHER MANS
VOLCANO OPINIONS
TERRITORIAL METEOROLOGIsT
DISCUSSES THE PHENOMENA OF
THE OUTBREAK or MAUNA LoA

IN MS report OF the mettOrOlOgN FOR
the month Of October, Territorial Me
teoroloEist r.. G.. Lydecker SAYS:
The principal features Of the month
were the eruption of Mauna Loa. the
heavy electric storm ON Maui and Lac
mai and the low average temperature
Smoke was first observed issuing from
the crater Of Mauna Joa tMokuaweo-
Weo) at l2;il p. M ON the 9Th and aC-
tivity has continued up To the present
time At the close Of the month the
lava lake was reported to have risen
TO within 700 feet of the craters rim.
but as this is an eye estimate due all
loWance must be made: the best
authority gives an estimated rise OF the
lava as from % to 30 feet aove the
tloor Of the crater which. when the
volcano was not In an active state was
500 feet below the crater's summit
This crater is oblong i'm shape being 81
miles long and LA miles in width The
mountain has thus far withstood the
pressure from within. and no outbreak
from its sides has occurred. hence no
/ How OF lava. In connection with this
eruption the report of Captain Coath OF
the British ship Ormsary IS OF more
than passing interest. Captain Coath
reports having experienced remark
able disturbance OF the sea lasting from
the afternoon of the jth TO the morn
ing Of the 9th, currents and high cross
seas in every direction the vessel max
ing no Roadway and unmanageabe
Mauna Loa bearing +. $. T. distant
about so miles. on the afternoon Of the
9th the activity Of the volcano was no
ticed from the ship. There are no re-
ports of earthquakes previous to the
| outbreak which occurred without
warning and an interesting question
l a . tn " ha haT fg
dition of the sea was the result OF a
cause, or an effect of volcanic activity.
/ The electric storm on Maui began on
| the afternoon of the 18th. and lasted
until the morning Of the 18th, being
most severe during the night consider
able damage was done by lightning
| both on this island and Lanai which
| also experienced the same storm.
The mean temperature for the month,
! ISL degrees is the lowest October mean
with one exception (74.7 in 1890, on re-
cord during twenty-one years observa-
tions at the Weather Bureau. and is
| IL degrees below the normal for that
month. The mean relative humidity
was 3.4 above the normal Dew eight
| mornings. Bright slow on the morn
| ing OF the 11th Smoke haze on S. Il.
! horizon 18th. Distant thunder from
/ S. f. a. m. and p. m. 14th, and lightning
during the night. the latter also re-
! ported from Hilo to the N w. electric
storm OF 14th and 18th on Maui and
! Lanai) Thunder morning OF the 18th
| Reports from other stations: Hilo,
! earthquake sos a. IN. on the I'd; light
| ming to n. w. on the evening OF the
| 18th; heavy thunder shower on the 10th
| Kohala, Hawaii "Kona" (wind from
S. S. WI 14th to 10th inclusive. trade
| winds on all other days OF the month.
! Pepeekac Hawaii. winds east and east
northeast 10 days, other days from
north to northeast; average force 1.3;
heavy surf 4th to 18th inclusive, also
| 2Sth and 10Th; distant lightning 18th;
lunar halo same date, volcanic smoke
/ all day, the latter on the oath also;
/ thunder storm from / p. m. to p. m.
18th, with distant lightning evening;
fine morning and after glows numerous
during the month, with more or less re-
Election from volcano at night: edw
/ mornings. Waimea. Hawaii fresh
and strong n. r. winds first and last
/ portions of month with gale on the Sth
and 9Th, Gains and light winds 10th to
| 21st. Naalehu, Hawaii, trade winds
go days; medium earthquake on the 18th
at 2:45 p. M. eruption Of Mauna Loa
! first observed about p. m. 9Th. Vol
| cano House reports very dry month.
! Temperature mean for the month,
| m75.1; normal, 1862: average daily max
/ imum, S0.4; average daily minimum,
| 1913; mean daily range, 101; greatest
! daily range, 10 degrees G2th); least
daily range, degrees OATH; highest
temperature, SO (severaD; lowest tenn
perature, "a Q2th.)
! Barometer average, 1882: normal,
29.967; highest, 1907; (severaD; lowest
( 1912 G4th); greatest 24-hour change,
] haf 10 civ hour n d1V
! to the same hour on the next, 10 Q2th
/ to 13th); lows" passed this point, 18th
to 10th inclusive and goth; highs, LIST
/ to Sd, 18th to 9th and Goth to 3lst in
/ elusive.
Relative humidity average, 1873; nor
NAL 70.5; mean dew point, 656; normal,
| &C: mean absolute moisture, 6.S7 grains
| per cubic foot normal 706.
! Rainfall, 2.17 inches; normal, 2.76;
rain record days, II; normal, 20; great
est rainfall in one day. 0.56 inches
( (from 9 a. m. 22d to Q a. m. 23d); total
| at Luakaha, 1923; normal, 11.69; at Ka-
/ piolani Park, or; normal LIZ.
! The artesian well level rose during
( the month from 1910 to S3 30 feet
| above mean sea level. October 31st,
] 1902 it stood at 1895 The average
daily mean sea level for the month was
994, the assumed annual mean being 10
feet above datum. For Octobe. 1902 it
/ was 1905.
Trade wind days, % Zone OF n. n.
E): normal, %; average force of wind
! during daylight Beaufort scale, 2.2;
average cloudiness, tenths OF sky, 4.3;
normal, 4.3,
| Approximate percentages of district
rainfall as compared with normal; Ha-
waii; Hilo district, SO per cent; Ha-
makua 1861 Kohala, 1903; Waimea, SO;
/ Kona, 20; Kau. %; Puma, 90; Island Of
Maui, variable from 1877 at Puuomalei
/ TO $50 per cent at Wailuku; oahu, go;
| Southeast Kauai, 81; North and West
! Kauai 1877.
! The heaviest 24-hour rainfalls We're
at Hilo, 399, 5th; Nahiku, Maui 5.4
2jth; and Waiakea, Hawaii, 5.S5 inches
9Th. The heaviest monthly rainfall re-
/ ported was at LaupahoehOe, Hawaii,
/ II so inches.