Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-17

people dld.
1t seemed, az one man said, from his
viewpoint in Kona, as If the world had
caught fire. Mauna Loa is so great q part
Of Hawaii and stands so high in the air
that an eruption from II in the early
stages almost Justifes such an illusion.
Twenty cities burning could not have paled
the stars as that eruption did.
There Was the mounting red pillar OF
smoke and all about its base seemed to be
gigantic geysers Of liquid fire-erect foun-
tains that spread widely at the top, foun-
tains that arched like a stream of water
thrown at an angle from a hose, fountains
that welled up like prodigious artesian
springs, fountains that burst into scarlet
showers like Roman candles. the whole
lighting all Hawaiian island larger than
the state OF Rhode Island-and feeding a
lake of molten rock which soon began to
overflow. At the touch Of the flaming river
the snowfields on the southern side Of the
mountain vanished like dlssolving views
upon a screen.
AS the early morning wore on at HIio
the glow grew brighter and the column
more stately. The upper smoke became
blacker and began to cover the sky above
the whole mountain, and contrasting with
It the column looked like a cenotaph Of
deepest crimson, though It changed now
and then to glittering yellow or scarlet
as though mineral gases were tinting It,
The spectacle was far from Hilo-forty
miles as the heron fiies-but II was as plain
TO be seen by the dwellers In the town as
Is rainbow dance upon a stage to the
audience in the pit.
The first eruption lasted from about mid
night until a m. when II totally subsidized.
There had been no flow IN the direction
OF Hilo. for the snowfelds on that side Of
the mountain remained intact.
The lava had gone the other way, and
people on the Kau and Kona coasts. then
In anxiety from earthquakes, watched It
flowing down In broad red streams as II
to devour their plantations and orchards
those regions. save where lava had in past
times devastated them. being the garden
spots OF all Hawaii.
At Monserrats ranch. a cattle property
on the Kau side OF Hawaii, earthquakes
were continuous for four days, the first
forenoon recording thirty distinct shocks
But two Quakes we're felt in Hilo, neither
of them serious. Word came during
January IL that the activity of Kilauea
had been greatly increased. but OF this the
people took little notice. At its best
kilauea Is but a sdeshow to the main
volcano.
All day on January IL the now kept on
down the mountain toward the Kahuku
ranch, first going rapidly then slowly. II
passed over an older flow and by Sunday.
January 10, had covered the government
road, which is over twenty miles from the
scene OF the outbreak. the general direc-
tion being along the boundary between
Kau and Kona. In day or two It was
/ Lao aaA hat x.ykT
from Mokuoweoweo. the sudden cessation
OF the activity there early in the morning
OF January u was due to the lava breaking
through the weak sides of the mountain
about 5000 feet below the summit at what
is called the 7OOO-foot level.
This flow soon forked into three streams.
at least two of which are supposed to have
done great danger to Colonel Norris noun
tain cattle ranch But of this little Is vet
known owing to the destruction of tele-
phone lines and the blockading by encroach-
ments Of lava of the government road
through the Norris property.
Still another outbreak occurred on Janu-
airy IA, this time In the lava-covered region
directly back OF Kona. But il was not a
flow OF great consequence, though the fact
that It was following the line OF least re-
sistance toward Kaleaukekua bay excited
much concern.
This bay. which is easy to md on a map
Of the big island, Is not only a convenient
cattle port on coast where good landings
are few but II is one of the historic spots
OF the group-the place where Captain
Cook the dtscoverer. met his death at the
hands of the natives. The bay is now ex-
actly as he saw it, except for a few houses
a new growth Of palms and bread fruit
trees and the monument concentrating
his fate.
II was not until January 10 that the Hon
olulu press was able to land men on the
Kona and Kau coasts and. except for brief
wireless bulletins. no news could be had
from them until January Is. On that day
press letters arrived by mail as did many
interesting private descriptions.
Among those who had sAen most was
DIR. L. S. GoOdhue. physicanNn charge OF
the leper settlement at MolokaA In his 40
count OF the eruption he says;
When No arrived At the MAnNkA lands.