The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-01-22

as ready to fly ms was that warshIp's
captain. Like myself. undoubtedly.
that captain had been told stories and
read accounts that could hardly be
true.
MAuNA LOA'S WEAK SPOT.
Most of the flows from Mauna Loa
have come from place between 1000
and 1900 feet high on the northeast
slope of the mountain. being directly
back of Hilo. There is n sort of ridge
or spur OF the mountain here which
runs toward Hilo It Is Mauna Loa's
weak spot. Nearly all OF Hawaii's
latest flows have come from this place.
A flow breaking low down on this
ridge would flow directly toward Hilo,
as did the 1852 flow. Breaking higher
1t might run Off on either side; down
past the Volcano House to Kau. or
down upon the plateau between Mauna
Loa and Mauna Kea. For some rea-
son all of the flows have gone toward
the plateau, sending but short
branches toward Kau. Reaching this
plateau the lava might simply pile up
here in front of the Humuula sheep
station. as did the 1s43 flow. or 1t might
turn at right angles and flow toward
Hilo, as did the 1855 and 1881 flows,
or 1t might go the other way toward
the sea between Puako and Kiholo.
You can now understand why there Is
generally so much confusion about
direction of flow coming from this
place. as Ii was with the 1899 flow.
When that flow started it was impos-
sible to tell which direction 1t would
finally take.
The weird region which has been
called Mauna Loas weak spot has a
strange fascination about 1t, for. as
one stands here and gazes about him,
he feels that he is at the very door of
that great mystery-the volcano. This
big cone with the deep, gaping pit.
marks the place of the 1855 outbreak;
a short distance below this. towards
Hilo. is the 1852 cone; that long rent
scarce stones throw below is where
the 1881 lava came out; this cone Is an
equal distance above that of the 1s43
eruption: above are the cones Of the
last outbreak-that of 1899. The whole
region is covered with tangled masses
of lava of all kinds piled up in the
widest fashion So close together
were the outbreaks that the lava of
it is impossible now to tell which is
which.
AN OUTBREAK.
When column of lava Is lifted for
an eruption in Mokuaweoweo. on Maui
ma Loa. the pressure Is sometimes so
great that the sides of the mountain
give way. AS the lava thus finds a
new outlet lower down the eruption
in the crater ceases. So when there is
an outbreak from the side of the noun
TAIN Mokuaweoweo Is usually active
first.
Usually long rent or crack is made
In the mountain side extending in
line from the summit downwards.
From some parts of this crack the lava
rushes in a great fountain hundreds
of feet high
AS the particles of lava cool in fall
ing a cone or crater is soon built.
within which the fountain plays at
fearful rate in a lake of fire. From
gap in the side of the cone pours the
stream of lava from 80 to 60 feet wide.
Later on. as the walls increase in
height. the lava may force its way out
beneath the cone, or 1t may break out
in a new spot lower down in the
crack.
The crack from which the 1859 flow
came was at least four miles In
length; that of the 1899 flow about two
and one-half or three miles; the 1901
flow three-fourths of a mile; that of
the 1865 flow being also three-fourths
of mile in length. The crack OF the
1868 flow is very well marked, extend
ing down through the woods and end
ing on a hillside. The lava poured
from the lower end of this crack on
to the lower land below, thus forming
no cone. There Is no sign that the
lava flowed from the upper part of
this rent, but that 1t merely oozed
up. At the very head of the crack
there is but little lava to be seen on
the surface, but by scraping away the
soil the ground is found to be filed
with fragments.
LAVA TUNNELS.
Lava hardens rapidly when exposed
to the air; so crust soon forms over
the surface of flow, beneath which
the lava goes on flowing. After time
1t will melt down deep in the rock
below, forming a regular tunnel. 1t
Is from this central channel (of which
there may be more than one) that the
lava flow works ahead. to either side,
and by overfows buries itself yet more
deeply. Through openings in the crust
one may look down upon the molten
stream of lava below, or after the flow
has ceased one may scramble down
through these openings into the tunnel
and explore 1t. The kaumana caves
lear Hilo are different sections of the
,ame lava tunnel-that of the 1881 flow.
N. a.tal Ia .icit