Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-23
II Presents One of Most Magnifi-
cent Spectacles Ever Be-
held by Man.
HAWAIIANS EVER LEONE IT..
Eye Can Behold ii But Tongue Cam
not Describe It---Ncver Con-
sidcred Dangerous.

Honolulu, Jan. 49, via San Francisco,
., the people OF nearly all parts of
Hawaii awoke to the realization that
the splendid spectacle of an outbreak
of Mauna I.oa was before them. In
Hawaii volcanic activity is never
dreaded; it is always welcomed. 1t
means spectacle, as long as II lasts.
incompara magnificent--and so far
as the experience of the hundred years
of historic time goes, without danger
to life, almost without danger TO prop
erty.
From the summit OF Mauna Loa a
vast dome which rears itself from a
base 90 miles in diameter and includes
almost half of the isle of Hawaii, to q
height OF 1855 feet above sea level. a
great glow began TO he seen. 1t rose IN
an immense column of light, rejecting
from the overhanging clouds, and SEEM
ing to spread out over a large area of
the zenith. Where the column left the
mountain it seemed almost white in the
Intensity of light. AS it rose and spread
out in reflection on the clouds 1t as
sumed a deeper. redder tinge.
The great column of light did not
burst suddenly into view, but quickly.
The column of light, a shaft at first,
grew in size and brightness for several
hours. To those who have seen erup-
lions of Mauna Loa, 1t told its own
story. Somewhere near the summit of
the great mountain, the molten lava
had broken out in fiery stream, form
ing first cone, and then bursting
through the side of this, started as
river of fire and lava down the gently
sloping side of the mountain. Then It
began its descent to the sea- a stream
n L. ,1r.
as II moved. the lava on the outer edges
cooling more rapidly than in the mid
die of the stream, but ever forced on by
the weight of the molten mass behind.
hurled from the under world by titanic
force.
In the distance. It is a spectacle only.
Nearby there is the deep surging of
the molten mass hurled in great pillows
from the depths below
This wonderful spectacle was visible.
as II has now been ascertained, for a
distance of 100 miles in every direction,
except where great cloud banks piled by
the trade winds on some parts of the
mountains shoulder intercented the
mountains shoulder intercepted the
remained pillar of glory until the first
light of the dawn began to pale its
splendors. to turn them. as the light in
the east strengthens, into a pillar of
smoke by day.
As yet no one has gone up to tina
source of the outbreak. That source ia
distant from human habitation. The
way TO II leads up through jungle and
forest covering an incredibly rough
and broken country, ever rising high
er as the mountain Is assembled until
the timber line is reached, and then
over desolate and barren lava fields
rough and broken. full of holes and pit
falls. the remains of ancient outbreaks
n
made doubly dangerous by snow which
covers the upper portion OF the noun
tain and hides the dangers of the trail
from view.
But though no one has gone TO the
source of the lava flow, the lava flow IT,
self has come down to the view of men.
Four days from the time of the OUT
break the stream of lava found It's way
into the sea. IN brilliant cataract OF
fire IL plunged over cliff into the wa
tiers OF the Pacific. at first hiding itself
IN a great mass OF steam, and killing
every living thing In the waters which
II set a boiling. but as the area of the
water heated by the molten lava in
creased there seemed to be less intense
steam at the actual point of contact be-
tween water and molten lava. but a
greater area from which steam rises.
The point at which the stream OF lava
reached the sea on the southerIy coast
of the island OF. Hawaii near the boun-
Diary between the districts OF Kona ana
Kau. only one stream has so far
reached the sea. There ure three or
four streams. Whether they are all
from the identical source or not. is not
known. In reaching the sea. the lava
stream crossed the government road
which runs along the whole western
and southern slope Of Mauna Loa at
an altitude OF about Loo feet.
an tIA rhrI. IN.