The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-08-16
SCIENTIST At
THE VOLCANO.
Noted Investigators Views as
to the Cause of Lava
Flows.

HIDO, August 9.-That Professor
Brigham, of the Bishop Museum, was
absolutely right in his theory on the
subject of volcanic activities, and that
Dana, the famous geologist, was wrong
when he attempted to refute the theory
of the local scientist, was the conclu-
sion reached by DR.. Albert Brun, Licen-
tiate of the Sorbonne University, Doc
tor of Sciences of the University of
Geneva who, last week, spent some time
at the volcano.
Doctor Brun has spent the past ten
years in studying various volcanoes, it
being his main object to disprove the
generally accepted theory of Dana that
steam is involved in the explosions of
volcanoes. Doctor Brun has visited
large number of craters, in various
parts of the world, and he states that
his Investigations have shown that
there is absolutely no moisture involved
in the volcanic outbreaks
cit is an utterly false idea that the
steam seen at the crater comes from
moisture in the volcano ITSELF - said
Doctor Brun last week. 'Whatever
moisture there is in the steam comes
from the rain and the humidity of the
earth surrounding the crater. Kilauea
possesses nc trace of water. I took
number of tubes of the smoke, and 1
did not find the slightest trace of mois-
ture.
''It is false idea that the volcanic
outbursts are due to steam. The white
smoke which you see, is absolutely dry.
This fact has already been pointed out
by Doctor Brigham, of Honolulu, but
his theory was contradicted by Dana.
Dana IS theory was generally accepted,
but Doctor Brigham was right. | be-
lieve that Doctor Brigham was the first
to say that Kilauea is absolutely dry.
| can only completely confirm his opin-
ion. He is very accurate observer,
and Dana was not exact The work
done by Doctor Brigham was much bet
ter.
"The volcanic outbursts are entirely
due, l find to gases which are com
bined in the lava. If you heat lava in
a vacuum you receive all the gases, and
upon analysis you find that the little
holes in the lava are made by these
gases. and not by water. If lava is
heated gases are formed. Expansion
follows. and this is the cause of the
outbursts when the lava overhows.
There is absolutely no difference be-
tween Kilauea and the rest Of the vol
canoes which 1 have seen, except that
it is larger, but otherwise there is es-
sentially no difference. I have seen
five large eruptions, Kilauea being the
sixth, and none of them were different
from that of Kilauea.'
! Doctor Brun expects to publish the
results of his investigations of Kilauea
in the Archives des Sciences Physique,
at Geneva, one of the oldest scientific
journals in the world, having been
! founded in 1888.
The eminent scientist had planned to
take a trip to the crater of Mauna Loa,
| hut unfortunately he was unable to
make arrangements for the ascent in
time to allow him to make the trip.
He sailed last Friday for Maui where
he will make thorough investigation
of the crater of Haleakala, which he
expects to find in many respects similar
to that of Teneriffe. though, of course,
larger. After seeing Haleakala, he will
leave the Islands for the mainland
where he will visit Yosemite. and will
then return to Europe where he will
finish his laboratory work on a large
number of tubes containing gases OBJ
tanned at Kilauea, and will then pre-
pare his articles for publication.