The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-12-15
A VOLCANIC BARNUM AND
BAILEY


to run to a fire. In some parts Of the
world-Hawaii for example-one also
drops everything to run to volcano
eruption, unless he already is too close
for comfort Then he runs from 1t.
Have you ever wondered what vol
cano, in action, looks like? Here is
description, not by scientist, but by
a young Washington woman who went
to Hawaii to live just before Mauna.
Loa's terrific eruption last year:
ut seems as If Hawaii. though small,
must have just so much attention, and
so ever so often she explosively projects
| herself into the arena Of the worlds
happenings" wrote Mrs. Shirley Eos
ter Allen. "Not content with her share
in the Big Show in Europe, she de-
cided to stage first-class side show
all her own-and the two volcanoes,
Mauna Loa and Kilauea, have certain
IL done their best to make 1t the big
gest show on earth
"Just word about the geography
of the place. In the first place so
many people seem to think the word
Honolulu embraces all there is to the
islands; and in the second place, the
general conception seems to be that
the volcano Is located In HOnolulu's
back yard, as it were, and that
we Honolulans take our daily
exercise by running up to the
crater every morning before break
fast. Honolulu is located on the
Island of Oahu, third island in size
In the group, while the volcano. or
!: rather volcanoes, are located on Ha-
/ vail, the largest and youngest island
with an area Of more than 1900 square
miles, which lies nearly 200 miles
southeast of Oahu.
1.-THE first indication Of volcanic &C
tiyity was the presence OF a peculiar
) cauliflower-shaped cloud hanging over
the mountain. Three days later, or
( September %, the whole heavens were
!. lit up with an apricot glow when, from
= a huge vent in the mountains side,
flood of molten lava was belched forth
Spreading out into a great shallow
stream, it came roaring down thu
, mountain slope, burning forests, car
rying huge trees and immense bould
, ers on its Surface-sweeping every
+ thing before 1t. With speed varying
o from one to twenty miles an hour, &C
4 cording to the country 1t was passing
a over, it broadened out until it wa
;. nearly a mile in width. After wipinI
!. out the government belt road, razin
!. telephone poles and destroying a vas
amount Of property, the red-hot Law
:. tumbled over q high precipice an
!. plunged kissing into the sea.
II "a number of excursions were mad
q in October from Honolulu. and. in NJ
d preaching the flow from the sea In tn
r early evening. the glow from the Law
I was visible for many miles befor
j. Alika was reached.
II Drifting within 200 yards Of tn
W point where the liquid rock was rusl
l. ing into the sea, the scene stretching b
IL fore one was awe-inspiring. Slow
Id the smoky haze, from the burning TO
Sc ests, which hung over the source
,e miles away, lifted and the river
O. FIRE stood out in its full glory, holdir
I'd one speechless and spellbound. Lea
ne ing from pail to valley, rushing u
n hill snd roaring down, the fiery fiot
OF Numbered down the mountain slol
he carrying on its bosom rocks as big
houses that were tossed about as
ed they were mere pebbles. As Il
ee stream of blazing lava neared t
or coastline, it appeared to gather mo
ed speed, taking final plunge over a II
ID foot cliff at terrific rate. and loo
Ia. ing for all the world like fiery !
al agara. As the red-hot lava came
is contact with the water, great colum
re- of steam and gas, like huge watt
ng spouts, were forced hundreds Of II
ed into the air. Huge bOulders. hurl
into space, exploded with thundero
I'm reports into auras Of red and gre
nd lights, while flashes of what look
err like lightning added to the chaos"