The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-01-28
A Volcanic Barnum and Bailey.

/ than month Of unprecedented activ-
ity Mauna Loa is now make
dead" writes Mrs. Shirley Foster Al
len, in communication to the Ma
tiopal Geographic Society
1T seems as if Hawaii. though
small, must have just so much at
tention and SO every SO often She ex-
plosive1y projects herself into the
arena OF Nne worlds happenings. Not
!. content with her share in the Big
ShoW' in Europe, she decided to stake
first class side show all her own
and the two Volcanoes Mauna Loa
and Kilauea, have certainly done
their best to make ii the biggest
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 $
backyard, as it were, and that we
Honolulans take our daily exercise by
running up to the crater every morn
ing before breakfast. Honolulu is 10
Gated on the island Of Oahu, third
island in size in the group, while the
volcano. or rather volcanoes, are 10
Gated on Hawaii, the largest and
Youngest island, with an area of more
than 1000 square miles, which lies
nearly 200 miles southeast of Oahu.
might add that after making the trip
from Honolulu to HiIo (the largest
town on Hawaii) in one Of the small
inter-island steamers, one would be
ready to aver that the big island was
much farther removed than this.
Although scheduled FOR perform
ances every nine years, Mauna Loa
took the volcanologists by surprise
and gave her celebration several years
too soon. Heralded by earthquakes
and accompanied by series of tidal
waves and quakes, she has proceeded
to give us the most spectacular exhi-
bition within the memory of the old
est kamaainas Gold residents).
@:The first indication of volcanic ac-
tivity was the presence of peculiar
caulif1ower-shaped cloud hanging
over the mountain. Three days later,
on September 20, the whole heavens
were lit up with an apricot glow
when, from a huge vent in, the noun
tain's side, a flood of molten lava was
belched forth. Spreading out into
great shallow stream, it came roaring
down the mountain slope, burning
forests; carrying huge trees and inn
mense -boulders on its surface
sweeping everything before it. With
a speed varying from one to 20 miles
an hour according to the country it
was passing over, it broadened out
until it was nearly mile in width.
After wiping out the government belt
road, raZing telephone poles and de-
stroying a vast amount of property,
the red hot lava tumbled over high
precipice and plunged Kissing into the
sea-
This outbreak was on the wes-
tern slope Of Mauna Loa. occurring at.
the $500 foot level, less than halfway
to, the. top Of the mountain whose
rounded submmit rises .majestically
1855 feet above the sea. This flow
reached the ocean on the Kona coast
of Hawaii near Alika, the small viii
lage for which !. has been named.
IN its downward course, it followed
the general direction Of the 1916 flow
but was much more rapid in its pro-
gresS as it was ony some % hours
from the time Of the outbreak until
the first lava poured into the ocean.
In the case Of t- earlier flow, pc
riod of more than a Jay of apparent
inactivity interviewed between the gas
explosion which tore the great hole
in the mountain and the actual ap-
pearance Of the lava
a number Of excursions were made
in October from Honolulu, and, in ap-
preaching the flow from the sea in
the early evening, the glow from the
lava was visible for many miles before
Alika was reached. Drifting within
200 yards of the point where the
liquid rock was rushing into the sea.
the scene stretching before one was
Slowly the smoky haze.
from the burning forests, which hung
over the source 20 miles away, lifted
and the river Of fire stood out in its
full glory holding one speeches. and
spellbound. Leaping from pail to
valley, rushing uphill and roaring
down, the fiery flood thundered down
the mountain slope, carrying on its
bosom rocks as big as houses that
were tossed about as if they We're
mere pebbles. AS the stream Of blaz-
ing lava neared the coastline, it ap-
Feared to gather more speed. taking !
the final plunge over a 100-foot cliff
at terrific rate, and looking for all
the world like fiery Niagara. AS
the red hot lava came in contact with /
the water. great columns Of steam
and gas, like huge waterspouts. were
forced hundreds of feet into the air.
Huge boulders, hurled into space. ex-
ploded with thunderous reports into !!
auras Of red and green lights, While I
flashes Of what looked like lightning |
AIDED to the chaos
Miles up the mountain the lava
stream became blocked, forming a !
great lake which spread out on each |