Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-03
ISLANDS BUILT
BY VOLCANOES.
NATURES WHIM
Study in Dynamic Geology of
Hawaiian Islands In
spires Awe.


been projected in Hawaii to bore a
hole through the side of one Of the ac-
tive volcanic craters there for the double
purpose of studying their structure and
of utilizing, if possible, the heat which
energies from them, according to DR.. W.
II. Sherzer, a geologist of the Michigan
State Normal College, who has just re-
turned to Hawaii DR.. Sherzer spent
some months in a study of the Hawaiian
volcanoes. He is a specialist in dynamic
geology, having made a study some years
ago of the Canadian glaciers for the
Smithsonian Institution.
The United States Weather Bureau
maintains a station known as the Vol
canO Observatory on Hawaii, in charge of
DR.. B. J. Jaggar, and he is at the head
of the movement to bore a hole into one
of the eraters. 1t is assumed that some
sort Of boring and piping apparatus,
similar to that used in boring for oil
could do the work. Should it be found
practicable to penetrate into the central
core of hot lava and pipe the heat to the
surface, an enormous natural source Of
power would be tapped.
The great Hawaiian volcanoes, which
are now in a national park, protected
by the United States Government, are
the subjects of much scientific specula-
ton. But it is agreed. according to DIR
Sherzer that the volcanoes built the
whole string of the Hawaiian Islands, be-
ginning with those farthest to the north
west and moving to the southeast.
Hawaii is the southeasternmost island.
and is still In course Of construction, tbs
volcanoes still being active.
The accepted theory is that a gEeaA
fissurs. exists in the floor of the sea,
reaching down through the earth's crust
to the molten mass within. The crust of
the earth is variously estimated to be
from ten to seventy-fve miles thick, the
estimates being based upon the length of
time it takes earthquake vibrations to
pass through it
HOW ISLANDS
WERE BUILT.
1t is believed that the molten basaltic
rock, which forms the bulk Of the earth,
began bubnling up at the northwestern
end of the islands and continued to do
so until it had wholly or partly blocked
the assure at that point, when it broke
out farther to the southeast. This proc
ess was repeated until the whole string
of islands had been built one by one,
from the door of the sea to an altitude
Of 1900 feet above the level Of Its sur
face. This work is still going on in
Hawaii and all of it has been done in
comparatively recent geologic time. so
that these islands must be regarded as
a very recent addition to the face OF the
earth. Because of their recent origin,
the islands failed to share In the animal
life of the rest of the world Indeed it
is matter for speculation how even plant
life originated there, but it is assumed
that floating material carried the first
seeds. Birds reached the Islands by
flying, of course, but a rat and lizard.
both Of which arrived probably by ma
tive boats, were the only animals found
there when the white mer arrived Pigs,
goats and deer were subsequently intro
duced.
The volcanoes, which are a puzzle to
the moGern man of science, inspire the
greatest awe in the natives. and DR..
Sherzer reports that they still believe
firmly in Pele, the Goddess Of Fire, who
lives in the crater Of Kilauea. Not long
ago. he says, a native girl dreamed that
unless human sacrifices were made to
Pele. the goddess would infict some great
catastrophe upon the island. Thereupon
party of natives was organized and
set out for the crater TO throw one Of
their number into the great cauldron OF
BoAlt0S lava. ne ponce uSdEu Oh the eA-
petition and Pele was robbed of her
victim. DR.. Sherzer says that he himself
has seen the natives come and make
minor sacrifices to the goddess of eternal
fire
Hawaii has suffered very little from
its volcanoes, considering that it is a
small island and contains Msuna Loa.
which is the largest active volcano in
the world. Mauna Loa erupts every seven
or eight years, the eruption usually
taking the form of a stream of molten
lava which breaks out through the sides
of the mountain. As the region is thinly
populated and the >lava moves slowly,
there is usually plenty of time for every
body to get out of the way. In 1919
there was a small flow of lava which en-
tered the sea. Far from fleeing this erup-
ton, the population of the islash dashed
to the spot in automobiles to see the
sight of a river of molten rock flowing
into the ocean.
Mauna Loa has been known to erupt
explosively, throwing into the air quaint
titles of ash, scoria or cindeFs, and great
blocks of cold lava. The last eruption Of
this nature took place in 1928 and Is ~
membered chiefly for the fact that Ad-
miraI Bryon of the British Navy, the
brother of Lord Byron, the poet, was on
the island at the time. The eruption was
very small one.
The last serious explosive eruption
was in 1889 or 1870, the exact date being
uncertain. At the time two native
princes were warning for the domination
of the island, and one of the armies was
encamped on the slope of Mauna Loa.
This army was wiped out by the erup-
ton, the only survivor being a pig, and
the victory was thus given to the other
side The natives all considered that the
gods had interviewed in their affairs.
Hawaii has earthquakes almost every
day, but they are so slight fer the most
part that they are not felt by humans,
but merely recorded through fnstru-
ments. There have been no serious earth
ouakes since 1868 at which time a de-
structive landslide was caused by one.
whether the Hawaiian volcanoes are
piped and made to turn dynamos or not,
they will always serve the great purpose
of making man feel the precariousness Of
his existence. The awestruck natives
made them the homes of dangerous gods
and goddesses, and threw living saeri-
fices into them. Modern science rejects
all of this as superstition, but it shows
that man is living on this skin of rock
and earth about a great core of molten
mineral The shell is thinner in pro-
portion than the shell Of an egg, and
almost as brittle. 1t often tremb1es and
occa sionally cracks from the writhing
and bubbling of the great mass Of molten
rock within 1t. Here and there the she'll
is worn thin and the liquid Are comes
ing on the outside Of this thin and
,,,Io