Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-11-10

| iSh naval commander In the Pacific,
realizing the strategic importance Of
the Hawaiian group, seized the is
lands, but his country promptly dis
avowed his act. After some difficult
ties with France over the islands in
the forties, the United States declared
a sort of Monroe Doctrine toward
them. AS early as 1851 the island
government, fearing trouble with other
nations, Professionally coded the islands
to the United States. But the
oession was not accepted, and numer-
Gus efforts to become a part of the
United States were rlaue IN the fol-
Lowing half century.
Annexed by Uncle Sam.
In 1887 the United States obtained
concession for the use of Pearl har-
Dor for coaling station. When
Queen Liliuokalani attempted to abol-
ish the constitution in 1893, the con-
stitutional party, led by American
settlers, brought about a revolution
and dethroned her. One of the first
acts of the provisional government
was to apply for annexation to the
United States. Germany was Selling
islands right and left in the Pacific
and the Hawaiians wished to get
under a sheltering wing. Politics
in the United States delayed action,
and in the meantime the Republic of
Hawaii was organized. Then in 1898,
during the Spanish-American war,
congress suddenly voted to make Ha-
wall American territory.
Though the Hawaiian islands are
known as ''the halfway house of the
Pacific" in reality the distance from
San Francisco to Honolulu is only
about half that from Honolulu to Aus
tralia, the Philippines or Japan. All
the islands are of volcanic origin,
but coral has grown on the shores
of many of them. The disintegrated
lava has formed rich soil which re-
spends literally to irrigation. Only
Cuba and Java produce greater total
crops of sugar, and the per acre yield
of Hawaii is the greatest In the world
-four tons without irrigation and six
tons with. The sugar crop for the
year ended June 20, 1920. was worth
$7S,500000. The pineapple crop, sec
ond in Importance, was valued at $751;
100000.
Mauna Loa Volcano.
Perhaps the Hawaiian group Is best
known to most people because of the
huge volcano Mauna Loa on the island
of Hawaii. In September, 1919, this
great safety-valve "blew off steam,"
giving a most unusual demonstration
of natures forces. From huge vent
in the mountains side, O flood OF mott
en- lava was belched forth. Spread
ing out into a great shallow strcam, 1t
came roaring down the mountain
slope, burning forests, carrying huge
trees and immense boulders ON Its sur
face-sweeping everything before it.
With p speed varying from ! to 20
miles an hour, according to the coun-
| try 1t was passing over, it brcadened
out until 1t was nearly mile In width.
| After wiping out the government belt
road, razing telephone poles and de-
stroying vast amount of property,
the red-hot lava turhbled over high
precipice and plunged kissing into the
sea nearly 20 miles from its source.
In approaching the flow from the
sea in the early evening, the glow from
the lava was visible for many miles.
AS one drifted within 200 yards of
the point where the liquid rock was
rushing into the sea, the scene was
awe-inspiring. 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. Leaping from pail to val
ley, rushing uphill and roaring down
the fiery flood Numbered down the
mountain slope, carrying on its bosom
rocks as big as houses.
AS the stream Of blazing lava neared
the coastline, 1t appeared to gather
more speed, taking the final plunge
over a 1O0-foot cliff at terrific rate
and looking for all the world like q
fiery Niagara. AS the red-hot Laws
came in contact with the water, great
columns of steam and gas, like hugs
waterspouts,. were forced hundreds n
feet into the air. Huge boulders
hurled into space, exploded with thup
derous reports into auras of red an,
green lights, while flashes of wha.
looked like lightning added to thu
chaos.