The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-27
Listening Pest for Pacific
DistI1rbances.

HiIe: Listening Pest for Pacific
Disturbances.
Hilo, second city OF the Hawaiian
Islands, into the frarbor of which
tidal waves swept on two occasions
following the recent Chilean earth
quakes, is the subject of the fol-
lowing bulletin from the Washing
ton, D. c.. headouarters of the
National Geographic Society.
Situated on land which rises to-
ward wonderful background
formed by the highest island
mountains in the world. says the
bulletin, fsHilo is. in little danger
from ten or twelve foot tidal waves
such as those which recently. bath
ed its shores. But because Of: its
location on the southernmost island
of the ctain,s facing eastward, it
was in a most favorable position to
observe the results Of this mighty
phenomenon which raised the level
of the eartl1's greatest ocean seem
ingly as easily as a careless bather
can splash water from his tub.
City In Beautiful Setting
tsFIiloars claim that their city is
the most beautiful in the islands;
and it would be difficult to find a
more ideal setting. The shores of
a broad bay sweep away on both
sides of the town like the lines Of
an hyperbola. In the foreground
as one approaches from the sea is
an idy1ic tropic islet that its dis
covarer might have been forgiven
for naming Enchanted Isle. but
which in matter-of-fact. English is
called Ceconut Island Back OF
the city and its bay fringed with
tropical vardure rise the highlands
of. the interior to their apex in
Mauna Kea, often snow-capped,
the highest Of island peaks. To the
right numerous streams rush to
the sea, several of them 1eaping
down in graceful waterfalls
Zone reason why Hiloans refus-
ed to become alarmed because of
an unusual phenomenon in the
sea is that they live next door to
two Of The worlds greatest land
wonders the active volcanoes
Kilaneau and Mauna Loa nd not
only have not suffered from their
nearness, hut have profited great
~ because their city. is the gate
way through which thousands of
visitors pass to view these tame
volcanoes. An excellent automo-
bile highway leads from Hile
Through a majestic forest Of tree
ferns to az hotel on the brink of
Klauea, about 81 miles away; and
supplemental road actually des-
cends into the huge crater so that
motor cars may be driven to the
very brink of the buhbling lake
of molten lava IN the smaller, In
terror crater
Beneficiary Of Hawaiian Magic =
e4The highway continues, on to
Maupa Loa from which have come
the great lava flows OF prehistoric
and historic times that have built
|Ip Hawaii, o,1ngestsof the islands
Eof the Hawaiian group. and make
Iit sfiIl an island Sin process Of
manufacture. The latest OF these
lava flows occurred in 1919 when
"a river of molten stone rushed
down the IN nlountain on the oppo-
/ site side OF the island from sHilo
land plunged kissing into the sea.
For many days the waters bubbled. |.
while sfean1 clouds rose. Fish,
|boiled to al turn, aoated nearby
land eould be picked up and eaten
by those venturesonie enough to
row into the hot waters near the
frey cataract
| tIn 1886 when Hflo was still
largely a native town. its existence
was threatened by one OF the
|greatest flows Mauna Loa has ever
isent forth Slowly the white-hot
stream advanced straight for the
town until it was less than two
miles away. The people were
ipanic-stricksn and as last re-
sort appealed to the only surviving
princess and priestess of their
greatest royal lire. She took her
stand a mile from the town and de-
clared the fow would stop there.
It did. There are EaWaiians who
maintain still that Hilo was saved
from destruction only because
|Pele. goddess of the volcano, stop
ped her fires when her daughter
intereeded ~
--------:--->e ---aa-.sa---------
The size Of the box of candy you
should. give a girl depends upon
how many brothers she has.
D0lNGs oF THE DUFFs
rs. .....ee1-,,Ir. e,5@> = -. "