Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-05-06
Douglas Girl Writes
About HiLo Volcano
CONTINUED From Page one)

and boulders, over the road Looked
like the Stag at the smelters when
it is dumped. If you can imagine
a stream 40 feet high and 1000 feet
wide pushing its way through a
forest, you know what we saw
There was little side path run
ming down to it toward the sea,
six miles below, and we all went
down to see if we could find the
foremost end of the flow. Not be-
ing able to locate it we came back
and shortly after, the lava made q
rush of about 20 yards and COM
pletely covered the path.
Hundreds of people were there,
many Hawaiians. They are indeed
interesting. They believe that a
goddess, Madame Pele, inhabits the
volcano and that she is on ramp
age She has a habit of not de-
stroying dwellings, but this time did
not run true to form as the flow
demolished houses and church by
the road. In order to save their
property the Kanakas put little bits
of wood or toothpicks, tied with bits
of red cloth, all around the yards be-
lieving that this lis preventive and
will save the buildings. This time
it id not work for Pele came over
anyway. So the Hawaians, Kanakas,
or witches did dances, made sacrifices,
and practfced All sorts Of stuff be-
fore the oncoming flow, which was
headed for one of the old Hawaiian
villages by the sea. a u
1. They threw money into the lava,
roasted pigs. ,and gave to PeIe-
ava roots, sweet potatoes, poi and
other foods-but no-the goddess
wanted fish and so she came to the
sea. The sight of the village being
covered with lava was indeed a
spectacular one, as house by house,
and tree by tree, the lava pushed on
and on. The trees even made one
feel sad as they swayed, shook and
quivered in the heat and then went
up in a blaze. The cocoanut trees
split in two with pop, and remind
ed PIN Of the ,barrages of his Black
Watch fighting days.
Still the lava flowed on until it
covered the wharf, the boat landing
and filled the bay. We stayed up all
night and watched. In the early
morning the flow reached the sea.
The water boiled and the steam rose
hundreds of feet The fish GER
tainly had a hot time.
d. Sad to SAY, the natives still be-
Heved, that Pele would not destroy
them and remained till the last, so
that very little 1. was saved. We saw,
feeble old men and women herdingl
iseveral pigs; up the road, carrying a
few chickens--a chair or so and some
pans--no place. to go, no money, and
blasted belief in a much respected
goddess.
And now allAis quiet again, ex-
cept at the source. About a half.
mile of the paved government road,
which circles the island has to be
excavated from the lava before traf-
fic can be resumed. The spectacle
was thrilling, and 1 wish you might
have seen it. Not since 1919 has
such a thing occurred and people
from everywhere are flocking in to
see. the volcano. Am. mighty glad
that we live on the other side of
the island
I presume that you do look eager
ly for mail on every boat for with
one of your sisters in the midst
of the Chinese revolution, and the
other lodging earthquakes and lava,
almost anything might happen We
think little of it all, and feel as
safe as you in your "Arizona sun.
silence and adobe
Much love,