The Sidney herald., 1957-07-25
Mauna Loa Erupts Again

0~-
Stone structures crumbled; wat
er tanks collapsed, and buildings
glided on their foundations, when
Mauna Loa showed her restless
ness on the afternoon of May 20,
1850, with a strong earthquake
that jolted the 4300-square-mile
Island of Hawaii. About three
days later, Mauna Loa resumed
volcanic activity along its weak
southwest rift.
The outbreak of lava occurred
shortly after 900 in the evening
along a crack 2h miles long. A
continuous tremor indicated that
the lava column was nearing the
surface. Heavy rumbling sounds
caused by fountaining at the
source were audible at % miles
away.
All along the fissure, an orange
red cloud reached almost two
miles into the air. Wind currants
caused the cloud to mushroom,
taking on the aspect of an atomic
bomb explosion. The glow out
lined the graceful sloping form
Of Mauna Loa against the sky.
It's illumination was strong
enough to tinge the clouds over
the ocean, so miles to the south.
The scene of the southwest rift
was thrilling, as the fiery, swirl
ing clouds reached high into the
sky. 1t was at once t%errifyinQ
and beautiful.
Less than four hours after the
eruption began, lava from the
lower fissure poured across the
around -the-island highway and
plunged into the ocean. On its
way, it destroyed part of a small
Hawaiian village. Twenty struc-
lures were burned by the stream
of lava.
Flying over the eruptions on
June 2, + observed lava fountains
playing as high as 800 feet. They
were nearly continuous along the
entire length of the lower fissure,
a distance of seven miles. Floods
of molten lava issued necessarily
from the vents and plunged in
numerous braided streams down
Mauna Loa's flanks toward the
Kona Coast.
A third flow, largest of the
three, severed the road and reach
ed the ocean early in the after
noon of June 2. Although many
times more dense than water, the
motion lava in the main channel
of this flow plunged down the
mountain at almost 20 miles an
hour. 1t was a river of liquid fire,
flaming and roaring, burning
trees and carrying along chunks
of incandescent lava larger than
automobiles. AS the edges of the
flow encroached upon the vege-
tation, the forest reverberated
with explosions from lava-engulf-
ed trees.
Observers saw this flow reach
the and form a billowy,
swirling steam cloud almost
10000 feet high. Shortly after
the motion rock from this flow
poured into the sea, the ocean
boiled for a considerable distance
off shore.
Geysers of liquid fire surged
into the air as high as 100 feet,
as far as the eye could see along
the rift. The elected lava ap-
peared yellow-white at the base
of the geysers, then changed
progressively to a yellow-red and
dark orange-red at its maximum
height. The ground shook con-
as the lava was forced
TO the surface. The sounds of es-
gases resembled greatly +;
intensified locomotive steam ex-
1austs. !
Rivers Of liquid rock poured J
the vents and raced down :
he mountain. At one point near ;
he rift, lava plunged over a
steep slope at 35 miles an hour
% form a spectacular double cas- :
,ade of great beauty, 500 feet :
ong and 200 feet wide. At anoth- =
IT point the flowing lava in {
he cascade struck an obstacle
the channel, causing the stream e
o be diverted upward and out
yard into the air. e