THE SAMOA VOLCANO.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 142, 15 June 1908, Page 4

THE SAMOA VOLCANO.

FRESH FLOW OF LAVA. •*■* . •---.--;■,- :*s~ss

"I MANY HOUSES DESTROYED. ""■'■" -.-

News from Samoa states that tho/>'-' volcano at Matautu is showing increased-,,, signs of activity, and that the. lav* is , flowing as strongly and fiercely as even. .«■■. On Sunday, May 10, a fresh stream of - lava, about two mile 3 wide, broke^amsyg.' from the old main stream at Asuisui, and flowed in a westerly direction Uh ... wards Saleaula. On Wednesday, May 13, V the lart stream had reached Mr. Joseph Key^s.-; place, and burnt down the -house anil several native houses. The main part -, of the stream, however, flowed into tha? swamp at the back of Mr. KeyVpUe*, : - : and it was expected that the lava woWd reach Dr. Grevel", house on the suae J day. Many houses at the. edge of ;tho swamp were burnt, as the lava advanced. • through the town. The lava on tihebusb side stretches right to the end of;ther town, so that one may say that Saleaul* is practically destroyed. The natives right through behawa splendidly, working to save all they could—cutting their copra, saving house* ' and their personal effects. As it.:if**:>,": impossible for the natives to remain at Saleaula. on account of the smoke *■» fumes, they were stationed at MataiU*..,| lax the time being. The salvage wont goes on. On Monday night an explosion M " curred, and blew a big hole in the I*** '"- The liquid mass was blown to a height. V of 100 ft. The hole is about 50 yards in diameter. The lava in it is now dead, but at first the people thought it was a second volcano. The hole blew up \ right in the middle of the town,.where. - the old well was. '.-.' ■'■• During the first days of the coming of-..| the lava in Saleaula, the sight was mag- ' ; nificent at night time, with running Java in the sea and on the land; sometimes,.| travelling at the rate of eight yards »> minute, burning houses, burning, trees,* 1 ; and explosions of lava everywhere. was something to be remembered. The latest reports by the U.S.S. gun- T boat Annapolis, which vessel went oye?;.; to Matautu, confirm the report circulate . ed in Apia at the beginning of the week, that T>r. Grevel's house was burnt by;: the lava. The stream of lava is now only 130 yards away from the river in i Safai, but" it has ceased to advance for the time being. This is probably due to S the fact that the mouth of the lav* canal at Asuisui is again open, aud the lava is pouring into the sea there : two streams, which is indicated by tw *JW dense volumes of smoke. The tradershouses at Matautu are being taken-' down, as it is feared that the lava. may. advance further on the town and OTt*l m whelm it. 1111