VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 170, 4 October 1866, Page 5

VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

'The volcano of Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawaii} Jias recently been the scene of a huge eruption, of which the c Honolulu Friend' of February gives the following; account: — " A new crater opened near tbe summit of the mountain at an elevation, of 10,000 ft., and for three days a flood of lava was poured down the north-eastern slope. The irruption then ceased,, and all was quiet for thirty-six hours. Another crater then opened on the eastern slope. It would seem that the summit lava had found a subterranean tunnel;, fer half way down the mountain, when coming- to. a weak point, or meetingwith some obstruction, it burst up vertically, sending a column of incandescent fusia 1000 ft. high into the air. The fire jet was about 100 ft. in diameter, and was sustained for- twenty days and nig-hts, varying- in height from 100 ft. to 1000 ft. The disgorgement from the mountain side was often accompanied by terrific explosion, which shook the hills with detonaj tions which were heard for forty miles. This column of liquid fire was an object of surpassing brilliancy, of intense and awful grandeur. As the jet issued from the awful orifico it was of a white heat. As it ascended higher and higher it reddened like fresh blood, deepening its colour,, until, in its descent, much of it assumed the colour of clotted gore. In a few days the cone of the crater had been raised to a height of 3.00 ft., and became one vast heap of glowing coals, flashing and quivering with restless action, and sending out the heat of 10,000 furnaces in full blast. The struggles in disgorging the fiery masses, the upward rush of the column, the force which raised it 1000 vertical feet,, and the continuous fallinghack of thousands of tons of mineral fusia into the throat of the crater and over a Gone of minerals one mile in circumference, was a sight to inspire awe and terror, attended with explosive shocks which seemed to rend the ribs of the mountain. From this fountain a river of fire went rushing and leaping down the mountain, filling up basins and ravines, dashing over precipices, and exploding rocks,, until it readied the forests at the base of the- mountain,, where it burnt its firey way,, consuming* the jungle, evaporating the water of the streams and pools, cutting down the trees, and sending up douds- of smoke and steam and murky ■ columns of fleecy wreathes to heaven. \ Night was turned into day. Mariners at Hgr sea saw the light at 200 miles distance. v _n the daytime the atmosphere for thousands of square miles was filled with a murky haxe, throngh which the sunbeamshed a sickly light. Smoke, steam, gases and cinders floated in the air, sometimes spreading out like a fan, sometimes careering in swift currents upon the wind, or gyrating, in everchanging colougs in fitful breezes. It was such a scene as few mortals ever witnessed. There was no sleep for the specator. The fierce, red glare, the subterraneous mutterings ancl stragglings,, the rapid explosion of gases, the rushes and roar, the sudden and startlinghursts,, as of crushing, thunder — all were awe-inspiring", and all combined to render the scene' one of indescribable brilliancy and of terrible sublimity. The rivers of fire from the fountain flowed about thirtyfive miles, and, stopped within ten miles of Silo."