Category Archives: Lava

Mauna Loa erupts, 1892.

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EARTH-DEVOURING LAVA OF MOKUAWEOWEO.

From our many friends living all over on the island of Keawe, we recieved news of sightings of lava blazing atop the summit of Mauna Loa, from the crater of Mokuaweoweo. And we are indebt to them for their kindness. These are each of the letters showing:

Kailua, North Kona, Hawaii, Dec. 5.–1 o’clock at late night on this past Wednesday, in the Alenuihaha Channel, on the deck of the Malulani, seen was the lava of Mokuaweoweo. The red glow of the fires were incomparably great.

D. Makainai

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D. Howard Hitchcock Mokuaweoweo painting, 1907.

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BLAZING FIRES OF MOKUAWEOWEO, MAUNA LOA.

[This image appears unrelated to the contents of the page, which is a serial of a foreign love story, “Ka Mana o ka Leka.” Does anyone recognize this painting by Hitchcock, and might it be on exhibit somewhere?]

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke XLII, Helu 5, Aoao 3. Feberuari 1, 1907.

History of volcanic activities and why the newspapers need to be rescanned as clearly as possible, 1868–for the present, for the future.

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[Found under: “Ke Ahi Pele Nui ma Hawaii. NA OLAI KUPINAI. KE KAI HOEE NUI! MAKE WELIWELI MA KAU! Na Palapala a na Makamaka mai Hawaii mai, eia iho malalo:”]

On Thursday at 3 in the afternoon, that being the 2nd of this April, there came a great powerful earthquake, and people could not stand upright, and so too the animals. The soil of the earth spew up into the sky like smoke and hills tumbled down; large trees fell, and some of the valleys were filled, and houses fell; the number of houses which fell numbered 30 or more; and 3 churches fell, the churches of Kahuku and Waiohinu and Punaluu; and there is a large pit at Kahuku that is 80 feet in circumference and 350 feet or more deep, and from within this pit rose steam like the steam of the volcanic crater; the distance from the port of Kaalualu to this pit is 6 miles or so; and there are many other deeds carried out by God. Continue reading →

Why do we ignore science? 1983.

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Volcano alarm sounded, but nobody listened

Clark’s Big Isle

“You may bring a horse to the river, but he will drink when and what he pleaseth.”

—George Herbert, 1640.

HILO.—In early 1975, Drs. Donald Peterson and Donald Mullineaux, volcanologists, issued a report, “Volcanic Hazards on the Island of Hawaii.” If reaction had come in a theater, the audience would have booed.

Peterson was scoffed at by Big Island real estate agents and tourist industry leaders. Mayor Herbert Matayoshi jumped on the bandwagon and castigated the scientists for unduly alarming residents, potential visitors and prospective investors.

As a result, the report was largely ignored. Continue reading →

Holua race between Kahawali and Pele, 1930.

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THE WOMAN OF THE CRATER.

One day when Pele was in her crater home, she heard a racket. She took upon the usual attire of women and stood atop a hill to look, and she saw an alii sledding on his holua down a cliff, and when he reached the bottom of the cliff, the people cheered.

When that alii reached the place where Pele stood on top of the cliff, he said I challenge you to sledding.

Kahawali turned and said, “Come.” Continue reading →

Casualties from exploding lava, 1924.

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MET WITH DEATH FROM ROCKS FROM THE THE LAVA

Two Haole Soldiers Disappear Without Being Found—It is Believed They Too Were Victims of the Lava

These are the two haole soldiers who disappeared without their bodies being found from the morning of this past Sunday. The two were last seen in an area near the crater, before the powerful lava explosion.

From the left is Edward J. Hinman, and to his right is Howard J. Simmons, they are both soldiers of the engineers of Leilehua, and they were camping at Kilauea, Hawaii.

As per the very latest news received from Hilo town, Madame Pele is surely at it these days, displaying her wondrous power which causes fear in a great many of Hawaii’s people who went to see the volcanic activity.

Amongst the visitors on this past Sunday was one who met with tragedy, after breaking both his legs and being burned by the hot ash from the lava, that being Truman T. Taylor, the bookkeeper of Pahala Sugar Plantation. Continue reading →

Escaping rocks thrown into the sky, 1924.

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The Deeds of Madame Pele, the Woman of the Pit, are Wondrous

Many Lives are Spared
From the Rocks of Lava

Rocks and Ash are Thrown into the Sky When the Lava Exploded This Past Tuesday

HILO, May 13.—Many lives were spared this afternoon, because Thomas E. Boles, the superintendent of Hawaii national park, foresaw the trouble and forbade people from going to see the crater of Halemaumau, just minutes before the powerful explosion of lava, throwing huge rocks to a distance of 2000 feet. Volcanic ash was shot 1800 feet in the sky above the crater. Continue reading →

From the eruption 99 years ago, 1919.

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NEWS ABOUT THE LAVA IN KONA

According to the news in the Hilo Tribune newspaper from Tom C. White [Toma C. White] of Kainaliu, he reported on what he and some others witnessed of the activity of the lava these days. The lava is spouting with force from the Mauna Loa side, and it is about 7,150 feet from sea level, and the lava is spewing from six places from the side of the mountain, but these craters are joining together into a large caldera, and from this caldera, the lava flowing out into four branches. Continue reading →