J. D. Dana — History of the Mt. Loa Summit Crater. 23 



height in the atmosphere it spread out on all sides." It con- 

 tinued for many weeks, but ceased before the flow was ended. 

 The lava appeared to have broken out at the intersection of 

 two fissures. Over the surface in the vicinity, there was a 

 thick deposit of "pumice" or " glass- foam." The top of the 

 mountain at the time was covered with snow — a source of per- 

 colating water. While he was near the stream, on the plain 

 between Loa, Kea and Hualalai, loud explosions were heard all 

 night long, like the reports of heavy cannon." 



Mr. Green also states, from his observations, that at the sea- 

 shore, it ran over a low shelf about ten feet high and perhaps 

 500 or 600 feet wide and fell into the sea where the water was 

 20 or 30 feet deep. " It came from under the crust in great 

 red-hot flattened spheroidal masses, having something the ap- 

 pearance of moderately thick porridge as it is poured from a 

 saucepan — the spheroidal masses perhaps 10 to 15 feet wide 

 and 4 to 6 feet deep " " There was no steam, vapor or gas 

 whatever to be seen coming from the lava until it went under 

 water. Indeed the first contact of the red-hot spheroids did 

 not seem to produce a particle of steam, and it was only when 

 each had gone under water and become partially cooled off 

 that a puff of steam rose above the water " — " an effect due to 

 the spheroidal state of the water against the red-hot surface." 



No sympathy was exhibited by Kilauea. Mr. Coan says 

 u we have occasional earthquakes : two in February, one in 

 July and two in November of the current year (1859)." 



In June, according to Prof. Haskell, there was no action in 

 the summit crater. 



1864, August 5. — Mr. W. T. Erigham found the summit 

 crater, at this date,* without any signs of action excepting 

 some " steam issuing from the northern bank." There were 

 two cones at bottom, about 200 feet high, near the east side. 

 He also observes that in various places over the great plain 

 about the crater there " were large irregular masses of a solid 

 reddish clinkstone, much used for stone axes," and speaks of 

 the " hard compact graystone of the summit and walls." 



1865, December 30th. — Light was seen " at the very sum- 

 mit," on the night of the 30th of December, f It continued, 

 with variations in intensity, sometimes very brilliant, at others 

 faint or gone, for four months, or until the last of April, or 

 perhaps into May. Mr. Richardson, proprietor of the Volcano 

 House, reported the occasional escape of steam, but no out- 

 flow of lava is known to have occurred. " The falls of snow 



* Memoir, p. 384. 



| Coan, this Journal, II, xli, 424, 1866, letter of Feb. 27, 1866; and xliii, 264, 

 1867, letter of August 31, 1866. 



