J. D. Dana — History of the Mt. Loa Summit Crater. 29 



was "perpetually reformed by condensation," and had u a bril- 

 liant orange glow at night, looking as if a fire were raging in 

 the distance."* 



1876, February 13. — Another grand display from the sum- 

 mit crater, but of short duration. !N"o outflow is reported.f- 



1877, February 14. — The display of light on the 14th, says 

 Mr. Coan,J was "most glorious." The columns of illumin- 

 ated steam rose " with fearful speed, to a height of 14,000 to 

 17,000 feet, and then spread out into a vast fiery cloud, looking 

 at night as if the heavens were on fire." The brilliancy con- 

 tinued only for ten days. 



No outflow is positively known to have occurred, .but it is 

 probable that a submarine discharge took place off western 

 Hawaii. The steamer brought passengers from Honolulu to 

 visit the mountain, but returned as the fire had disappeared. 

 But before the vessel was fairly out of sight of land, " a remark- 

 able bubbling was seen in the sea about three miles south of 

 Kealakekua, a mile from the shore," and steam and scoria 

 were thrown up. 



Mr. H. M. Whitney states that " blocks of lava two feet 

 square came up from below, striking and jarring the boats"; 

 and "nearly all the pieces on reaching the surface were red- 

 hot ;" " as soon as they became cold they sunk. This eruption 

 took place on the 24th of February, the day the light disap- 

 peared from the summit. § 



On the land new fissures were opened up the mountain that 

 had a westward course toward the place of submarine disturb- 

 ance. An earthquake is reported., as having been felt in the 

 fissured region, but not at Kealakekua. A heavy tidal or earth- 

 quake wave occurred about this time along the coast of Kona. 



[1877, May 10th. — A destructive earthquake wave was felt 

 at the Hawaiian Islands on May 10th, 1877, which rose at Hilo 

 to a height of 86 feet. But it was of South American origin, 

 where there were heavy earth-shocks, and not of Hawaiian.] 



1880, May 1. — Early in the morning of May 1st, a light was 

 seen at or near the summit, which soon after became intense so as 

 to illuminate Hilo at night. It indicated violent activity, and 

 led. to an expectation of a great eruption. But clouds obscured 

 the mountain for a few days, and when they disappeared, the 

 light was gone. || On the 8d and 4th of May, flocks of Pele's 

 hair and light particles of volcanic dust, drifted by the wind, 



* See also Moseley's "Notes by a Naturalist of the Challenger," London, 1879, 

 p. 500. 



t Ooan, this Jonrn., xiv, 68, 1877, letter of March 17, 1S77. % Ibid. 



§ Hawaiian Gazette, Feb. 28. 1877. 



| Coan, this Journ., Ill, xx, 7, letter of May 3-6, 1880. 



