18 J. D. Dana — History of the ML Loa Summit Crater. 



Coan states that over the crusted surface of the stream were 

 many steaming openings 20 to 50 feet broad, down which he 

 saw the lavas rushing along the tunnel-like way, u with awful 

 speed, some fifty feet below us ;" large stones thrown on the 

 surface were carried "instantly out of sight before sfnking 

 into the stream," The action was much diminished in six 

 weeks, but was " still somewhat vehement at one or two points." 

 Mr. Andrews states that during the progress of the eruption 

 Mr. Wilcox visited Kilauea and found no signs of sympathy. 



1849, May. — A brief notice of brilliant fires at the summit 

 crater in the month of May, 1849, is contained in a letter of 

 Mr. Coan's, dated January, 1851. He says, that the light was 

 first noticed after the extraordinary activity in Kilauea. " I 

 cannot say that they were coincident." For two or three 

 weeks, a brilliant and lofty column of light was seen over the 

 mountain. There is no reported evidence as to any surface 

 outflow of lavas, and none of an earthquake.* 



1851, Aug. 8. — A short flow commenced at this date a few 

 miles west of the summit.f From Hilo, a column of clouds 

 was seen by day, which was fiery by reflection at night. The 

 eruption continued, as far as could be seen from Hilo, only 

 three or four days. Xo earthquake was reported. 



Mr. Wm. T. Brigham in 1864 visited the flow, and states;); 

 that the outbreak of 1851 occurred about 1000 feet below the sum- 

 mit " or 200 feet below the bottom of the crater." He estimated 

 the length of the stream at " ten miles and the average breadth 

 less than a mile," and the volume, "160 million cubic yards of 

 lava." " The greater part is the pahoehoe, although some aa 

 occurs." The course was westward, near that of an old stream 

 toward Kealakekua. 



1852, Feb. 17.— One of the greatest of the Mt. Loa erup- 

 tions began on the 17th, only six months after the eruption of 

 1851, as if its supplement. The place of outbreak, according 

 to Mr. Coan,§ was on the north side of the summit, near that 

 of 1843. When first seen, the light looked like " a planet just 

 setting " over the top of the mountain. In a few minutes the 

 whole summit was brilliant, and Hilo also ; and a stream of 

 lava commenced its flow down the mountain. Forty hours 

 later, the fires had apparently become extinct. 



After three days, on the 20th, the chief flow began at a point 

 on the eastern side about 10,000 feet above the sea-level, near 



* Coan. this Journal, TI, xii, 82, 1851. letter of January, 1851. 

 f Coan. this Journal, II, xiii, 395, 1852, letter of October i, 1851; and D. D. 

 Baldwin,' ibid., p. 299, from "Polynesian" of Aug. 23, 1851. 

 ± Volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands, 4to, 1868, p. 389. 

 § Coan, this Jour. II, xiv, 105, 219, 1852 ; Life in Hawaii, p. 279. 



