A telegram, dated San Francisco, May 7, 1868, describes: A terrific volcanic eruption by Mauna Loa, which began its demonstration on March 27. On the 28th, 100 earthquake shocks were felt, and during the two weeks following to April 13, 2000 earthquake shocks occurred.

At Waischina, the earth opened in many places, and a tidal wave 60 feet high rose over the tops of the cocoa-trees a quarter of a mile inland, sweeping human beings, houses and everything movable before it. A terrific shock prostrated churches and houses, and killed many persons. The craters vomited fire, rock and lava, and a river of red-hot lava, 5 or 6 miles long, flowed to the sea. A new crater two miles wide opened, and threw rocks and streams of fire a thousand feet into the air, and from it streams of lava rolled to the sea.

The confused noises, the dust, the awful throes of the earth, the falling of rocks into the sea, the consternation of men and animals, made a scene which baffles description — a scene of terror such as our islands have never witnessed before. The crust of the earth rose and sank like the sea in a storm.

The above was recorded by the Rev. John Cumming. The magnitude of the earthquake was estimated to have been 7.9. Entire villages were destroyed and many people died.

Raphael O’Suna

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