Ominous Noises

Hawaii's Giant Volcano May Erupt Again Soon

Honolulu, Aug. 4.

HAWAII'S slurhbering giant volcano — already more than a year behind on its four-years schedule of eruptions —is beginning to awaken again.

Under the 13 680-foot cone-shaped peak of Mauna Loa there have been ominous rumblings recently and the big mountain has shaken the island of Hawaii with some of the strongest earth quakes since the 1942 eruption, which spilled flaming lava down the mountain sides towards the town of Hilo.

Seismologists and volcanologists are checking the summit daily and report that a terrific pressure is being built up under the dome, which has poured out more lava in the last century than any other volcano in the world.

National park service seismographs re corded 48 tremors in June and on June 11 a large fume cloud hung over Mauna Loa’s towering summit.

But if Madame Pele as natives call the volcano begins to blow her top, there will be ample warning this time.

In the last big eruption in 1942, the Army, fearful that the Japs would schedule an attack to co-incide with the fiery outburst, prohibited publication of any forecasts, and withheld news of the eruption until all activity had ceased.

In April of that year, there was a brief summit eruption and then the side of the mountain split open, pouring lava from a three-quarter-mile crack. The crack lengthened and the hot lava flowed towards the town of Hlio.

Army bombers took to the air and

dropped 600-pound bombs on the flow successfully diverting it from the city.

On May 10, the eruption ceased.

R. H. Finch and Howard A. Powers, volcanologist and seismologist at Hawaii National Park, do not place too much faith in the volcano’s traditional four year schedule. “'The interval between eruptions has varied greatly,” Finch points out. “One time it was but one year, then seven years, and another time nine. One can’t expect a volcano to follow the calendar.” Thev agree that the next eruption will probably take place near the northeast rift where the 1942 outbreak occurred.

Underground activity earlier this year was confined to Manna Loa but recently there have been rumblings from the is land’s other active volcano Kilauea.

Although there is no known link be tween the two big peaks, the experts say that “sympathetic vibrations” on the part of one might easily start the other on the road to eruption.

Volcanologist Finch says that although terrific pressure has been built up under Mauna Loa, there has yet been no sign of tilt the puffing out of the summit done from terrific pressure underneath, like the bubbles on the surface of a pot of boiling stew. That will be the final warning that the towering mountain is once again about to burst forth in flaming destruction.

Mrs. Stan. McCosker and her two chil dren spent the mid-winter vacation in Sydney. Formerly of Matala Plantation, Rabaul, and at present living in Kelvin Grove, Brisbane. Mrs. McCosker is on the teaching staff of the Moreton Bay High School, Wynnum, and the Brisbane Girls’

Grammar School. Mr. McCosker returned to his plantation early in 1946.