Evening Star Newspaper, January 12, 1930, Page 78

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, ]ANUARY 12, 1930. — ——— How Scientists in Hawaii Propose to Use High Explosives With Which to Divert the Flow of Lava Away From Tozwns and Fertile Fields to Cover Lands Already Laid Waste. [ BY GWENFREAD E: ALLEN. AN science harness nature's greatest explosive, the volcano, with man’s greatest explosive, TNT? Can a flow of lava from a volcanic eruption which threatens life or property be diverted to cover lands already laid waste? A novel suggestion to control Hawaii’s vol- canoes was advanced recently by Lorin A. Thurston, president of the Hawaiian Volcano Reszarch Association, when countless earth- quakes on the Island of Hawaii were heralded as the forerunner of volcanic activity. As the expected eruption failed to appear immediately, Thurston’s plan has not been tried, but its use will undoubtedly be considered should a flow show signs of becoming dangerous. - To understand how mankind proposes to make the first scientific attempt to prevent volcanic damage one must revise one’s ideas of a volcano as a mountain whose top is likely to blow off to emit a cloud of smoke and ashes which gradually settle to the ground to bury everything under this thick covering. Roughly speaking, the Island of Hawali is composed of one 8,000-foot volcanic mountain and two 13,000-foot ones, with a circle of in- habited land fringing the shore, which each year extends farther and farther toward higher levels. N At the altitude of 4,000 feet on the slopes of Mauna Loa lies the crater of Kilauea, whose firepit, 3,000 feet in diameter, is usually at least partly filled with red-hot molten lava. This lake of fire is Hawalii's tame volcano. Visitors drive to its edge with as much safety as to the shore of a lake of water. Along the rim of the crater is a popular tourist resort, the Volcano House, as well as a military camp and vacation homes. Islanders flock there when the volcano stages a spectacular show. INCE 1924—a date which volcanologists be- lieve marks the beginning of a new cycle in the history of Hawail’s volcanoes—lava has been in the firepit of Kilauea crater only at irregular intervals. When the lava is drained from this firepit it is likely to be surging under- ground, seeking another outlet, flowing down barren mountain slopes, across fertile land to the sea. Mr. Thurston hopes to be able to stop such a river of fire before it reaches the fertile, inhabited areas on the lower levels. In submitting his plan for the consideration of Gov. Lawrence M. Judd, Thurston described it as follows: “Normally, a lava flow breaks forth at & point thousands of feet up the side of a mountain, covering a large area. “This area quickly congeals, the front of the flow being through a conduit which speedily builds its own banks until it becomes a tube varying from 10 to 50 feet in diameter. “The ceilings of these tubes are perforated, through which the gas escapes. “I suggest that if the feeding of the lava to the front of the flow through such a tube can be obstructed and interrupted the front of the flow will cease to cover new land. If the cur- rent of lava can be caused to cease flowing through the tube and forced out on to the area already covered by the first lava the territory in front of the tube will be saved from the destruction which inevitably results from a lava flow running over cultivable land. “This is the plan which I suggest: When & lava flow appears locate at a favorable place a blowhole opening into a tube through which molten lava is running to the front. “Suspend over this blowhole a charge of TNT—a high explosive—suspended by a block- and-tackle attached to a triped. “Arrange a device to be tripped by a rope several hundred feet long, which will drop the charge of high explosive into the tube. “Attach a fuse to the high explosive, timed to go off a few seconds after it is dropped, so that it will explode with sufficient violence to disrupt and destroy the tube, forcing the flow of lava to the surface, where it will cover the territory already blanketed by the first lava. “If this is successfully accomplished it will cause the front of the flow to become inactive and cause the molten lava to run cut at the point where the explosion has taken place.” Officials of the Territory and of the United States Army have considered the plan from all angles, and the Hawalian Volcano Research Association is continuing its study in order to hdve such data as are available to assist in carrying out the experiment. Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, jr., one of the world’s outstanding volcanologists, who has spent years at the Hawailian volcanoes, has expressed his belief that Thurston’s plan is feasible, provided the flow is of the slow type. Some of the flows are more rapid, and in such case the damage would be done before the explosive could be brought into action. Thurston himself recognizes this possibility. In his communication to the governor he wrote: “IP the expected flow comes to the surface from Hualalai the mountain is so steep that in all probability it would be impossible to put this plan into operation. “If, however, the flow comes out on the west side of Mauna Loa, where there are benches or flats, the progress of the flow probably will be declayed for a sufficient time to permit checking the flow by the suggested means.” Army and civilian engineers have considered the many complex technical problems which might arise in the actual working out of Mr. Thurston’s idea. “The terrain in which a lava flow might originate is of considerable extent, a large area of which is practically inaccessible,” Maj. Gen. Fox Conner, commander of the Hawalian de- partment, reported to Gov. Judd after con- sultation with Army engineers. “Difficulties of transportation and the entire abscnce of data upon which to base any estimate of the Can Man Handle the Volcano’s Fury? It is suggested that a charge of TNT be dropped inté a blowhole of a lava flow and exploded, thus diverting the flow. amount of explosive required or the best meth- od placing or detonating such explosive make any project of this nature largely experimental at the present time. “Providing that the advance of the lava stream is relatively slow, that the tube or tubes feeding the lava to the front of the flow are accessible and of a character permitting their destruction by explosives, it appears that the methods suggested by Mr. Thurston might accomplish the desired result of obstructing or diverting the flow.” Approaching the question from another angle, the attorney general’s department of the ter- ritory has bsen requested to render an opin- ion in regard to the responsibility for dam- ages to property which might be incurred if the lava should harm land not otherwise en- dangered prior to the explosion. AL’I‘HOUGH the proposed plan is the first serious scientific attempt to guide the forces of Hawaii’s volcanoes, nearly 50 years ago, so0 the story is told, a successful attempt was made to stop what promised to be a dis- astrous lava flow. The destruction of the town of Hoopuloa by s lavg, flow. In 1880, after more than a decade during which volcano activity was confined to the firepit in Kilauea, a flow broke out at the 8,800-foot level and slowly made its way down ward toward inhabited country. At first little fear arose, but as months passed and the flow showed no signs of abating, alarm spread in the City of Hilo, the largest settlement on the island, which was directly in the path of the flow. As is customary when the velcanoes become more awe-inspiring than ordinarily, native be- liefs were aroused and the impetuous fire god- dess Pele, whose abode is believed to be in the craters of volcanoes, was implored to prevent the approaching devastation of Hilo. Just as the residents of the city were packing their possessions preparatory to flecing before the river of lava, Princess Ruth—whose royal ane cestor, Prinecess Kapiolani, had, 60 years pre- viously, dared to stand on the firepit’s brink and renounce Pele in favor of the Christian God—reverted to the native religion and prayed to the fire goddess. Approaching the river of lava, she hurled of- ferings sacred to Pele into the stream, amid ceremonial songs, dances, chants and supplica- tions for the safety of the city. Pele seemed appeased. The river halted and the red-hot lava cooled. Hilo residents today take tourists to the edge of the flow, only a few miles above the city. The eruption of Kilauea last Summer gave evidence of two important facts: first, that there was still life in the ancient mountain, which has overflowed periodically as far back as history goes; second, that the volume of molten rock emitted—8,000,000 tons by careful scientific estimate—proved again that the feeding reservoir, somewhere under the 4,000- foot slope which runs to the sea 30 miles away, was far from depleted. IN MANY r:spects this demonstration was similar to those that have gone before it. The lava appeared during the night, coming from two huge fountains along the southwest arc of the pit. One threw its ejecta more than 150 feet into the air, building up a spate ter cone nearly as tall as a small office builde ing. The second bubbled in a lake of molten lava. which grew rapidly in size and depth. For a few nights after the cessation of the activity a glow was to be scen through the thousands of cracks on the surface. As usual, the eruption attracted a vast throng of sightseers. On the first night of the display it was estimated that more than a thousand cars were parked along the rim of the pit and at least 5,000 persons witnessed the great demonstration of nature. People came from all sections of the island to have a part in the excitement, and scveral steamship excursions were run from Honolulu. Never in recorded history has a lava flow in Hawaii caused the death of a human being. However, stories told to the first white resie dents in Hawaii in 1820 related the destruce tion of a large part of th: army of the Chief Keoua while crossing the lava desert of Kau. Eventually sclence will evolve a plan to hold the fire goddess in check. Will it be Thurs- ton’s TNT plan? No one knows. But his plan will probably be put to the test in the not-far- distant future. (Copyright, 1930.)