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Foreign Correspondence

Foreign Correspondence image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
February
Year
1887
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Honolulú, H. I., Jan. 19th. '87. To the Coürier: {Continued f rom lait Week) ThU nner cráter is about a mile lo diameter aud quite circular. Perhaps I can give a fairly clear idea of its general strueture hy using a homely llii-truiion. Imagine a wa-htub to be tilled at the center with a gravel liill, the sides of the bilí sloping down to the bottom of tlie tub and the heigbt of the hill at the peak being about even witb tlie top of the tub. There will be a kind of trough or valley torim-d hetween the slopes of tlie central liill mul the tlMef of the tub and running ctatr round the blll and tlie inside of the tub. Now magnify the tub to a cráter a mile in diameter, make its sides of loóse roeks more or less perpendicular, place in il :i central hill made up of large loóse stones ; thsn in the trough at the loot ol the central hill and the edges of the enter place more or les liquid lava aiui yon Imve something like the present appearanoe of the inner cráter of Kilauea. At the time of my visit there was not lava all around the hill but since, 1 am told, the central hill is entirely surrouiuled at its foot by a river of lava. Th il central hill, coveriiij an area of perhaps a hundred and lifty acreR, ís supportad on tbe surface of the liquid lava, and as the lava rises in the cráter this imEneaM ir nut, enough surfaee to inake a largo farm, rises also and since July Lhe rtilug has been coDstantly going on, so tlmt now the top of the central hill rises f.ir abov the level of the edges of ol the inner cráter. Let me stite here that about four and ¦ halt moiiths befo re my visit, the bottom of Kilauea droppeil out, that is, all the liquid lava and all other signs of activity exoept heat disappeared in a single nijjlit, leavinir ayawuing black chasiu or hole. To al] appearatKM tbe volcano was dead and It was te red that old Kileaua had mu ricnioniously taken her departure to rever, But in a week or so the steam itaited up and about three weeks betore my vUit liquid lava reappeared. Kilauea luid been previously known on one or two occasions to takt such rests but never so long a one as the last. I might niention tlmt this disappearince was just previous to the terrible volcanic outbreak in Xew Zeulanil and also that, within twenty-four hom aster Kilauea's freak, Etna began to BMüttMt unusual activity. There need not have be'ii any necessary conDection between these events but the f acts of tbe simiiltaneous occurrence are sugjfestive to say the lea-t. As rnight be expected after such an escapade, Kilauea returned rather weary and dil not manifest her usual vigor. I had expected tint wlien I sliould stam) on h;ink- of the inner 01 ater, I should see the molten lava boiling, bubbling, hcaviiiL' anil spouting in a most wonderful manner. Well, I uow stood ihere, riht wliere a lew inonthtt before had been a larga lake ol lire, and wliat did I see, I saw the central hill of loose rocks and Um tronjrh-ltka depression between me and the hill. I saw vapors rising in erend plrces but ootMnft else to suggest the iiumciliate neighborhood of a great active volcimo. Following the guide, we iliMcndei! tbe rleprceelon already nientioned over loose rough rocks, and then commeDoed to cliuib the central hill. About half way up we carne to a place wlicic Viipors ere ascending; and the iiiidi; intormed us thal, at this pot, the liquid lava lirst reappeared. 8tepping forward I found myself on the brink of ;( ti Irregular fbvr-elded well, about thirty feet wlde, twice as long and one huudred and lifty feet deep. Leanlng over the edge as far as I dared, I saw the bottom mostly covered with recently rooled, black lava. However, at one end there wat a place about four teet square, where at an interval of a few seconds red-hot larawai poflbd out and tlirown up a íew feet The liquid lava would alnlost instantly cool and blackuu and would then be followed by another puff of red-hot lava. The noise accoiiipanying this action was not unlike the irregular puffiug of a rail way locomotive. If you could Imagine black ice with a red-hot liquid bolling iimler it and every lew seconds breaklng tlirough the crust and boiling over with the emission of more or less steam, you might foim a remote idea of wliat I a:iw. On the side where I stood, ininicdiatcly under the perpendicular uall at my feet, I could hear a tremendous noisc as of dashing and splashin of angry water; but I could not lean over fur euough to see what it was, and the point where I stood was the only place where we could approach the edge ot the well in safety. T.eaving this spot the guide conducted us by a roundabout way up and down, ovef more loose rocks around a portion of the central hill to another well. This was nearly round, about thirty feet fn diB meter añd a hundred and tifty deep. We eonld approacb its montb at only one pnlnt, as every where it wassurrounded by [ooms rocks jutting over the edge and nol nffordlng a safe support. When one is in such a place, with sueli snrroundings, there la a reding of a special need of tomethlng olW ander one's feet. Lennnifi over I saw at the bottom of the well (oiic about ten feet aeross the top, and inside the cone the lava was boiling at a lei tifie rite. It was too active to cool off i partióle. Every few seconds the well would Hpout up a gory spray of firey liquid to the moiith of the well and aliiim-i i uto our faces as we stood looking hut Into tbe red gaping mouth below. Being on the leward slde, the fumes of ulphur dioxide carne into our faces i o such volumes that we could not staud our groond long and were obliged unwillingly to withdraw. The scène was powerfull y fascinating and I would gltully liave watclied t for liours. These two places that I have called wella were quite dilHoult of acceu and very few ever visited thctn; and at the present time, I belleve they are quite inacceSHible. Tbere was only one other place in the cráter where liquid lava cotild be secn and we turned uur steps in that direction. This place wiii called a lake of lava. It might have boen three hnndred feet wlde and four hnndred feet long. It was situated at the bottom of a portion of ttie trough between the central liill and the sides of the inner cráter. Tbe best view we emild get of it as a whole was about a tliousand feet away. It was possible to approach it on a perpendicular bank lm mediately above it two hundred feet high but the edge of the bank looked too insecure and we preferred a safe place al a greatcr distance. It was about noon when we reached the place. The lake was quiet ; ItfrlQrface looked cold and black, though it was probably warm euoujrh to feel of; here and there steam was ruing lazily f rom its stirface. It was anything but terrifying. We sat down to lunch and to await the pleasure of the lava to perform for onr instruution and amusement. After waiHng and watching au hour without teetng any change, we suddenly saw a miss of liquid lava push through the black crust and commence to tlow. It would slowly tlow a few feet Uien instantly blacken over. These red tonques kept pushing out all the afternoon at different places; and although this was interesting to watcfa for awhile, it was not the kind of activity I wanted most to wee. I was deslroui of seeing something startling and tamiying, some awful demonslration of volcante power. We waited all afternoon boping that in a little whlle the lake would get stirred up; we beenme lm patiënt and began to inckc sport of Kilanca's capabililies; but it was no use. The altei noon dragged away into twilight and durkness earne on gradual ly. The scène was transformed. Aa it giew more and moredark, the black stirface of lava bcgan to show hen; and there a little red gleamiug crack in lts surface; the one red crack multiplied Into many; little red eyes begau to peep onl here and there and to wink at us; the red cracks and blinking eyes became more numerous, larger and brighter as it necame dat ker. It was as it there was a nniiature city below us and it was llgbUng up. The sight was exceedingly pretty. About half-past seven o'clock in the evening our patience was turther rewarded. Suddenly without any warning a part of the crust of the lake gave way, tben other parts and in an lustunt the whole black surface was broken up and dlsappeared; and in its place was a naked sea of red-hot lava seething and boiling, shooting up here and there into gory spray. The whole cráter was lighteii up; the sea of tire surged feebly, shortly cooled over and was again with face covered by a black mask. What I saw was very inferior to what many have wlbMMed when the volcano has been more active. Sometimes this general breaking up of tbe lake occurs as often as every two hours; and, agaln, visitors have sat and watclied it in vain all night. Often the lake sends fountains fifty or seventy feet hinh and sends tiercé billows surgiug against the cl i lis. Speaking of tbe inner cráter, it is conMtautly uDdergoing changes, the lava disappearing at one place and reappmrlBg at auother. lis action is scarcely twice alike in all detail?. Half au liour later we started back on our way across the Hoor of the cráter lu passing a certain point we were attracted by a red crack sbotit four inches wide. The rock down in the crack at the sides ati.iiit a toot below the turfaoe was red bot. Our walking sticks were instaii tl v set into a bla.i' on being thrust into the crack. I neglected to state that every one going iuto the cráter carries a heavy waiking-stick in order to test the the sm-ngth of the lava to see if it will hold up. This is only necessary, ot course, when one makes independeut excursioos out of the beaten paths. There are air holes in lava tbe same as in ice and there is a like dang'-r ot breaking through the chief danger would not be that of falling into a sea of Uva, for these air holes are generally shallow, hm one's lejfs would be api to gel üadly Ottl and bruised. if walking over the lava path in broad dayllght was cliftic.uU, you may infer that afwas not easy going over the same path later duik by the iiDcertain light of i antiTii in auotlier hand. I inanlged to get out of the cráter alive but e'rt a considerable portion of a thumh in a crack into which I tripped and feil. The surface of the lava is very fjl iMf and sharp. As 1 found out, it makes very ugly wounds. 1 wo days later, I went down in the cráter again without any guide but I was verycarelul to get ut long bufore tOOMti During my second visit the lake was much more active than before. On tlit: tirst occasion there was an almost entire absence of noise in the lake, but this time it was makiug loud and constant noise. The lake itself was quite active and was continually pufilng out lava at one point. 1 planued to Spend a whole night down in the cráter by the lake, but the night appointed was so rainy and dlMgroeable that the plan was given up: and tlie following night being our last at the TOlOa no, I preferred to get a good night's rest preparatory to the next day's journey. The guide managed to get down to the edge ot the lake, although he would Dol perinit any ot us to accompany him. He sraa walked out on the recently oooled hardi'.n-d surface to a place where smiu: of the fresh lava was llowing out and collected some on his walking stick. It looked like a rash thing to do, but there was really no danger at that particular point. The activity is kept within pretty clearly defined limlts and when these are learned one eau trust the lava to a suiprislng extent. This same guide bad a few days previous run clear across the uardened surface of the lako. lied-hot lava on exposure to the air harden or freezes over on the outside very quickly and one can sately walk on a ernst that has been hardened only live minuU-s and which is still hot enoiigh to bnru tbe soles from one's shoes. It nmy seeni a remarkable fact, hut it is, uevertheless true, that no lives have ever been known to be lost in the cráter of Kilauea. A few have had narrow es capes ; many teil of close calis they never had. The only great tale I can teil is that two trips into the cráter over the rough lavau'sed up a pair of heavy .shoes, and, doubtless, my experience lu this respect was not at all uncominon. Kilauea, although really a sépante uut .tin, appears to lie uu the southeattern flank of and to be a part of Malina Loa. Mauua Loa rlss 10,000 feet above Kllauea; lts cráter Is rarely vlslted, belng very difflcult to reach. 1 plan to vist it at some future timo. I bollera i has shown no signs of activity for abou live yenr8. It is a qucstiou among geien Uflo men whether there is any oonneotloi between these two rolcanoea. They d not seem to influence each otlier in anv murked way and yet I think the genera tetnlency is to believe tliat Hiere is some kind ot oonaectlon. HutUalai, another volcano Munni Loa lia?, liad one eruptioi within htetorloal times, over flfty yean ago I belifcve; gince tliat time it haa shown no signa of activity and 8 proba bly dead forever. The eraptlona from Kllaaeaand Mauoa Lor are quita different in charaeter trom those of Vesiivins. They are generalij qutet, although they have been preceded by levere earthqnakes. The lava is nol tponted un out of the cráter and scattered aronnd ralacellaneoualy but it quletly breaks through the alde of the monutain somewhere and flovs down. Oenerally the first that is knowu f an eruptlon or lava flow is a lire likt a beacon llght at night up on th mountain. In the fall o! 18S0 siich a lava llow broke out from near the Bummit of Mituaa Loa and Qowed down the monntom alde in the directloc of Hilo. The flow oonünned oyer a yéar, all the whik' nearinc Hilo, whleh little paradlas aeemed snrdy deatlned to 1 c nie auother Pompell. Sonae daya the flow wiinlil come to a Stand ftlll 'and a;aiii it woiild move on a qnarter of a mile or more in a ilay. People from the other laland went to see it; the people of Hilo oamped out beside it to watch In suspeus-e its menacing protrraat; and it waa, duiihiless a wonderfol siht aueh as eau rarely be aeen. When within a half a mlle of Hilo, the llow fuddenly stopped and Hilo waa happy. At niglit one could see its whole paih llghted up alonjE its forty miles of lengtli, not nnllke a river ol Ure. While In Hilo last nimmer, I vitcil this icmirkahle flow. It looked &s tbougt it liad buteooled the day hefore I was tokl many thrillinjr and iiilrnsely interestiug InoMenU abonl it and tometime I m iy embody tliem in a letter. According to Hawalian mylholojty, tbe volcanoes are pretlded over by the Qoddess Pé é, and Cilaue.i is often (poken "1 af Madame Pé 's resideuce. Q-rOwlng outside of the (Mater are immense num bers of little red berriei callnd ohdot; aooordtng to satire raperttttlon, you innsi ant eal any of these until you have lirst pkdrad tome and tbrown them into the volcino for Pé é ; then you can eat with impunity all you want. Arriving at the volcano tliirsty and hunirrv, theae berrlei looked tempting and i ate a irood many without waiting to rive l'é é ataste; but 1 altorwarda wiahed I had heeded the native cu-tom. Wild stiawberries were growing in abttndanee near the Voleano House and they seemiid very homelike indeed. I have by no meaus exhausted my siibject for It aaeent m il I had leftnnaald even more tlian I have w ritten ; but I fear too much of one thing may be wearisome for your readers and so close for the

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News