White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-08-13
The Lake Of Fire

The following description Of lake Of nre'
in the crater Of volcano on the Sandwich Is
lands. will be read with interest
But the whole had not yet been seen. Not
having been able to reach the lake from below,
we resolved to approach and nOk upon it from
above. In the face ola cold, driving rain storm.
Mr.. Hussy (my very agreeable travelling com
pAnion.) the guide and myself set out on foot
for walk of FIVE miles to the desired point
The whole body Of the crater was full Of steam
and smoke, and doubts were expressed whether
We could get view of the bottom but en- We
went, trusting for better things, in which We
were net disappointed.
Before reaching the bank above the lake, and
while it was hid from view, we could distinctly
hear the sound Of its splashing waves, 30 ike,
and yet so unlike the breaking Of the surfupon
the oceans shore. There was q mingling Of
the sound Of rushing waters with its own dead.
heavy, missing one. A moment more and We
stood upon the brow of the perpendicular wall
Of thousand feet, and directly above the lake,
and there we sat ourselves silently upon the
rocks to look down upon it. 1t differed from all
!
we had seen before. The lurid light Of the
previous night was gone, and the beautiful pie
lures which helped to make up the scene were
absent; but in their stead were others more Ap-
palling and full of terrors. Here in close prox-
unity and plain sight, was "a lake burning with
fire." may be unquenchsble, and it only required
the walls Of the tormented to complete the
dread description Of hell.
The lake was in size some half a mile in d.
ameter, and one-and-a-half in circumference,
nearly roundi its surface was raging with great
violence, and was, when unbroken, black and
dark. but WheR agitated violently, as the centre
was continually, its color was blood red. Every
few moments the lava would be thrown up at
least fly feet in jets, and then, as If lashed into
fury, great waves would chase each other, boil
ing and foaming red with heat, If not With an
ger. Strange sounds saluted the ear, as well a.
strange sights the eye. Occasionally loud re-
ports we're heard; then the boilers were blowing
of their pent up steam at once, and the dead
heavy sound of the disturbed lava, was eontin-
uous. Take it altogether it was decidedly the
most startling scene had ever witnessed.
Just beyond the burning lake was zoe great
cone, now black as night, from Which the in
teasely brilliant light had shone tie night bs.
fore. Fit chimney, indeed, for TIE FIRE beneath
Its proportions we're gigantic, i.s capacity i'm
mense, and it was belching forth at intervals
vast volumes Of smoke and steam, made up
grand but an awful picture. impossible to des
cribe, but never to be forgotten.
On our return from the view Of the lake We
passed the sulphur banks. They are located
about quarter Of q mile from the upper bank
Of the crater, on slightly depressed plain or
valley. They are less than half mile in
length, and are full of holes, through which
beautiful crystals Of sulphur are hanging. In
securing some specimens I burnt my fingers in
the steam. The natives call this bank Of sulph-
VI Pele's Dunghill.
All along the bank and in some places half .
mile distant from the crater are holes and fss-
ures in the rocks, from which steam Is constant
ly issuing burning hot. The ground near the
crater is strewn all over with Pele's hay-s fine
thread Of glass or melted sand thrown up from
the volcano and blown into minute, attenuated
threads By the wind. They are in color broNp
and much resemble auburn hair; and hence
the name. They cover the ground like cob
webs but are very brittle, and it requires care to
gather them up.