The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-12-28
WHOLE NO. 428.

to heave in fiery throes, momentariv accel
Grating in force, propelling the jets Of erin
son metal up 10, 10, 20 and 30 feet-in
deed often.times as high as the bank upor
which We stood. The fiery jets would rur
one into another, until frequently as many
as six or eight were in furious action to
gether, when their united power woule
suddenly open a blazing seam across tht
blackened surface Of the lake, which had
rapidly cooled since the convulsion of two
or three minutes previous, and then thu
liquid food, released from the hardening
crust which kept it down, would roll in
flaming embers across the whole surface
and then dash upon the Stygian shore.
FACTS CONCERNING THE VOLCANO.
The crater Of Kilauea is situated on the
eastern flank Of Mauna Loa, at an altitude
Of about 5000 feet, and is approached by
. not very difficult ride from Hilo Of about
80 miles. A shorter ride Of 10 miles from
the little bay Of Aqua, on the southeastern
| coast Of the island, would be attended with
less fatigue than the journey uia Hlo, bu,
vessels rarely touch at that point. PaSsen
gers by steamer from Honolulu sometimes
land at Kawaihae, on the western coast,
and ride acI oss the island to Hlo; but it
IS q rough journey Of 80 or 100 miles,
For many reasons the trip by the way Of
Hilo is preferable.
The volcano has been in positive activity
since it first became known to civilized
man, and in all probability for ages pre-.
viously; but its activity varies grately at
different times. Several tremendous erur-
tions have occurred within the remem
brance Of our generation. From 1856, for
three years, the volcano was in a state Of
unusual energy. In the latter part of Jan.
uary, 1859, great eruption took place on
Mauna Loa, when new crater was formed
at . much higher altitude than that of
Kilauea. The lava torrent took then
nOrtherly direction, and rolling over the
plateau Of another mountain, plunged into
the sea, destroying small fishing village
in its course. Observers Of this phenome-
usR, who hastened to Hawaii, were repaid
by spectacle Of unparalleled grandeur
The fire rose 250 feet above the crater in a
cone Of fame, and the plunging lava curved
along the mountain sides like fiery SER
pent, lcaping in solid food from precipice
10 precipice.
When Mr.. Ellis visited Kilauea. in 1922,
he and his associates saw 81 ccnical islands
Of various sizes rising round the edge, or
from the surface of the burning lake.
Half Of these emitted smoke or flame, or
vomited streams Of lava. Tradition, and
the observation Of the residents Of the
Island, all 60 to prove that the volcano is
in constant transition state, sometimes
less, though Tor the past few years its gen
eral activity has undoubtedly decreased,
notwithstanding its occasional fiery out
bursts. Estimates Of its present superficies
vary. We thought it could not be less than
700 feet in diameter.
The dark mythology of the Hawaiiana
invested this appropriate arena with addi.
tional horror. 1t is the dwelling place OF
their awful goddess, Pele. the prime dvin.
ity of their pantheon. Here, in company
with her subordinate demons, she bathed
and disported in its sulphur waves. Chris
tan cou,age here, too, subdued supernatur.
al terror. when in 1926 the converted chief
tainess, kapiolania, braved the anger Of the
goddess and the attendant terrors Of the
path, by descending alone into the crater,
and casting with her own hands into the
seething gulf the sacred berries, as an open
and avowed act Of desecration,