The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-01-13
A Late Description of Kilauea.

The Rev. L. Coan of Hilo, under date Of 3Gth
August last, contributes an article TO the De
cember number of the " American Journal of
Science and Arts describing a visit to the
volcano of Kilauea. We copy some interesting
paragraphs:
81 was in the crater on the 22d instant. and
was at once surprised with the great changes
manifest. l had no sooner descended from the
northern terrace, or black rim, than | found my
self on new ground. All old tracks and land
marks were Obliterated. All was recdSt. About
half a mile from the south lake | began to rise
on an angle of some $50 until | was on a level
! with the rim of the caldron. About three humid
red yards from the pit the heat was 30 great, and
the gases SC pungent, that | could not proceed i'm
a direct line to the margin. Being driven back
L made a det0ur, and again attempted n direct
approach. Failing in this, i retreated TO u safer
atmosphere, and then fanked the fiery pit at
some distance, travelling southwestward for half a
mile. Here | found the smoke and gases lighter,
and again L advanced on the crater at right
angles. With difficulty | succeeded in reaching
the rim, and a puff of wind favoring by sweeping
off the dense smoke of the pit in another direction,
1 caught a twenty-second glimpse Of the awful
abyss below. l judged the pit Of Halemaumau
to be seven hundred feet deep, one mile and n
half long from east to west, and one mile from
north to south. But it was full Of dense columns
of smoke and sulphurous gases which were rap
ldJy rising from burning uepLH5 DelOW, ana being
carried by the winds over all the regions | wished
to traverse. Almost Immediately after the open
ing, which revealed to me the profound depths of
the fiery abyss, the whole pit was packed and
darkened with still denser clouds of smoke, which
the ftful wind began to drive upon me. / made
a hasty retreat to the northwest, where | reached
the original black-terrace, and, mounting an
inactive cone some twenty-five feet high, rested
in a current of cooler and purer air. and surveyed
the marvellous scene | had just left. There is n
great body of molten matter in this pit, recog-
nized by it's sullen mutterings, and splashings and
s%urgings, and by the blody glow thrown upon
the uprising columns of smoke at night. But
the heat and smoke are so great, that it is unsafe
to approach the rim of the crater, and usually
impossible to see the bottom even could you
reach the margin of the pit.
The immense quantities of lava which came
from this pit were not all thrown over the upper
rim. After this rim had been raised, with all
the surrounding area, TO a great height, the
molten foods formed subterTanean passages 70 tue
lower parts Of Kilauea, where they burst out,
and spread seas of liquid fire over the surface.
An actiUe Crater on MounG LOd.-While at
Kilauea, the atmosphere being clear at night, l
had a view of an active volcano on Mauna Loa
some $1,000 feet high, and about four miles
south by west of Mokuaweoweo the summit
crater. This volcano has been burning for weeks,
though not often seen at Hilo on account of
clouds. It's bearing is about southwest from
IIiiO anu do L JuuSOs dUOuS hOIth rum hduuhu
in Kau. IL is said that several Hawaiians Of
Kau have visited it. They say that it is a small
lateral crater of Mokuaweoweo, about four miles
distant. 1t has long been extinct, but it now
boils in fiery swirls, much like KIlauea. Its
action is unequal, sometimes throwing up bril-
liant jets, and clouds of smoke, and anon seeth-
ing quietly in its deep caverns. 1t has not over
flowed it's rim, or rent it's mural walls, or found
any subterranean vent by which the molten lake
passes off. From week to week and month 10
month il burns in solitude, and shines like a
beacon light upon the dark mountain. Most of
the time it is hidden from us by clouds but
when the old mountain-the mother Of volcanoes
her misty veil, we can then see it's
distant light.
Some thirty-fve or forty miles from Kilauea,
and about 1000 feet above it in altitude, how is
it that we can see no sympathy that proves a
subterranean connection?