Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-05-23
Bathing IN a Volcanoes VapOr.

of Denver, an account OF recent visit
to the volcano Kiluaes, and the letter
printed in Tile Denrer News. The visit
was made in May last, and after de-
scribing the journey thither Mr.. David.
son says:
$50 different is the scene presented
from what the visitor expects that it is
difficult to describe it intelligibly or in
such manner as to give the reader any
distinct idea of its appearance. The
crater Kiluaea is nine. miles in circum
ference, mean width three miles, sur
rounded by a we'll defined rim. The
bed OF the crater is six hundred
feet below this rim. The active
burning lake is in the south end
of this crater, and at a distance can be
seen as indicated by vast volumes of
smoke and vapor arising around and
above the same rocky projections ada.
cent. 10 this point the sight-seeker ia
conducted by a guide, and there, stand
ing on the brink of the projecting
scoria, he looks down on the strangest
and widest element, surgipg and
throwing its fiery spray as it madly
beats against the surrounding walls,
from which it seems to be repealed by
some unseen power, only to level down
and become OF sombre hue and drift
back to he overturned and lashed into
waves and crimson shreds that fall back
into the massive cauldron. The heat
is very great and burns the face. and
the brightness of the broken elements
is painfully dazzling to the eye. There
is no sameness or monotOny, and from
the smooth, dark surface of q minutes
duration fringed Ivy crimson lines,
fiery flames issue with kissing sound,
each furtive glance giving different
view, and then deep rumbling as of q
troubled sea is followed by the widest
and most violent agitation. Hours
might be spent gazing at the changing,
infuriate element. Over much of the
road from Hilo to the volcano, thirty
miles. there is scarcely any earth, show.
ing a new volcanic formation. Varied
vegetation has commenced growing
vigorously from the scarcely distin.
guishable soil OF decomposed lava, and,
indeed, the scoria now produced and
thrown out by volcanic force is very
friable, and its formation is usually
in thin layers, easily crushed under the
foot of the pedestrian. The bottom of
the main crater and exterior of the
burning lake is composed OF layers
of lava of different colors and different
comparative structure, interlapped and
interwined as it oozes along, and, at
short intervals, the slowly.moving
masses pressing their heavy, burning
fronts, still liquid, though far off from
the burning cauldron. You can thrust
q walking stick into it and easily de-
tach quantities of the consistency of
sugar when struck from the valmer-
pan, or thin mush. The bed of the
main crater was some few years ago sew
eral hundred feet deeper below the
unchanging surrounding rim. 1t rises
and falls without any fixed or regular
periodicity. The active lake of fire is
at present six hundred feet below the
rim of surrounding country, and the
dimensions of the burning lake three
hundred yards long by one hundred
yards wide. This lake or cauldron is
constantly changing its size, form, and
location from cycle to cycle, slowly
Waiting around the vast area of the
great crater. The lava is at present
thrown out of the burning lake by a
subterranean passage on the west side,
in river, and presses his way, dividing
into many slowly-moving streams,
throughout the western half of the in.
closed plain, each stream at night show
ing its size and encroaching course,
and to the visitor, standing on the rim
Immediately above, gazing down, it
looks like vast city at his feet, ir-
regularly illuminated by the sport of
jewellers. As the lava is cooled, it is
riven into all manners of shapes,
breaking like ice under the influences
OF changing tides, and as one walks
over the newer formations, looking
down between the broken fragments,
can be seen, few inches beneath the
cooled surface, bright, shiny, living
fire in massive quantities. The heat
radiated from the surface is worry great,
but the north wind usually blowing
over an elevation OF about one thou
sand feet, cools the atmosphere gener-
ally, so the visitor suffers no incon.
venience. I believe no one has lost
life, as yet, accidentally in the crater.
but do not think any one feels natur.
ally safe until he has assembled to tho
outside country, and even then the
steam issuing from many assures,
bringing up sulphurous odors. makes
one who is sinful and believes in eter.
nifty of torment think that lie is not far
from his future homo.
In ascending to the upper regions
you are conducted to small house
within q etone's-cast of the hotel. Here
You disrobe and indulge in a sulphur
bath. A pipe conducts vapor from a
assure in rock to the room in which
You sit ia puris natuyniibus, a la Russ,
and when you say Ready valve is
opened admitting the - in any vol
ume and of any temp lure you de-
sire. When you feel as If you were in
Tartarus, and about to give up the
ghost, shout ALA ! to the native
superintendent, and the valve is closed
and the vapor shut off. You are then
douced with warm and then with cold
water, rubbed dry, with towels, sub.
hitting to the Lomitomi-a native
remedy for all human ills, which con-
'sists in working and kneading your
body with their hands as if it were