Louisiana capitolian., 1881-09-29
4 LIVE VOLCANO.

VI The Honolulu Advertiser has the n
lg lowing graphic description Of the q
I'd pearance Of the great lakes Of lava !
"a Gently formed by the volcano Of K Kilsue,
" Tourists to the Volcano for many ven
Is past all srelnember certain active pon
IT Of lava, the North and South lake
q which ordinarily bubbled and tossed
n fiery food at depth Of about 100 fst
It below the floor ofthe great crater. No,
Q these lakes have all been filed up. an
T Dnefe have arisen peaks and cones 3
! hard lava that rise over 100 feet aboy
: the south bank of the great crater. whic)
f Is about 1000 feet high. But there ha
pnrst forth new opening in the grea
crater floor not far distant from the olt
iaves, and new lake, almost round il
form, about 600 feet across and some &
feet in depth, in ordinary stages, below
the surrounding brink. Here the greol
HaWalian volcano presents the most
4 varied fantastic play of liquid lava.
Here are some Of the phases Of the play
Ola lire lake, as recently observed in
the great crater of Kilanea. Sometimes
IL almost seems to sleep, and the disap-
pointed visitor looks down into a black
| valley and observes smoking pit giving
no moro evidence of combustion than q
tar kiln. But the observer stands on the
Drink OF the pit, or great pool orlake, as
now appears, but GOO feet across, and
whose surface is about6O feet below him
And what is this surface! It presents a
dark silver gray hue, with satiny shine
Ihls IL crust Of quiescent lava. and the
observer who has expected to have hin
sense Of wonder strained to speechless.
ness, says: rs this all p No! look
the frozen, CLASSY lake Is alive. What's 4
heave IN the centre-some mighty beast
lifting up that floor! Now q wave of
undulation runs round the incrustad
marge And there is an ontburst. q
blood red fount, gushing and bnbblinp
from one OF earths arteries. The broad
disk OF the lake heaves and trembks. |
fitfnl gaseous flashes fit across, and now !
the moving floor cracks and a serrated
fissure like the suture of skull runs
from marge to marge, and quick, darting
streaks, sudden cracks of the crust.
shoot across in all directions. These
serrated streaks are at first rosy lines
on hegray surface, then they widen like
crimson ribbons, broadening to the view.
ihey unduiate with the billowy motion
d the whole npheaving surface. Another
crimson fonnt springs up along the now
retting and roaring rim of the lake: and
mother and another of now wildly up-
Gaping fountains of fire toss high their
rory crests, even castings gouts and clots ,
u the red spray that fall and harden
lear the Observers feet. By this tiA,e
ne spirit of our inferno is amused. The
Whole fierce red lake is all boil and lean
nd roar. 1t is more than the roar OIL
oud sea surfs beating bold bluffs. The 9
urging tide Of the molten earth sounds !
deeper, believing bass than any note 8
The sounding sea. Aud now the heav- J.
i-up crust broken into fragments is =
lurned up and dissolved in the boiling q
ood. The roaring gulf is now. indeed. 9
vortex ofindescrbable glorjes and ter y
'fs. Caves open on the sides of the u
grounding wall, and man sees more d
he'll than he ever imagined. A thou q
md demons are now holding high car
val III this bottomless pit-and the II
ap and play ola fiery food-the dance ~
Id swell Of a red surging tide, and the Ia
ar and shrek OF the dread forces issu- u
g from the red hot pulsating heart Of q
e planet, make thoughtful observer o'
'id his hand to his own heart and saw df
This IS enough: the Almighty is here y ID