The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-11-25
A Live Volcano.

Inc donoiulu (5andwich Islands)
Adcertiscr has the following graphic
description Of the appearance OF the
great lakes Of lava recently formed by
the volcano of kilauea:
Tourists to the volcano for many
years past all remember certain active
pools of lava, the North and South
lakes, which ordinarily bubbled and
tossed fiery flood at depth of about
120 feet below the floor of the great
crater. Now these lakes have all been
filed up, and there have arisen peaks
and cones Of hard lava that rise over
lOO feet above tho south bank of the
great crater, which is about 1,OOO feet
high. But there has burst forth a new
opening in the great crater floor not
far distant from tho old lakes, and a
new lake, almost round in form, about
600 feet across and some seventy feet in
depth, in ordinary stages, below the
surrounding brink.
Here the great Hawaiian volcano pre-
sants the most varied fantastic play OF
liquid lava. Here are some of the
phases CT the play of fire lake, as re-
Gently observed in the great crater of
hilauea. Sometimes it almost seems to
sleep, and the disappointed visitor
looks down into black valley and OBJ
serves o smoking pit giving no more
evidence Of combustion than a tar kiln.
But the observer stands on the brink of
the pit, or great pool or lake, as now
appears, about 600 feet across, and
whose surface is about seventy feet be-
low him. And what is this surface IL
presents dark silver-gray hue, with a
satiny shine. This is crust of duies-
cent lava, and the observer who has ex-
pected to have his sense of wonder
strained to speechlessness, says els
this all ?" mol looki the frozen.
CLASSY lake is alive.
Nnae heave IN the center-some
mighty beast lifting up that floor
NOW wave OF undulation runs round
the 1ncrusted marge. And there is an
outburst, blood-red fount, gushing
and bubbling from one of earth's arter-
les. The broad disk of the lake heaves
and trembles. Titful gaseous flashes
fit across, and now the moving floor
cracks and serrated fissure like the
suture of q skull runs from marge to
narge, and quick, darting streaks, sud
den cracks OF the crust, shoot across in
all directions. These serrated streaks are
at first rosy lines on the gray surface,
then they widen like crimson ribbons.
broadening to the view. They undu-
late with the billowy motion of the
whole upheaving surface. Another Grim
son fount springs up along the now
fretting and roaring rim of the lake:
and another and another of now wildly
upleaping fountains of fire toss high
their CORY crests, even casting gouts and
clots of the red spray that fall and harden
near the observers feet. BY this time
the spirit of our inferno is aroused.
The whole fierce red lake is all boil and
leap and roar. 1t is more than the roar
of loud sea surfs beating bold bluffs.
The surging tide of the molten earth
sounds deeper, believing bass than
any note of the sounding sea. And now
The hesved-up crust, broken into frag-
ments, is churned up and dissolved in
the boiling flood. The roaring gulf is
now, indeed, vortex of indescribable
glories and terrors. Caves open on the
sides of the surrounding wall, and
man sees more of a hell than he ever
imagined. A thousand demons are now
holding high carnival in this bottom
ess pit-and the leap and play of
iery flood-the dance and swell of
ed, surging tide, and the roar and
hriek of the dread forces issuing from
he red-hot pulsating heart of the plan
't, make thoughtful observer hold his
land to his own heart and say, "This is
'nough; the Almighty is here"