The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-23

play OF . nIe Isse, s5 recently observed
IN the great crster of KIlauea Some
times il almost seems 10 sleep: and the
disappointed visitor looks down into a
black valley. and observes q smoking
Pit. giving no more evidence Of com,
bnstion than . tar kiln. But the ob-
server stands on the brink of the pit.
or great pod, ~ iske. as now appears.
abouts608 Test across, aud whose sur
face is abou; 20 feet below him. And
what Is this surface II presents a
dark silver gray hue. with q satiny
shpe Tbis is a crust Of q diescent lava;
and Tue olssrvef. who has expected to
have ana senseof wonder stfaiued to
speechlessness, says: ." Is this all 2"
mol lookl the frozen CLASSY lake is
alive. What a heave ia the center
some pigAsy beast lifting up that floor.
Nov awave or uuduiaticn runs round
the encrusted marge Ana there Is sn
oafburst. . blood red fount, gushing
and bubbling from ous OF earth's arte.
RES The broad disc If the lake
hesyes and tren bles. Fitful gaseous
i.shes fiIt across. And now the
moying floor goraos 3. .aRd q serrated
fissure, like the eatursaof q skull, runs
from msrge 10 maLge And quick
darling strekks. Sudden cracks of the
crRENsboptyk kcruss IN sti directiens.,
Thesesersaied streaks are. at fest rosy
lines op the gray sprf,ce ;!thTu they
wiCfen ike crimson ribbons. Broaden
Ing 20 the view. They undulate with
the billo~y motion of the whole up
heaviDg surface. Another crimson
fount springs up along the now fretting
aud roaring rim of the lake. Aud sn-
other. aud another Cf now wildly up
lesping fsuntsins OF fire toss high their
CORY crests; even casting gJuts and
clots Of the red spray. that fall and
harden near the observers feet. BY
this time the spirit of cur inferno is
aronsed. The whole fierce red lake is
aa boil aud leap add ruar. q 1t is more
than the roar of loud sea surfs beating
bold bluffs. The Singing tide Of the
molten earth. sounds deeper. below
ing bass than any note Of tue sounding
sea - AZ. dTuo W. the heaved up crust
broksn into Fragments, is churned up
ahdsdissSlxet an thss boiling flood.
The roaring gulf is n W indeed vor-
tex of indescribabie glores aud terrors.
Caves open ON the sides of the sur
rounding wall, and man sees more OF q
hell than he ever imagined. A thous
and demons are now holding high car
Dival in this bottomless pit-snd tue
leap and play Of fiery Hood-the
dance and swell of o red surging tide.
aud the roar aud shrek of the dread
forces issuing from the red hot pulsa
ting heart of the planet. make q
thoughtful observer hold his hand to
his own heart and say This Is
enough; the Almighty is here"
And then. the wild lake settles down
TO calm again; or to 8 milder display
by and by, or perhaps simply up.
heaves and overhows its hounds. and
spreads abroad in the great crater.
But at all times, it is wonderful; and is
ready to satisfy the curious observer,
tha. bere in mid Pacific. In our Ha.
waiiap islands, is the graDdest, most
varied and most momentous volcanic
action to be seen on the surface of the
globe.
The facilities for reaching this ever
active volcanic display at kilauea,
about 80 miles distant from Hilo, are
greater now than in former years. No
doubt, for some time to come. the
curious traveller may satisfy his desire
in respect to volcanic display in the
vicinity Of Hiio. The present eruption
somewhat resembles that OF 1859,
which continued to flow for thirteen
month"; Il viii to all appearances
flow for some months more. and may
add new promontory to the geogra-
phy of Hawaii.