Louisiana capitolian., 1881-10-01
4 LIVE VOLCANO.

The Honolulu Advertiser has the fol-
lowing graphic description of the ap-
pearance of the great lakes of lava re-
Gently 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 dubbed and tossed a
fiery food at a depth Of about 100 feet
below the floor of the great crater. Now
these lakes have all been filled mp, and
there have arisen peaks and cones OF
hard lava that rise over 100 feet above
the south bank Of the great crater, which
IL about LOCO feet high. But there has
bnrst forth a new opening in the great
crater floor not far distant from the old
layes, and a new lake, almost round IN
form, about 600 feet across and some 60
feet in depth, in ordinary stages, below
the surrounding brink. Here the great
Hawaiian volcano presents the most
varied fantastic play Of liquid lava.
Here are some of the phases of the play
OF fire lake, as recently observed in
the great crater of Kilauea. Sometimes
it almost seems to sleep, and the disap-
pointed visitor looks down into a black
valley and observes 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 orlake, as
now appears, but 600 feet across, and
whose surface is about 60 feet below him.
And what is this surfaceg 1t presents o
dark silver gray hue, with satiny shine.
This is a crust of quiescent lava, and the
observer who has expected to have his
sense of wonder strained to speechless-
ness, says: SIs this all 7" No! look!
the frozen, CLASSY lake IS alive. What a
beaye in the centre--some mighty beast
lifting up that floor Now wave Of
andulation runs round the incrusted
marge. And there is an ontburst,
blood red tount, gushing and bubbling
from one of earth's arteries. The broad
disk OF the lake heaves and trembles.
Fitfnl gaseous flashes fit across, and now
the moving floor cracks and 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 the gray surface, then they widen like
crimson ribbons, broadening to the view.
They undulate with the billowy motion
ofthe whole upheaving surface. Another
crimson fount springs up along the now
fretting and roaring rim of the lake; and
another and another of now wildly up
leaping fountains of fire toss high their
CORY crests, even castings gOuts and clots
of the red spray that fall and harden
near the Observers feet By this time
the spirit of our inferno is amused. The
whole fierce red lake is all boil and leap
aud roar 1t is more than the roar of
loud sea surfs beating bold bluffs. The
surging tide of the molten earth sounds
a deeper, believing bass than any note
Of the sounding sea. And now the heav-
ed-up crust broken into fragments is
churned up and dissolved in the boiling
food The roaring gulf is now, indeed,
a vortex of indescribable glories and ter
rors. Caves open on the sides Of the
surrounding wall, and a man sees more
of a hell than be ever imagined. A thou
sand demons are now holding high car
nlval in this bottomless pit--and the
leap and play of a fiery food-the dance
and swell Of q red surging tide, and the |
roar and shrek Of the dread forces issu-
ing from the red hot pulsating heart Of
the planet, make thoughtful observer
hold his hand to his own heart and say,
"This is enough; the Almighty is here"