The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-06-21
THE VOLCANO.
Evidences OrIntense Volcanic Activity
at the Great Crater.
VoLCANo House, Hawaii,

VOLCANO HOUSE, Hawaii, | /
June Il, 1865
The Volcano party of two ladies and
nine gentlemen, who arrived at this
place last Wednesday, have enjoyed
themselves immensely SO far, and have
nothing but praise to bestow upon Mr..
s. G. Wilder (who is Of the party for
his forethought and attention during the
trip on the Kinau and here at the Vol
cano. Landing at Keauhou early last
Wednesday morning, horses were found
to be in waiting, and for the further com
fort OF the ladies brake was provided at
tn. top OF the hill, about four miles and
a half from the beach. Only one OF the
ladies availed herself of this accommo-
dation, the rest of the party preferring
horseback riding. All were very much
pleased and surprised to find the road,
winding through the forest, in such ex
cellent condition 1t has more the ma
ture of an avenue than a road, and is
carefully graded. At the end of the
seventh mile, i. e., half way to the Vol
cano House, there has been put up
comfortable grass house. in which the
party waited for while, and enjoyed
glass of cool rich milk The balance of
the route was as enjoyable as it could be,
and in about four hours from leaving the
be lch, the Volcano House was reached.
.Iere Mr.. Maby, the manager, had
everything in readiness, and the after
noon of the day was spent in resting and
enjoying the view, the fine air and the
admirable cuisine.
This Thursday morning the party
went down into the crater and visited
the great pit that has swallowed up the
| former lakes of lava. The route across
the lava flow is plainly marked and easy
to traverse, and in an hour after reach
ing the lava flow the edge of the pit was
reached. Immense volumes of mingled
! smoke and steam rose from every part OF
the great pit and over the greater part OF
the sunken area the heat waves quiv-
| cred in the air The guide first con-
Quoted the party to shallow pit, partly
rooted over with a shell of thin lava,
and its flow and sides encrusted with
yellow and white crystals. The heat
was great, but a few of the most venture
some of the party went down into this
| pit and secured specimens. The roof OF
this pit was in part supported by pillars
| of smooth black lava, and on one side
opened out into the main pit. This
great breakdown, with sides some hun
dreds of feet in depth, is one chaos OF
broken basaltic rocks mixed with masses
of pahaehoe Cor smooth, black Laval, and
glowing with intense heat. This pit is
substantially separated from a still larger
breakdown in which there is every evil
dence of intense volcanic energy. The
whole area smokes and steams, and al
one point, in plain view, is chimney y
out of which gush blasts of intensely hot
gas. Venturing near this vent, the rush
and whirl of the molten lava below can
be plainly heard, and it is safe to pre-
dict that in a very short time the liquid
lava will flow out of this and other open
ings in the pit. On the route around
the edge of the pit, there are cracks il
which, at depth of three feet, the rock
is seen to be red hot, and there are many
bubbles" and vents from which pOul
volumes of heated air and sulphur fumes
An hour and half was spent in exam
lining the wonders of the Volcano as it is
and then, through a drizzling mist, the
party returned to the Volcano House
There every comfort is to be found, anC
the party have thoroughly enjoyed the
whole trip. {.