The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-05-25
LAKES OF FIRE.
Extinction Of the Greatest VOL
canO in the World.
A Description Of the Fiery Beds Which
Make up the Crater of Killanea.

L u
means that the largest active volcano of
the planet had been snufrcd out. Tho
new IL k Of molten lava of Halcmaumau.
which IS mentioned as having disappeared,
has not been in existence MANY wears.
and the period of volcanic activity and
earthquakes, which accompanied its for
nation, immediately preceded the last
great eruption from the ncighboring
crater on the summit of Mauna Loa in
November of 1880.
The island Of Hawaii, which is the
southmost Of the Hawaiian or Sandwich
group, is in the form Of two great twin
peaks, Mauna Loa and Manur Kea,
each OF which riGcg ~ an elevation
Of nearly II, 800 feet. On the summit
OF Mauna In ig Il crater which is in
tcr'nittcntiy active. On the slope of
Mauna Loa is the crater IT Kilauca (Lake
OF fire.. Kilauca is unique among the
volcanoes of the world. It IS situated in
a great pit in the side Of Mauaa Loa.
1900 feet deep and three miles in dame
ter, the walls Of which arc almost pcrpcn-
dlcular, SO that they can only be de-
sccnded where zigzag pathways have
been made. The lakes of fire which
make up the volcano of Kilauea are in the
southern end of the pit. There is at all
times moro or less volcanic activity in
these pits, and they arc constantly chang
ing IN form and position. In the ordinary
condition OF the volcano people can de-
sccnd the sides of the great pit and walk
over the floor to the lakes. The floor is
black as coal and So hot that it scorches.
shoe leather. There are great seams in it
at intervals, from which issue steam and
sulphurous smoke.
The shores of the lakes themselves are
high and steep. One can go close to the
edge ON the windward side, and by hold
ing a hat in front Of the face or wearing
a mask, peep over at the internal bub-
bling which is going on in the abyss.
The surface of the lakes, when quiet, is
covered with a hin layer of black, newly
hardened lava. The surface is never,
quiet long nor over its whole extent. A
pulsatlng mound makes it's appearance at
some point and swclls by slow DEGREES
until cracks appear running from the
apex. The fiery molten lava appears
yelling up through these cracks; the Law
er over the surface breaks into great
cakes, and fitting on edge, these cakes.
disappear and are swallowed up by the
red liquid underneath, which boils and /.
bubbles and sputters in the vent it has
found, throwing up spray which is, caught.
by the wind and spun out as fine as silk.
In this condition it is found in c~reyices Of
the lava on the banks, looking much like
punches of blond hair. The native Ha-
waiians term this stuff Pelc's hair, Pele
being the goddess supposed to inhabit
This Hale-mau-mau blouse of Everlasting
Flre). Natives who visit the spot throw
coins or edibles into the lake to apnease
the wrath of the goddess. The high
banks OF the lakes are swallowed up in
The seething cauldron below. In periods
OF great activity the surface of the lakes
rises and sometimes overHows the banks.
when u long stream of lava cyceps over
the floor of the great pit, disposing itself
In smooth folds like giant taffy.
kilauea is 4, 600 feet above the sea lew
cl, and is about twenty miles from the
crater on the summit of Mauna Loa which
is over 5000 feet higher. Yet there
seems to be some connection between the
summit crater and the vent in the side of
the mountain. During the summer
months of 1880 there was great activity
in Kilauea and several severe earthquakes
On the Island of Hawaii. The new fire
fake of H~alcmaumau, which the report
says has disappeared, made its APPEAR.
ance during this period. One night in
November of that year an eruption broke
out on the summit of Mauna Loa
with a loud explosion, and tho streams of
lava came pouring down the mountain
side in floods. The country through
which it came was wild, an impenetrable
tropical forest. In the first nights after
the eruption broke out, the stream could
be seen from far out at sea, looking
like a fiery serpent lying on the mountain
side. AS the months went on, the upper
part of the stream cooled on the surface
and crusted over, serving as a conduct to
carry the liquid to the terminus of the
flow, where it broke out and pushed its
way more slowly. The flow of lava con-
tinued into the summer of 1881, when it
about a quarter of a mile from
little tropical town of Hiio, having