Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-03-31
VISIT TO THE VOLCANO.
Report of the Deputation of Research.
Cornnxed

The pit,as viewed from our several
points of observation, shows Halemau.
mau to have sunk some 600 feet. Mr..
Maby states that previous to the col
lapse on the 9th instant, the highest
point of Halemaumau's rim was on its
southern bank, known as Cathedral
Rocks, which, as viewed from the Vol
csno House, were higher than the tops
OF the distant hills to the south of
Kilauea- They must therefore have
been about 200 feet higher than the
present rim of Halemaumau's ruins.
The present height of the floor of the
crater, or oaldera around the banks of
the chasm, ranges, by anerOid measure
ment, from 500 to Sa5 feet below the
veranda of the Volcano House, and
zoo feet higher than at the base of the
bank, or foot of the path whereby
visitors generally enter the crater. This
height at the lakes, above the northern
edges of the floor of the crater, has
been growing up gradually for some
time past, so that the 'overflowS from
Halemaumau have been heightening
aud extending the floor of the crater to
the south TO a considerable distance
beyond It's limits, as mapped by Brig
ham in 1865, and gives the circumfer-
ence of Kilauea to-day as probably not
less than twelve miles
The rush of the lava from Halemau-
mau drained of New Lake, which, in
its deepest part, seems but about Iso
feet in depth. At the withdrawal OF
this bed Of molten lava connecting the
two lakes, the roadway portion of the
bed of the crater which bridged the
two dropped down into the chaSm,
with Its incline toward the north and
east, leaving Its highest and most
abrupt break on the Halemaumau side
A peculiar feature of the chasm is that
what at distance seems TO be perpen-
diculaT, solid walls. is the most burnt
out sections, a near view showing the
material to be bank OF reddish ash,
OF sand nature, while the most crumb-
ling and shelving portion of its sides is
the lava rock masses of various sizes, but
mostly having a decidedly burnt-out
appearance Ledge after ledge OF rock
and debriS have fallen, and they are
continually falling, until the view IS OBJ
Structed so that il IS impossible to see
the point OF greatest depth, This fact.
doubtless gave rise to the report that
YOU could not see the bottom. which
is true, but not in the sense that it Is
bottomlesS This general appearance
Of liffleSS ruins and debris with no sign
Of fnsibility among the recks of the
fallen mass gave the impression, as
noted in my first paper, that Halemau-
mau would not again be the scene OF
volcanic activity. .Halemaumau viii
likely be the receptacle OF the future
lava flows from active spots to the east
and TO the south that may gather suf-
icient force for a new outbreak ere
long, as has been done on previous
occasions.
On the 24th and again on the s5th
l descended the crater for further OBJ
serTauons. al the last visit, IN company
with Mr.. J. 5. Emerson, Of the Govern
ment Survey Department, and exactly
reversed the order al my frst course OF
travel, on Monday, the ,2d During
these visits l found the contour OF the
lakes constantly 'enlzrging, and the sur
face OF floor of the crater adjacent 10
the places of heat previously noted
Near the edge of the chzsm the focrI
was changing and breaking away, re-
quiring more caution In our steps OF
investigation A few signals were
erected for future points OF observation;
but the difficulty, and / may say the
impoSsibilify, Of near approach 10 any
part OF the rim made the days trip far
from satisfactory for OR immediate
aims vet the observations and dis
ooveries opened up new train OF ideas
respecting the probable direction OF the
volcanic activity in AilaDea Al these
subsequent visits the cone wherein our
guide threw his shoe was found 10 have
oaved In to considerable extent, re
vezling tube OF tunnel about ten feet
in diameter at the farthest break, but
increasing toward the lakes, with which
II was evidently connected The fun
nel ran in noItheas1eIly and south
westerly direction The eastern pan
Of the tube still emitted considerable
heat
Respecting the shocks OF earthquake
reported By Mr. Maby and others on
the 9th instant, l fully agree wiih the
already expressed theory, that the
shocks were OocasiOned BY the falling
masses OF rock The natural, first i'm
preston 10 the mind would be that the
shocks ooCasioned the rents ard the
falling in Of the banks and bluffs Of the
lakes; but visiting them reveals suf-
ioient mass OF fallen rocks 10 cause
and account for not only the shocks
and reports recorded By Mr. Mzby Al
the Volcano House. but 70 cause earth
tremors which could be felt Al Kapa-
lszIa The shocks OF these falling cliffs
were doubtless sufficient 10 produce all
the fissures 50 far reported, and which
are confined, ! believe, within a four
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