The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-03-15


we'll acquainted with the history and
habits of Halemaumau, the Little Beg
gar and New Lake, an interview was
sought with him and the following points
were obtained:
81 don't think there is any need for
alarm about the Volcano, " remarked DR..
Thompson. cit is nothing unusual for
the lava to disappear for several days, or
even weeks, and then return. Judging
from the past, unless there is a heavy
outflow somewhere else, 1 think We may
look for the grandest display of many
years in the Old Volcano within five or
six weeks. That is how it has behaved
in the past, and judging from Mr.. Maby's
report, as the subsistence has been more
extensive this time than formerly, 1
should anticipate state OF correspond
ing activity"
Chow do you account for this state of
facts2"
81 don't pretend TO account for it. l
simply state the fact as it is. Just be-
fore went there to live, while Mr.. Jor-
dan was running the place, think in
1882, there was a similar occurrence.
Mr.. Jordon told me that one night he
heard a rumbling noise as of an earth
quake and a slight tremor, and that
when he got up in the morning q re-
markable cliff, known as the Cathedral,
fully 900 feet high, which stood on the
edge of Halemaqmau, had wholly disap-
peared. 1t had fallen into the liquid
lava and got melted up. have also
seen New Lake and Halemaumau prac-
tically dormant. They had sunk wholly
out of sight, and were without either fire
or smoke. This phenomenon also oc-
Cured before the lava flow of 1880
towards Hilo. Just before that occur
renee Halemaumau sunk out of sight,
and instead of lake of seething lava
there was what appeared to be bot
tomless pit. The New Lake was formed
about 1872. I saw it when it was very
small. Gradually the upper crust was
undermined, as it were, and collapsed,
leaving the molten lava exposed. This
appears to have taken place on a larger
scale this time. have been down into
the crater fifty-two different times at
night, and know it thoroughly"
During your residence at the Vol
cano did you notice many earthquake
shocks ?''
81 did not. L may have noticed an
occasional tremor when they were hav
ing frequent and somewhat severe earth
quakes at Hilo. The crater acts as a
vent or safety valve, and 1 was told that
in 1868, during the great lava flow, peo-
pie hocked there for safety. 1 am at
loss to account for the number of shocks
reported this time. 1t is somewhat
unusual"
In further conversation with DIR.
Thompson he said that cracks across
a road in volcanic region were not to
be wondered at. They were of frequent &C.
currenee in all volcanic countries. There
was no need for any anxiety on account
of the Volcano. 1t was certain to make
a creditable appearance in good time.
Tourist travel need not be interrupted in
the least. There were several points of
interest near the Volcano House that
would well repay the cost and fatigue
of a visit. Kilauea Xxi, mile and
half from the Volcano House, was re-
markable object. 1t is a crater, $50
feet deep, which had been emptied of its
lava by the flow of 1868. The DEVILS
Kitchen, a hole over 100 feet deep, filed
with hot air, is also a remarkable OBJ
ject, and is easily reached from the Vol
cano House. Eggs suspended in this
cavity are cooked by the heated air in
five minutes. "Have no alarm about
Kilauea," DIR. Thompson again remarked.
"Inside six weeks there will be the
grandest sight ever seen in the Hawaiian
Islands"
WHAT THE REV. DIR. TAYLOR SAID.
In this connection it may not be out of
place to quote from notes OF trip to the
Volcano written by the Rev. James Tay-
lor, D. D., Wakefield, England, and pub
lished in the ADVERTISER, October, 1885.
appears W NAVE JIlo
cent occurrence. DR.. Taylor wrote of his
first sight of the lake of fire; "At one
time the New Lake, for half mile or a
mile in diameter, shows row of glowing
terraces or ranks of gigantic warriors,
eager for the fray. Here, at our feet, up
flew great balls of fire from a score of
stores, where Vulcan keeps his rockets;
there, broad river of dazzling lava
flowed into bay, to aid once more in
filling up the huge crater, which once
sank in a night more than 600 feet down,
the walls of which still stand as sharply
cut as if man had designed and executed,
but which only gods and giants could
plan and effectuate. This crater is a
rough parallelogram, of which the east
p. rast sides are three miles long, the
hdu' ana WesU-7z~ ono and half
N ex- north and south - 90 ,,;,o
2 ten miles each, making a ca GU
the miles. 1t is all again daily being
Old up by the continued streams OF
p pit, from the central furnaces below, bl
ldred not at all unlikely that when file
ldred additional weight will again caus
}, but other sinking into the void which