The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-03-16
VOLCANIC CHANGES.
The Bottom Drops Out of Halemau-
mau and New Lake.
Letter Describing the Occurrence
Changest hat Have Taken Place
in the Pasta Grand Vol
eanIc Display
Predicted.
Predicted.

On the arrival of the Kinau, March
l4th, the report spread that the bot
tom had fallen out of the Volcano, and
that there was an end, for the present at
least, of New Lake and Halemaumau.
Those who were unfamiliar with the
habits and eccentricities OF Kilauea
were greatly perturbed, but old lnhabl-
tants are aware that sudden subsistence |
of the lava in the active sections OF the
great crater is not uncommon. Indeed, |
this is regarded as the precursor OF a more
active state of volcanic eruption, and If
the present occurrence is not out OF the
usual course and the evidence of the ex-
tinction of the internal fires of Kilauea
altogether, we may confidently look for
ward to a still more magnificent display
at Kilauea in the near future.
DETAILS OF THE OCCURRENCE.
The following letter addressed to Hon.
S. G. Wilder, by Mr.. ]. III. Maby, man
ager OF the Volcano House, dated March
8, 1886, may be regarded as an authori-
tive description of the late volcanic phe-
nomenon. Mr.. Maby writes:
Since last writing there has been con-
siderable of change in the crater. Sat
urday evening March 9TH both the Old
and New Lakes were unusually full and
brilliant looking from the House, and
remained so until 8 80 p. m. OF the 9th
instant, at which time there commenced
a series of earthquakes, forty-three IN
number, lasting until Z 80 a. m. OF
the 9TH.
The first three were slight, and the
fourth one quite severe; and on looking
out upon the crater, all fire had disap-
peared from the New Lake. At about 2
or a. IN. the fire had also disappeared
from Halemaumau. During the night,
while the shaking was going on, all
hands were up in the sitting-room' not
knowing what would go.
On the morning of the 9TH, after the
mist and smoke had cleared away, 1t
was discovered that all the bluffs
surrounding Halemaumau had dlsap-
peared during the night. They, and the
path formerly travelled to 60 from the
New Lake to the old one, and quite a
piece on the mountain side of the Old
Lake, had all fallen away, forming one
large chasm.
There have also been several rents IN
the ground, one on the road to Kilauea
Xxi. and three on the keaAtetfG6ss6- at
road, u.,,fcn 1 have bridged over.
The other is large hole where there
was a cave, and the road bed had all
fallen in. have cut a new path around
it. No other damage has been done that
1 have heard of up to writing.
Last night March 7thl all in the crater
was in total darkness, excepting a few
small lights from previous flows.
MARCH STH, p. m.
My guide has just returned from the
place of the burning lakes. There is at
present no fire to be seen. In the place
where the New Lake was there is deep
hole and from there to Halemaumau.
All that part formerly used as a path
from the New Lake to Halemaumau,
along with the Little Beggar, have fallen
in, and form a deep valley. At Hale
maumau there is no fire to be seen and
no bottom.
From the account that [ had from Mr..
Lentz in 1880, just before the Hilo flow,
the fire disappeared there, leaving bot
tomless pit for week or more, when the
fire returned.
PAST DOINGS OF THE VOLCANO.
Postmaster General Whitney, who has
visited the crater of Kilauea some twelve
or fifteen times during his residence of
over thirty years on the Islands, informs
us that this phenomenon of the sudden
extinction of the fires in Kilauea has oc-
Cured several times. On the I'd of
April, 1868, just previous to the heavy
earthquakes of that month in Kau, and
of the brilliant lava flow which destroyed
Captain Browns residence at Kahuku,
the crater of Kilauea was extinguished
and remained dormant for two or three
weeks. Again in June, 1877, after very
heavy earthquake which destroyed or
injured houses and stone walls in Kau, |
the fires of this crater were again ex-
tinguished, and remained so some ten |
days. On this occasion he visited the !
crater, and found no fire in it. Old !
'Halemaumau' consisted of a deep pit,
nearly circular in form, FIVE hundred
feet across the top, and some six hundred
or perhaps eight hundred feet deep, but
without particle of fire or smoke Its
sides were perpendicular and so steep
that it would have been impossible to
descend into it, while the bottom con-
sisted of large blocks of black lava. The
pit looked very much like huge apothe-
cary's mortar. The cliffs, which sur
rounded the lake previous to the heavy
had all tumbled in. The ex-
inction of the fires of Kilauea are looked
lpon by the old settlers as a precursor of
| large eruption on Mauna Loa. 1t will
De observed that the present is the third
n fourth time that the fires of Kilauea
lave been extinguished during the past
eighteen years, and it is likely to be fol-
owed by renewed activity OF the vol
ano.
WHAT DR.. F. A. THOMPSON KNOWS ABOUT