Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-08
AN ACTIVE VOLCANO.
A Description OF the Eruption OF
Kiiauea.


Kiiauea.
A correspondents of The Hawaitaa
Gazette gives the following account OF
n recent visit TO Kilauea:
THE molten lava is visible in three
different places. all of which | visited.
Two of the three places are GU tc Diff
cult of access, the approach being cir
cuitous route up and down over masses
of loose rocks, and possibly only in the
daytime. These two places are quite
near each other, in the neghbOrhood
of what was formerly the new lake,
though some little distance south.
They can hardly be called lakes. |
should call them wells. One of these
is where liqu d lava was first seen after
its first disappearance N March. This
is somewhat irregular in shape. being.
perhaps, thirty feet wide and sixty 10
seventy-iive feet long, and not less than
one hundred feet in depth. To obtain
a view of the bottom. one must 60 to
the very verge of the we'll and look
over, and this can be done W tn safety
at only one point Immediately be-
meath this point at the bottom Of the
well. but where it could not be seen
without too great risk. there was an
immense noise and evidence of intense
activity. Over the portion of the bot
tom OF the well that was Wis bic the
lava was hardened. except in one place.
where it could be seen as it was pulled
out and thrown up little distance
every few seconds.
I 90.
in shape. perhaps thirty feet in dame
ter and one hundred feet deep. This
could be approached only ut one point,
and this point was on the lceward side,
so that the fumes OF sulphur dioxide
would allow one to remain there only
a few seconds at t me. At the bot
tom of the well a partial cone was
formed. perhaps ten feet across. and in
this lava was boiling with intense vio-
lence. now and then throwing up
spray OF lava quite a hundred feet 10
the mouth Of the we'll and almost into
the face of one standing on the ed &c
and looking over.
The third place where the liquid
lava could be seen was n the lake be-
low the west wall 1t is possible 10
gcs down to The edge Of this lake. and
get specimens. but it is an extremely
hazardous undertaking. There are, or
were. two lakes here. but they seem TO
have merged into each other, the actv-
ty being confined TO the part last form
Ell. Small lava flows were constantly
breaking out. and IN the evening there
was a general breaking up of about
one-third the surface This lasted only
one or two minutes. but was followed
by gu tc extensive lava flows. ! saw
no fountains and no cones here. The
best point for observing this lake is
500 or 900 feet distant from it, One
can get on the edge of the perpcndicu-
lar wall immediately above t 80 or 200
feet, but this IS unsafe, as landslides are
constantly taking place at all points.
When | visited this place TWO days
later, It's surface had evidently risen,
and it was more active than when saw
it before There were signs of activity
in other places, but no fire could be
seen. About the middle of July some
lava appeared IN the Halcmaumau. but
it has nos continued in activ ty. The
activity of Kilauea is evidently increas-
ing and. win le the sight at present is
well worth seeing there is promise of
much more in the future