The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-12
THE VOLCANO.
The Flow of Lava Continues I'm Hale
maumRu-GrRphie Description by
Our Correspondent.

VoLANo HOUSE, July 1, 1886.
The Day We celebrate" was duly
honored by Madame Pele, she pouring
out great volumes OF liquid lava in her
faVOrite home, Halemaumau, and brill
iantly Illuminating the clouds OF sulphur
vapor which surround the blouse of
Fire" A party of us went down to the
edge of the lake in the crater OF Hale |
maumau to-day, and were much struck |
with the increase in its size since the |
29th ultimo. Then the surface of the |
lake was about 49, feet in diameter from |
north to south, and 225 feet from east to
by counting the steps OF the guide, who
ran across the thin black crust of the
lake in the two directions noted, and
calculating that he covered three feet at
each step-he went fast, as the surface
was very hotD To-day We found that
this comparatively smooth surface had
been raised about 10 feet above the
former level, its original dimensions and
form being preserved intact, while all
around its edge numerous flows OF lava
had filled in the space between it and
the surrounding slopes of the crater.
The central portion was still some
twenty-five feet above the edge on
which we stood, and from the under
surface of this smooth, black table-like
crater there poured out two grand rivers
of lava. The liquid matter flowed down
in a magnificent stream, about forty
feet in width, into the lower portion of
the basin, rapidly filling it to near the
level of the middle portion. The vent
from which the lava poured out was
formed by an immense slab being lifted
up bodily, and forming gaping mouth
out of which gushed the bright red lava
like torrent of water. This stream
as it flowed down was cooled ut short
distance from its visible source so as to
appear, in the bright nOOn-day sun, of
glistening satiny blackness. At the
same time the cooling of the surface re-
tarded its flow so that it "gartered"
itself, as it were, in narrow, smooth
folds, arranged in parallel curved lines
across the surface of the flow.
AS the stream widened in it's course,
forced into curiously contorted folds and
wrinkles. These would become en-
larged by the pressure of the liquid lava
beneath, which finally burst through the
lower edge or face of the fold, and then
rolled out again in slow moving streams of
a rich red color. The heat was very
great from the moving masses and it
was with some difficulty that we APP
preached near enough to get out, on
long poles, Jumps OF the partially cooled
lava, and imbedded coins in them.
In going to and retiring from the
Halemaumau crater within the area
of the west pit, the road is, as yet,
quite rugged The track is already
pretty we'll defined, and with lam
terms, could be safely traversed at
night But there is no necessity for
going into the west pit at all to get a
! good view of the action in the Halemau-
| u1du IdhcJ 10 JWO-ti1AAtC vi IIS SUI lbCC
can be plainly seen from the edge of the
old floor to the crater on the north side
of the pit. The route TO this point is
over the old flow on the old trail, and
the distance from the Volcano House is
bit one mile and third.
The display of light and the iIlumina-
ton OF the clouds at night over the west
pit has been very fine at times during
! the past week We have also enjoyed a
| good deal of fine weather, and in the
Volcano House itself everything has
been as comfortable and pleasant as
could be desired. The Sulphur baths, "
which can be enjoyed at any time, are
an important feature of this delightful
resort The fact that the person using
them can regulate the amount of vapor
to suit his or her pleasure should not be
lost sight of. Mr.. and Mrs. Maby do
/ all, and more, than might he looked for
to make ones stay pleasant, and in the
immediate neighborhood of the Volcano
are many points of interest that divide
the attention of the visitor, with the
grand center of attraction, the great lake
of fire in Halemaumau. G.