The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-03-15
VOLCANIC CHANGES,
The Bottom Drops Out of Halemau-
mau and New Lake.
Letter Describing the Occurrence
Chaagest hat Have Taken Place
in the Pasta Grand Vol.
cRnie Display
Predicted.
VOLCANIC CHANGES.

On the arrival OF the Kinau, early yes
terday, 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 inhabi-
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 precuser 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.. j. II. 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 9 80 p, m. of the 9th
instant, at which time there commenced
a series of earthquakes, forty-three in
number, lasting until 7:30 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 8 a. m 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, it
was discovered that all the bluffs
peared during the night. They, and the
path formerly travelled to go 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 Keauhou road.
Two of them were cracks across the
road, which l have bridged over.
The other is a large hole where there
was cave, and the road bed had all
fallen in. 1 have cut new path around
it. No other damage has been done that
have heard of up to writing.
Last night March 7thl all in the crater
was in total darkness, excepting few
small lights from previous flows.
MARCH 9Th, 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 deep valley. At Hale
maumau there is no fire to be seen and
no bottom.
From the account that l 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 phenomena 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
IN en- - dormant for two or three
rop,as ana refna"-- 1917 of+or q 1,ar,,
weeks. Again in ) tri.- - -, =
as iIN',ed or
olness o''' - '''-'N :,
Iciau, =, - ''-''' =
tinguished, and remained so son
days. On this occasion he visit,
4 On crater, and found no fire in il