The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-11-17
A FIERY MOUNTAIN.
Descent Into the Crater of Kill
auea in the Sandwich Islands.
An Active Volcano Nine Miles
in Circumference.

!
slope of Mauna Loa in the Sandwic Is.
lands. The crater is nine miles in cir
conference, with its sides almost per.
pendicular, rising to height of from
500 to 600 feet, but in front of the
Volcano house there is a place where
a gradual descent can be made to the
bed or floor of the crater.
At 3 p. m, each one Of our party,
says a Philadelphia Ledger correspond
ent being provided with a long stick
and an unlighted lantern, We began
our descent i1to the crater. After q
twenty minutes walk down the zig
gag path, we reached the floor of the
crater. The bed or floor of the crater
resembles a large lake of black ice,
where the water had escaped from I'M
derneath, leaving it in hills and hol-
lows Our guide started across the
bed of lava, va following him in
single file. Steam was escaping from
assures on all sides, and we had to be
very careful in walking not to step into
the cracks which lay across our path,
some of them being two feet wide and
extending to depths beyond our vision.
After walking three miles across the
crater floor we came to what is called
New Lake. This part of the crater fell
in year ago, at which time all activity
ceased for a short period.
The bottom of the ravine, or what is
known as New Lake, Is 40 or so feet
lower than the main bed, and all that
could be seen in the way OF fire were
waves of heat or "Peles hair" as they
rose from the pit, and occasionally a
flame could be discovered through
crack In small cone. Oae Of the par
ty, having had his attention called to
this flime, who, after much looking
succeeded in seeing it, remarked that
the fire might have been kindled for
the occasion. Immediately all thoughts
of feeling tired vanished, and involun-
tarily We stopped when coming in sight
OF the lake, the lava of which was boil
ing, there being at that time three
fountains ia play, sending the red hot
lava Is or 90 feet in the air. After
gazing at the beautiful sight for short
time We rushed ahead to get closer
view. The lake is about 800 feet long
by $50 feet wide, and situated at the
bottom Of a ravinc, so feet lower than
tho place where We were standing.
The surface of the lake was covered
by thick crust, caused by the lava
coming in contact with the air, but in
places there were openings or blow
holes in the crust through which the
lava spouted. The rim of the lake is
ten or fifteen feet higher than the bot
tom of the ravine. We were fortunate
in having a strong wind in the right d.
rection to keep the immc nse heat. steam
and smell of sulphur from us, otherwise
W, would have been compelled to stand
some distance of. Soon after our ar
rival. the molten lava in ths lake began
rising uatil It overlooked at the north
east part of the rim, sending a stream
of the red hot lava, sixty feet in width,
down the ravine.
The liquid in the lake kept steadily
Increasing in quantity until the melted
matter trespassed the eastern border of
the lake after which the overflow be-
came general. The brilliant lava pour
ing over nearly the whole border of the
lake, running quietly down the ravine
as noiselessly as mill race, but in ex-
tent as wide as q river, resembling q
sea of molten iron seven times heated.
Large cakes of the lava on the surface
of the lake would break away and be
carried over the rim of the lake, melt
ing as it went. revealing for a minute
the white, hot Laws beneath, giving
one, as we thought, a graphic view of
hades. The fountains iu the lake had
increased in mum Der, sending masses Of
the shining, melted matter high in the
air, giving US one of natures grandest
pyrote ohnical displays