The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-12-07

chimney of Halemaumau, and wher
one becomes closed the lava burst:
out in another place, on this or that
side of the old central lake which has
now re-appeared so beautifully.
The first thing that arrests the at.
tention of visitors, especially of those
who have been there before, is the
fact that the large crater of Kilauea
is filling up, and its present floor is
probably 500, perhaps in some parts
700 feet higher than it was seventy
years ago. This rise is caused partly
by occasional upheaval from internal
volcanic action, just as other parts OF
the island have been raised. In fact,
the crater is almost full, and the
eruptiOns of Halemaumau fifty years
hence may find an outlet on the
southwestern side, where the wall of
the crater is now not over fifty feet
high.
| To those who have never been to
the crater the accompanying diagram
may better serve to illustrate the
| situation. Its present floor is assum-
ing dome-like form, rather fiat how
| ever.
The diagram explains itself, show
ing section of the crater of Kilauea
from northeast to southwest, three
miles in length. The abutment at the
left may represent the northern high
bank, that at the right the southwest
ern bank; the dotted line at the bottom
Is the old floor of the crater, the upper
curvlng line the present floor, with
Halemaumau in the southern portion
half filled with molten lava. The line
of the old "black ledge" of 1910 (noW
submerged) is also indicated. Those
who have been there, seen and stud
led the crater, will recognise the stu
alton.
DIR. Adolph Marcuse, of the ROYAL
Observatory, Berlin, who was at the
crater at the same time with the
writer, has furnished the following
data relative to the elevations of
various points in the crater, and the
present size and condition of the lava
lake:
Lava floor at the lower end of the patb
leading from the Volcano House, 48O feet
below the Volcano House:
The e Halfway House," so called, APO feet
~, below the same point.
Inc Little Beggar," SO called, 80 feet be-
low same point.
The Little Elephant" so called, 800 feet
below same point.
NE. edge of Halemaumau crater. 26O feet
below same point.
Inc lava lake was found to be below the
-, edge of the cliff above it, 2SO feet.
The total depth of the surface of lava lake
below the level of the Volcano House
$40 feet.
These statistics show considerable rise in |
the points referred to, as compared with
the Government statistics of 1886, except- |
ing that of the lava at the bottom of the |
hill under the Volcano House, which re- |
mains the same.
There is only one boiling lake. at present |
and little less in the opposite direction.
The lake has its greatest activity in the
o.W part, where two large fountains, and
numerous small ones, are continually
playing.
The color of the molten lava is reddish
In the daytime, and yellowish during the
night Probably the true color is yellow,
and the change in daylight may be caused
Dy the blue smoke in the crater pit. Spec
tfoscopIcal observations could give an idea
about the real colour of the boiling lava.
The floor of the large crater is
and even, compared with
what it was formerly. that is, there
are no ridges or hills, such as existed
prior to 1865, nor any large cones.
though there are a few small ones
Nor are there any caverns now, such
Is existed formerly, where the verv
handsome specimens of stalactite and
,,ther forms of lava were found. The
1oor consists mostly of the LIQUID or
,dhoehOe variety of lava, though
mere are few patches of the scoria