The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-05-30
THE VOLCANO.
A Vivid Description By Tour
ist-Actiyify Increasing.

lSt-hCtItAtJ AhCA
AS far as recollect no exact account
of the collapse of Halemaumau has APP
peared, excepting only the tale OF what
occurred when the breakdown happened.
1t is interesting that it was five years to
day after the falling in OF the lakes in
1886-that is March 9th. At that time,
however, deep depression marked the
site of the "new lake" east OF Halemau-
mau To-day -there is an appreciable
ascent from all parts of the crater to-
wards the edge of Halemaumau, and the
south and southwest banks OF Kilauea
are much lower than the edge OF the new
breakdown. There is nothing to mark
the "new lake, of 1876. To one stand
ing on top of the great q wekahuna bluff,
it is at once strikingly evident that Hale
maumau has for several years been en-
occupying the whole, or more than the
whole, of the southwestern half OF
| Kilauea. On the summit of this cone
| was the center of activity, and now this
whole summit has fallen in, leaving a
| tremendous pit, nearly circular, which is
| well represented by an inverted cone. 1t
has formed new crater, the greater
axis of which is about \. E. to s. w. AT
| first sight it appeared to be over hall
mile across the top, but on further exam
nation, | think it can hardly be over
1000 feet, and perhaps l 800 to 500 feet
wide. Except at one point on the south
west rim, it is everywhere preclpltous to
depth of one hundred to three hundred
feet. whence the piles of debris make
very steep incline to the bottom. In the
southwest part, however, just below the
first pile of debris is slightly inclined
broken plain of rock and lava, part Of
which is the original crater bed not very
badly smashed. This seems to show
that the fall, at that point anyway, was
gradual and gentle. That is, person
might have been there and gone down
with the floor without injury-unless M
had died of fright. The very bottom o.
apex of the inverted cone is therefor
northeast of the middle of the pit. L
ia said to have been five hundred fee
deep. 1t is now not over four hundred. Th'
bottom is fast filling up with new lava
There is now a. lake which appears to b.
from two hundred and fifty to three hun
bred feet long and nearly as wide. IL
the center is, or was on Thursday pi
about a hundred feet long and two
thirds as wide, in which there is splen
did activity. Saturday, another visl
showed the hole filled and cone rap
idly forming on the east side. Th'
, action is extremely interesting, and t.
, me at least is in part wholly knew
South and west one recognizes the faml
liar Kilauea; a hot and smoking surfac
now and then breaking up and boiling
3 with small fire fountains and serges
/ But, under the cone now, is hole whicl
looks as if it might be twenty-five fee
feet across and of unknown depth. Her
there is continuous and tremendou
action with deafening noise at times
, Every few minutes the volume of liqui
: lava swells and rises with brilliant scin
tillations to the top and bursts witt
mighty noise and explosions, from tn
} vent on the west side of its cone. Vol
) umes of lava are thrown in splendi
and awe inspiring fountain to height
sometimes of eighty to hundred feel
while the greater part flows out In tol
rents over the flow. Then the lava i
e the whole recedes and fire fall tumble
back with loud reports, only to b
thrown out again in few moments
Just how long this beautiful form (
g action will continue it is impossible
a say, for a cone Is rapidly forming an
the lava is fast covering itself in. {
> course it will burst forth elsewhere, bl
J, perhaps not with the same form
r action. At all events it looks as if MAJ
anne Pele had returned to stay and We
q trying to make up for lost time:
= Saturday the 23d Mr.. Ed N. Hitch
u cock made daring and successful a
a tempt to go to the bottom, where he W;
b nearly su6ocated with sulphur fume
. But he approached within one hundre
% feet of the burning cone and secure
= quite a number of specimens. Rocl
10 and portions of the bank are constant
h falling and his track may be alreae
= destroyed, but he has the glory (?)
= having been the first to the new lax
Is which he calls "Jumbo Lake." from
Ie remarkable elephant-like hump or bat
d on one side. o..
. Volcano House, May 25, 1891.