Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-18
DOWN into THE VOLCANO.
A Literal Bottomless Pit and Lake Of
Everlasting Fire.
THE GREAT CRATER OF KILAUEA
Fit Home of the Beautiful and Malignant
Goddess Pele-Jets, whirlpools. Surges and
Sprays of Liquid Fire-Dante's Inferno
Ruth's Sacrifice to PeIe.
.dirorial Correspondence of Tn. Evening Star.

Hmo. ISLAND OF HAWAII.
MY LAST LETTER DESCRIBED OUR
WI trip from Honolulu to the great volcano
Of kilauea on the Island of Hawaii and closed
with the account Of the adventures Of the night
In the storm and earthquake-rocked Volcano
House. The morning following upon the tenn
pestuous night was bright and clear, giving
promise Of favorable day for the descent into
the volcano. The usual time for making the
volcano trip is in the afternoon so that the burn
ing lake can be seen after dark. when the dis
play is most effective. The forenoon was,
therefore, devoted to explorations in the region
around the great pit Standing on the cliffs in
front of the hotel we had spread out before Us the
great fattened top of kilauea, vast lava
waste larger than the entire District Of Column
bia- The whole Of this wide area was covered
with seams. cracks and blow holes, from which
came Jets of hot steam or sulphurous vapors.
The sights and smells and the frequent tremors
OF the lava floor upon which We stood were all
fearfully suggestive of the fragile nature Of the
thin crust that separated Us from the internal
ABYSS boiling beneath.
1t was a curious freak Of nature that many Of
these sulphur vent holes were lined as far down
as the eye could reach with luxurious vegets-
ton. Sometimes this vegetation grewso rankly
over the mouths of the vent holes that one haG
to move around with care to avoid stepping
into one Of these treaeherous pitfalls.
OVERLOOKING THE GREAT Pr.
Advancing couple of hundred feet from
the Volcano House we found ourselves on the
brink Of the great crater which occupies the
center Of the vast smoking territory. Below
us oblong parallelogram-shaped pit,
with nearly perpendicular walls, from 800 to
1000 feet deep. and covering an area about ten
miles in circumference. This immense pit
was foored with a desolate waste of rough lava,
that like the whole mountain top outside. was
spouting hot steam and sulphurous gases from
thousands Of vent holes The level of this
irregular floor is constantly changing
the last forty years has varied sew
eral hundred feet in depth. Occasionally
the entire floor is broken up and the whole
vast pit. ten miles in circumference, is in vio-
lent commotion. terrible abyss of surging red
hot lava, clOIded by dense volumes Of smoke
and vapor and accompanied by thunderous de-
donations that give the idea that the end of the
world Is at hand For the most part however,
the volcanic activity is confined to a lake some
hundreds Of feet in circumference that bursts
up capriciously through the floor crust at diff
ferent points. and continually changes its
boundaries. This uncertainty as to where it
may break out next and the tremors, heat and
smoking vapors experienced over the whole
terror that makes such an element of the
Sublime in nature.
These successive lake Developments take diff
ferent names. The present FIRE fountain is
very properly named Dana lake for the scien-
tist Of that name. who is the principal authority
on volcanic action.
WHEN The LAKE sINKs.
Sometimes the subterranean lava lake of fire
sinks suddenly several hundred feet and the
floor or roof Of the great pit collapses cor
respondingly, ike the ice on a mill pond when
the water has been suddenly withdrawn. Some
times, on the other hand, the lava overhows
the lake banks and forms an elevation Of con-
siderable height about il.
we started on the volcano trip about 2
O'Clock II the afternoon. We had two guides,
one a Portuguese and the other a half-breed
named Aleck. who spoke English. He was a
bright. alert fellow. and could be STYLED a
smart Aleck' without sarcasm The guides
carried some canteens of water. lot of lanterns.
and some biscuits FOR hight lunch. Each mem
Der Of the party was provided with a stout staff
OF the Apenstock pattern A quantity of
shswls and waterproofs were also taken
but these were speedily dumped upon the
shoulders OF the guides. the difficulties Of the
trip began 10 develop