The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-19
A LAKE OF LIVING LAVA.
Situated on Mount Kilnuen In Hawaii. In
att tho Sandwich IsIand.

4
Situated on Mount Kiinuen, In Hawaii In
tho Sandwich Islands.
There is on the Island of Hawaii; r.
lake OF living lava. 1t il on Mount
Kilauea. 1t is pit about three and r.
half miles wide, nearly illipt;cal in
form, and surrounded with cliffs al
most inaccessible to human foot.
Capt button. thus describes it.: 'eThe
object upon which the attention is
instantly fixed is n large chaotic pile
OF rocks situated in the center Of the
amphitheater, rising to height which,
ny an eye estimate, appears to be about
three hundred and fifty to four hun
dred feet From innumerable places
IN lts mass volumes of steam are poured
forth and borne away to leeward by
the trade wind. The color of the pile
Is intensely black, spotted and streaked
nero and there with red. 1t is so shat
tered and broken that it has craggy,
omlnous aspect, which may be called
hidcous.
Around it spreads out the slightly
undulating floor of the amphithcater as
black as night To the left of the
steaming pile is an opening in the floor
OF the crater, within which we behold
the ruddy streams of boiling lava.
From numerous points in the surround
ing floor clouds of steam issue forth
and melt away in tho steady flow Of
the wind. Desolation and horror reign
supreme. The cngirdling walls every
where hedge it in. But upon their
submits and upon the receding plat
form beyond are all the wealth and
Insurance of tropical vegetation,
heightcning the contrast with the desc
lation below.
Tho pool OF burning lava is about
four hundred and eighty feet long and
little over three hundred feet in
width; surrounded by vertical walls
fifteen to twenty feet in height. When
we first reach it tho probabili-
ties arc that the surface of
the lake is coated over with
a black, solidified crust. showing n
rim of fire all around the edge. At
numerous points at the edge of the crust
jets of fire arc seen spouting upward,
throwing up spray of glowing lava
drops and emitting a dull simmcring
sound. The heat, for the time being,
is not intense. Now and then q fount.
ain breaks ont in the iddlc of the lake
and bois feeby for few minutes. It
then becomes quiet but only to renew
the operation Mt some other point
Gradually the squirting aud frctting
ut the edges augment belch of lava
is thrown up here and there to the
height of five or six feet, and falls back
upon the crust Presently, and near the
edge, IL cake of the crust cracks off,
aud one edge of it sliding downward
descends beneath the lava and the
whole cake disappears disclosing n
naked surface OF liquid fire Again it
coats over and turns black. This opera
tion is repeated clgcwisc mt some other
part Of the lake. Suddenly Il network
of cracks shoots through the entire
crust Piece after piece of it turns its
edge downw;ed and sinks with grand
connection. leaving the whole pool
single eXpanse OF liquid lava The
lake surges feebly for a while but soon
comes to rest
The heat is now insupportablc, and
for time it is Necessary to withdraw
from the Immediate brink. Gradually
the surface darlSens with the formation
of Il now crust, which grows blncker
and blaclSer until the last ray of incan-
descence disappears. This alteration
of the freezing of the surface of the
lake and the breakup and sinking of
the crust goes on in continuous rou nd
at a regular period of about two hours
Our Earth and Its Wonders