Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-24

moss, while here and there suficisnt soil had
accumulated to uourish the roots Of q dvarfish
tree. Stuntsd shrubs. grass and ferns also grew
sparseiy upon its surface. a contrast to the rank
iuxuriance OF the growth on each side. An
occasional little stream of water made its way
| from the edge of into the forest from some
sprlng whose source had been swallowed I'D
| years ago by the molten mass- 1t is . wonder
iui example OF the persistent force of water
that 1t should find way out from under such
| a pressure Of matter. The forests on the sides
| OF MAuna Loa are covered with lava howa
sometimes intervening one another. sometimes
running nde BY side. The age is indicated by
the condition Of the vegetation upon them 1t
through the living forest, especially in contrast
with such impotent efforts to tear q path wav
through the woods by men as that we had just
come over.
The horses had an easy time over this ready
made roadway, and it was not long before they
came In sight of the deserted grass hut, where
quarters for the night were to be found. The
daylight was fading by this time, SO that we
hastened to ride on for q preliminary survey
before coming back to leave the horses for the
night. 1t was not far beyond that this old tlow
led back into the one now coming down. But
| 1t proved far too rough for horses to get over,
SO that there was nothing to do but return and
picket the horses, eat a cold supper and then
| sally forth on adventure. For some time past in
our ride there had been indications that we were
aPpiosCniiS tuc HelknpOruooQ OF the NOlcanlc
tires. The cracking of the burning timber
could be heard, there was the smell of smoke in
the air and there came the deep-toned booms
OF explosions of through the woods Now, as
the daylight faded, the light of the fire was
plainly visible through the trees.
MONT ON THE VOLCANOES SIDE.
The walk up to the flow proved to be a rough
one, this part Of the old flow lacking the
smooth surface it had lower down and being
broken up with caves and pitfalls and sharp
cakes upturned. But it led in due time to
within sight of the fires. The steam arose from
the ground about and the vast leviathsn
stretched out over the plain glowed like a stove
coming to a red heat. At times a ragged crack
! would appear in the surface as the molten mass
beneath welled up through the crust and
gushed out with the brightness of living fire,
spreading about over the crust and then in
turn quickly crusting over and cooling
to the somber glow of the whole masg.
An ominous creaking sound az our
feet admonished retreat. which was
quickly needed. Then. spreading our rubber
coats, we lay down by this great ireside and
went to sleep, with the Southern Cross shining
In our faces across the glowing lava. rain
| shower wakened US, chilled and shivering and
sent us down again into the Reighborhood of
the warm glow, which stretched away in the
darkness apparently for miles. To the left the
fires were particularly active in what was appar-
The fiery liquid would at intervals break out
there into a billow and sweep forward into the
forest. swallowing up trees and lighting them
into a beacon the lava cooled and darkened
again. There was something solemn and ap-
palling in the reckless and needless way in
which nature hurled forward these masses
which annihilated the forest and then quickly
cooled before our eyes into the rock forms
which were TO endure while the landscape lasted
by some time after midnight the moon was
up and there was sufficient light to warrant an
attempt to find the way back to camp-not an
easy matter, We found, for the party lost its
bearings and wandered about over the crumb-
ling lava for some time before finding the in
distinctly worn path which led back to the de-
serted grass hut-notaltogether deserted either
as was discovered after trying to go quietly to
sleep with no water to drink. Next morning
We found stream of poor water about a hum
dred yards away in the forest-enough to wash
down a cold breakfast before going back to
take last look at the new place by daylight
before setting out on the return to Hilo.
THE SCENE By DAYLIGHT.
Upon reaching the point OF observation of
the night before things were found to have
very different appearance by the bright light of
day from that in the darkness of night What
had appeared vast indftinct mass, glowing
like hot iron, was now seen to be a surface as
black AZ and far more shiny than the clinkers
and cinders from a blast furnace. That part
Immediately before us now easily distin-
guished as a small branch, leading from the
main flow onto the old flow of So which we
had followed up. Far beyond and extending
apparently for several miles in width was the
main flow, black, barren plain, with no sign
of life on it, save one lonesome forlorn tree.
scared and blighted, but still standing upright
and holding its branches aloft. in hopeless de-
hance. Clouds of steam arose from the surface
and intense heat danced about it like a mirage.
Tha Tpadc etc
every direction at short intervals. When
crack opened in the surface and the
fiery molten lava broke out, cracking the crust
into cakes and turning them up on end it could
be seen that the crust only a few inches
thick. Along the borders the crust was hot to
the touch. but it was practicable to venture
upon it ands 60 some distance without great
discomfort and with 10 serious damage
were lowering about the edges, giving
aloha! to all strangers and manifesting
an enormous pride in the great spectacle They
were eager to know whether there were bigger
volcanoes than this in Kaliforny (America), and
upon learning that there were none at all indi-
Gated their conviction that it could not be
much Of a country. Many visitors secured SOU
venirs and specimens Of the lava by sticking
cane into the smaller cracks as they opened and
obtaining enough lava to insert coins and other
articles into it before it cooled and hardened
HOW THE LAVA CLIMBS A HILL.
Near at hand was a little ravine in which a
stream Of water had flowed. II was dry now. as
the lava had filed up it sources and was making
its way down its course. At this time il had
reached what had been little waterfall, twenty
or twenty-five feet high. As we watched the
molten lava welled out and gushed over the
fall, scattering on the rocks below and hanging
from above IN enormous folds like
gigantic candy thrown over a confectionery
hook ready to work. The course of the flow
back up the mountain could be traced BY the
steam and smoke which hung over it. From
the summit crater Of Mokuaweoweo ON Mauna
Loa 10 where We stood il had come sixty
miles. OF course tho whole mass is not in
motion all that distance like the flow Of q river.
The upper portions are thickly crusted over SO
as to form a tube or tunnel, which brings
the molten supply to the terminus, where il
breaks out fttully and works its way forward
in an irregular direction. In this way the lava
dows sometimes down . declivity into q shallow
ravins and then laboriously works its way up
the other side and out again, apparently dsfy-
ing the laws Of gravitation by kind of climb
ing procsss.
II is . curious fact that during periods of
eruption from the summit crater OF Mo kuawe-
owso tbs crater Of Kiiauea in the slope of
Mauna Loa lapsss into . state almost Of inactiy-
ity. Kilauea is q vent in the fow of an euor-
nous pit, three or four miles in diameter, in the
side OF Mauna Loa. II 10 never entirely inaot-
i've. The volcanic fires play in the lakes of
fire in this pit at all times and their surface can
he wntched nv fonrists from, he cl;S. .h...x A.