The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-10

surface, but in place Of the lesser
waves that customarily follow the wind,
the surface of the ocean as we ad'
vanced became more like the boiling
eddies of an immensely exaggerated
millpond, and the sun so yelled Itself
behind a dense atmosphere that semi.
darkness prevailed.
A MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE.
Hurriedy swallowing our early break
fast, we devoted ourselves to watching
one of the grandest and most fasclnat-
ing sights it has been my lot to witness.
We were now within five or six miles OF
land The huge mass of Mauna Loa
was before us and apparently close by
1t has a dome-shaped summit and, it
is said crater six miles IN clrcum.
ference and nowhere less than eight
hundred feet deep. This was nearly, II
not quite, qulescent.
From assures and smaller openings
on all sides OF the mountain, however,
fire and vapor were being expelled with
tremendous force, and the chief erup-
ton came from the crater of Kilauea
on the east side, at height of more
than four thousand feet. This is said to
be 1000 feet deep and three miles across,
in fact the largest active crater IN the
world. Some of us landed on the fol
lowing day, and then we learned from
the natives that the eruption had first
begun from an opening on the north
side six days before, at an elevation of
about eight thousand feet. There had
been no warning sound. A heavy
black cloud gathered in the morning,
and toward sunset an enormous volume
of fire suddenly shot upward at the
same time that two streams of lava
began to flow down opposite sides of
the mountain.
GIVING 1T A WIDE BERTH.
Mauna Kea, which lies to the north,
is somewhat higher than Mauna Loa,
and, with the help Of native ponies, the
ascent, for a long distance, may be
made without much difficulty. At first
we thought of using this mountain as a
sort of grand stand, but ultimately de-
cided that it would be wiser to retain
full freedom of action and movement
nearer the sea. When a volcano is not
content with an outlet of some twenty
five or thirty square miles, but must
needs to break out at a multitude OF
other points anywhere within an enOr.
nous area, it is impossible to feel sure
where the limit Of danger may be
drawn.
The Hawaiian volcanoes are so vast
and of such tremendous and far-reach
ing energy that no calculation about
them may safely be made On one
occasion tidal wave that originated
here is said to have been felt as far
south as New Zealand.
Moreover, quiet sail around the
southern end of the island and as far
north as Hilo bar gave US good view
of three sides Of Mauna Loa and Of al
the actual craters. Perhaps the mos
startling effect was obtained on thi'
trip. AT one point the large crater:
were concealed behind the great body
Of the mountains 1t was night. Amid
the roar of rushing rocks and pent-uE
vapors; amid the increasing subterran-
can thunders, the blaCkness Of the
canopy that overhung the mountain
was literally made visible by the glare
above and the red streams Of molten
lava as they flowed toward the shore
Presently, as we moved down the
coast, the whole crater of Kiauea came
into sight, and from its enormous
mouth a dense black mass arose to APP.
parently two-thirds the height of the
mountain, accompanied by mighty
volumes of fire and molten lava, which,
after expanding their force far away in
the atmosphere, fell back in shrouds OF
liquid rock or rolled in streams dowr
the mountain side.
NO CONTEMPT FROM FAMILIARITY.
1t was now the tenth day and still
the eruption was growing in violence
Ii seemed to increase in intensity from,
hour to hour. | will not say that ir
such happenings, which are indeed
inspiring, familiarity breeds con
tempt, but in our case it certainly did
breed something akin to Indifference
Accordingly we resolved to land again
and to seek adventure as near to the
scene of action as we might find prsc
ticable We went ashore some mile;
north or the largest crater and APP
preached it on foot. Even when miles
away we thought we heard the thunder
of rocks as they leaped from precipict
to preCipice, and the crashing Of trees
and vegetation as they fell before thu
all devourng storm
The whole vista before US was ont
which Dante would have failed tc
picture. In every direction and as fal
as the eye could reach the dense pen
up powers in the great aborat ry be
low were bursting forth with a violence
that makes every ideal derived from
human power absolutely insignificant
The earth seemed perforated witt
thousands of safety valves from which
steam and sulphurous vapors wert
escaping with tremendous might. Higi
above, the great Kilauea was launching
to the skies its mighty stream Of fir,
and rock, and yet higher, 10000 fee
higher, the vast dome of the mountain
itself looked in silent majesty upon tn,