New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-01

VOLCANOES.
The Hawaiian Islands possess probably greater
variety Of climate and diversity Of natural lea
lures than any other group OF Islands Of lhe
extent in all the world But the one dominant
feature for which they are best known and most
famed is 10 DE found in their mountain peaks
and volcanoes. While many other Pacllc lst
ands are of coral formation. these are distinctly
volcanic. Each member of the group mas one OF
moro commanding peaks On the largest, HAWAII
itself are the Stupendous cones OF Maina Loa ana
Mauns Kca which rival the loftcst OF the Alps,
md fur outrank any other island mountains In
tie world save the lately discovered peak IN
Papua. Here also is kilauea, on the side OF
Nauno Loa making with the summit crater OF
.ho lattor the largest two active volcanoes IN the
world while inst across the channel, in Maui
,ovycrs tbe gigantic IIalcakaa, an extinct vol
cano surprising Mount Etna in size and grandeur
Kilau.a is always active. and NJ tn" present
time seems threatening another serious eruption
The latest mail advccs from Hawaii tell that
the crater has for some time been SETTLING and
bubbine. ard sending M magn hccnt FOUNTAIN
lots Of G,. that are visible for miles Venture
some visitors. going 10 the edge. found the he'y
howl more than fu the molten lava at the
ccntre being several feet HIGHER than at the
edges Now and then it would flow over ana
uour down the slope of the mountaiu-sid" Tor
so,ne distance until il cooled. formed crust,
and thus damned up the torrent. EarthHuake
shocks were frequent. ard there were AL the
SYMPTOMS of impending eruption. ibis li'''
however caused panic, hut rather attracted
hosts Of visitors eaecT witn"ss the incohp"fabe
spectacle.
There is probably nowhere on tho globe
scene more awc-inspiring and drcadinlly Supi'n'o
than that presented by the crater of iialcakala
,,.uf, and rs sill
Paradise. You ride for hours amid the semi
tronical verdufc and bloom. Up TO the very
spmmjt there is not a sign of what lies just be-
vond the mountain rim. You reach the top ten
thousand feet In air, and glance back over n
olorious panorama of land and ocean. and invol-
unfairly murmur;
"Summer isles Of Eden lying in dark purple
spheres of sea
And then You look before you and see the
barren beach Of Hell at cbb tide" Al your feel
lies stupcndous cha.m 5000 feet deep an" NOR"
than six miles wide In It's dcsolatc cNpanse al
most any of the great cities Of the word could
find room to be swallowed up. Placed upon lis
floor. the tallest peaks of the CatskHs could
scarcely be seen above its sulphurous paraIrt.
And in all its gloomy rcccs>cs there Is not IRE"
nor \ shrub nor a flower nor a blade OF grass
There is no living object. No bird even Hes
across it, II lies there in eternal silence ana
eternal death lifted high up toward the heavens
of perpetual summer. frown upon the SmmI
face of nature the AbomnatiOn of Desolafion Ill
tbe midst Of Paradise Not the awful lake
Of fire on Mauna Loa so thrills the beholder with
fear and dread AS this dead crater.
at IS Hell with the fires out ." said one visitor
reverently crossins himself, as he first gazed upon
its gloomy depths
From the crest of IIaleakqla one see the
81 fortV mil
inely floating in mldar. Crossing the channel
and landing AZ lIilo one makes his way toward
tle peak of Mauns Loa through literal jungle OF
luyurlant tropi al vegetation. Even the lava
which, cold and hard a flint, covers miles OF the
land is densely oversrown with shrubs IL Is
a ride Of thirty niles and one should take two
DAVIS for il; and h. may lie awake the night be-
tween them and see ftfu flashes OF volcanic Ire
playing on the heights above him. like sheet
lightning Oh the edges Of q distant thunder
cloud The lake Of fire, IIalemaumau, is not at
the summit of Mama Ioa. hut on It's side Only
4 900 feet up II is at one side of the vast
crater callcd Kiauca On the very brink Of this
shvss stands hotel, the Volcano House from the
windows of which enc may loOl; down into the
nit 5000 feet: and across it, three miles,
to where ar omurous blue cloud forever floats
above the bosom Of IIalemaunan.
II is diGicult descent from the hotel 70 the
floor of the crater. Al hrst there j. Ii'''" W.
tation but after that for $500 feet down, and
then for three miles across, Klau"a is as barren
and as desolat, as fialea,,ala itself. There IL
nothing but lava black shining. glossy, lying in
fantastic fods and waves No pen can describe
che sensation which the visitor feels in trcading
upon such floor aud marching across Il Tor
miles He does not think tho dust we treat
upon was once alive no. but II was once a
seething. fiery mass, TO approach which wou"
have bepn Instant death And even nov there
are ominous assures and bubbles hot an3 Inena'
Ing And who knows nj what moment fhe "od-
dess Pce may stir the whole again Int" ierVch'
GLOW But with sclf-surprlsing courage ore
keeps on, straight across, 10 where, close DIV 'he
further wall. smaller crater lies WITHIN 'hc
great one.
This is Ualemaumau. One climbs tho rugged
r,upart Of volcanic rocks hundred feet high,
and looks within 1t is Il huge bowl with rough
walls an oval. perhaps 300 by 500 feet in size
Jts level bottom is duh red here and there but
mostly black The air is hot as the brcath OF
an oven and still as the grave, and an awtnl
silence prevails Then a fash Of fire, Ike light
ninr plays across il from shore TO shore Ih'h
the floor OF halfcooled lava breaks mp like ice IN
n freshet. The huge blocks are tossed apo"t
like bubbles. In moment the entlre lax" Is
furnace nav a cruciblc. II foams and bells ana
surers II is molten mass, blood red or glow
ing orange Crimson surf dashcs AGAINST the
rocks in breakers forty feet high, and fiery spray
gocs fvin, far above the crest Of the rampar's;
so that the spectators seek shelter behind masses
of lava and i'm rrde caves There are literally
acres OF melted recl; boiling furiously, hotter
than molten iron. The waves thunder against 'he
walls like the waves Of the ocean in winter
rtorn and rush furiously into the caverns they
nave made in the rock under the very lect OF
the startled visitor. Another moment ana inc
undermined rampant may toppl" over mic tha'
dreadful food Yet with fearful. fascination one
clings 10 the rock, and watches the CORY spray
and listens TO the raying thunder OF the heTy
surf. with never thought Of danger