The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-04-04
THE CRATER.
A SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION
OF THE BURNING LAKE.
Kilauea IN August. 1899; By
Frank :. Dodge OF the
Government Survey
tFron American Jau-1s. @. Science.
March


BY direction % Prof. w d. Alexan-
der. Surveyor General. tbs writer was
sent 10 kilauea IL August, ISq2. TO
make such surveys y were necessary
10 determine the changes that had
taken place since the ls>i survey in
ISIS
While il j; unfortunate for the his
tory Of kilauea IL recent yesTS that
no inirumentsl survey HlSs made i'm
meiiayely after the great breakdown
OF March, 1881. We have estimates by
careful observers % the depth OF the
pit ~ that time. which range from
49, TO so feet below the edge. or $50 TO
So below the Volcano House datum.
s. compared with $40 feet after the
collapse OF March, lSSh. In this aTti-
Gle. and the accompanying plsns and
sections. sll elevations are referred 10
the same datum. a. il my survey OF
1885. viz. the verandS floor 81 the old
Volcano House, which i approx
mstely 4Nst feet above Sea level.
Arriving 81 the Volcano on the 18th
Of August We began the survey on the
morning OF the 18th. several points on
the main floor O. hiiauea being locSt-
ed by tTisngUlaiiOr- and their heights
obtained. The summit q the present
floor i no longer - Central Rock
IS in 1885 and ISIS, but i now about
ope-fOlrtL Of mile 70 the westward.
and sixty feet higher the great cone
having built Up ok extensive over
lows from Haleula UuS L. between
July, ISIS, and March, lS9l. Careful
observations from well-Jets-minei
points show that Central Rock has
not changed lis position, and il thus
forms s good point 81 reference Tor the
survey o. ISIS. and that recently made. 1
From triaugulstiOu, with " Ukahu- !
nan and Y. u. triangle a. base, four
points on the edge q Haleua 'uula' Z |
were accurately located and their ele- |
vatiOns determined. and from these /
points the whole periphery was sur
veyed by stGdia measurements. From |
these same points, q large number OF |
sights were taken on small flags on /
the very rim o. the burning lake. TO |
closely fix Its exact size, shape and |
elevation, snd the results are Sli given /
on the maps.
This survey gives the total area Of
HSlema ums'u s. 10Q-z acres and |
that q the aetive lake a. I'll acres. or
equal 70 that OF circle with s diane
ter % 50 feet, which Is much larger
than any lake in hilsuea in recent
years. Dana Lake in 1855 was not
more than SO feet in diameter OF L6
acres IL ares- The present lake Is
nearly circular il form. its Longest
diameter being So feet, and the short
est So feet The entire rim stands at
about the same Ieyel-5le, or about
90 feet below the edge % Halems'-
unlS- L ST the eastern station
During my various visits. covering
: period Of seven days, the laws waS
about three feet below the rim. on an
sveE-e,-bst was subject TO s varia-
tiOR in level O. four or Nv feet. Ere
qUenI breaks occurred in the nm.
from which large l0vS took place. IT,
some e&Se> covering seven. acres O
the roo-- One large Eoy on the night
0. August 18th. EXTENDED 70 The foot
OF the t2lCs slope on tke north and
east sides. ana covered about uue-thiri
81 the zOoT. ana raised it. level from |
one n four feet. The lake Itself and
The surrounding area are rising slowly ,
but surely, and i seems 70 be mat
ter O only few months when Hale
ma 'uraa'u viii again be filed 70 the
briu1- snG run over the sides. building
up the main E0o- q the crater. IS il
did in 1851.
The deepest portions o. the bit are
ST the foot u the talUs slopes on all
sides with S gradual rise OF ten OF
fifteen feet toESud the rim o. the lake.
ana then a more abrupt Use 10 the
lake itself. - shown IN the sections. :
The lake was 81 times very active.
with fountains playing over It's sur
face IN every direction. g many
b. /
time by 3 careful observer. The gnest-
est activity V-as 81 or near the center.
where the largest fountain played al J
mos continuously and along tie edge |
near the southwest side OF the lake. |
where the oveTTioErS were most fre- I
quel1. But az 10 time was the entire
surface AZ rest, as was the csse in Dana
Lake during the short periods Of NV J
visits in July, ISS>. small fountains I
were always 70 be seen IN some locali-
Is. and the whole surface was marked |
by long irregular seams OF cracks al
WAYS in motion X was an interesting | 1
and fascinating sight. a We watched r
the ever-changing features % the lake I
irom our point Of view on the north
1Snk, some 80 feet above it
The surrounding walls OF Halema-u- p
maui are absolutely vertical on sll =.
sides. with one exception for 100 feet
1T more from the upper edge 10 the
-alus slope and at that one place only "
: Il vel 10 attempt descent into the ]
pit On the northeast side for 3 short | n
distance, the walls are broken down. !.
and here il Is possible for visitors to \
descend TO = point forty feet or more I
below the level Of the lake. and then | :
o climb up 70 the very rim % the
AXE II = not difficult for 3 good
climber, and several parties Of ladies
lave recensly accomplished il without
,reat risk The descent and the near
7 views o. the lake are well worth ! e
he extra trouble and fatigue. but care :,
must Be taken 20 avoid the strong | =
urre1fs Of sUlphurOUS vspors 70 be L
0und On the lee side Of the lake. .;
heir presence was much more notice -
Ole than around the lake in ISIS. Y
NJ. :. E Bishop in his article OF Il
Aprii, 49, has vel described the =
OuditiOn OF the ISize and IL most in .
ortant features. His description ap- :.
lies 20 is condition IL august Con- a
GeriDg the means - his dipos4l, his b.