Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-04-14
SEfE HONS
~ X -. sl-;SfC-D
= =ss-==z-SSz-L
kllAuEA,s MlaATY rARoes
The Present Eruption oT the Hawaiian VOL
callo l. a Corkcr.

The FreSeut kruption cf the Hawaiian Vol
cauo l. Corkcr.
News from Hilo shows that the great
c-ater Is IN 3 state Of violent ebulhaon.
From all sccUunts the action seems u
be more furious than for Is to 20 years.
Tie scene. from accounts Of tourists who
have inst returned. must be wonderfully
impressive. At night the raging fires
su-gest the must lurid pictures Of the IN
fernal regions No conception can b.
formed from the most vivid word nc
tureS Of the wonderful reality. One must
see 10 understand and appreciate, anu
there can be no real comprehension Of
ANYTHING vast and 50 tremendous even
from seeing.
The last eruption. when the lavas were
drained away. WAS in March, 1891; but,
although very active up TO the time the
lavas were drained away. all statements
show that nothing approaching the pres
ent activity wSs visible at that time.
When the bresk during 1891 occurred, a
large section of the floor Of the great
caldera was plunged into the depths.
leaving hole Geo OF 200 feet deep and
perhaps a half mile across The fires
disappeared, and all was silent. The
fiery goddess appeared to be sleeping.
Some predicted that she had departed
for all time. But in q few months az
the bottom Of the hideOus abySs restless
movements began. Far of rumblings
and quivering Of the sulleH walls, with
further down plUnges of the debris
piles. made 1t known that Pele was still
there and that she would soon resume
her imperial sway. Then a red eye
glared up from the depths. Then silent
" a mouth opened, and a sudden gush of
boiling lava surged into the upper world,
only 10 fall back into the unseen depths,
where mnttering thunders threatened
coming storm. 1t came. With a start
Pele awoke and hurled her defiance out
into the world again.
From little pool at the bottom of
the pit the burning lava filled up and
spread widely over the pit, till in year
there was little lake of fire. Then it
pushed up higher, and in two years, in
the summer of 1898, the pit had become
a depression $50 feet deep, in the middle
of which was magnificent lake of boil
ing and spouting lava. 1t was perhaps
Loo feet across and nearly round and
represented an immense cone cut off 80
feet above the base. The enormous
pressure of the liquid mass within con-
stantly opened the walls, while con-
tinual overfows built them up. Occa-
sionally section would burst open, and
a broad and splendid stream of burning
lava pOured into the surrounding pit.
Sometimes a dozen, often 20, fine foun-
tains played over the surface, toss
ing columns of fire many feet into the
air. and then the wind caught the CLASSY
liquid, and, spinning it into beautiful
flaments, long tresses OF Pele's hair
floated away.
At night the scene was one of rare
beauty. if anything SO imposing and aw-
full can be beautiful. The clouds Of
steam. smoke and occasional fogs from
the cold mountains which rolled into the
crater would be lighted with vivid bril-
Eancy. At times, when very clear,
snow capped Mauna Loa, 30 miles away,
OF the soft banks of heecy clouds over
its summit, blushed rosy red. From
far at sea and on distant parts Of the is
land the light of Kilauea glowed steady
beacon in the clouds. In the past six
mouths the mighty forces at her COM
mand have been summoned by the god
dess of Hawaiian volcanoes. She has
filled the pit tillit has overfowed. There
is no longer a pit. 1t has grown into
towering hill Of fire. Lava is spouted
far above the banks. Constant over
flows render the vicinity one of hazard
ous excitement, if not of danger.-Paeitic
Commercial Advertiser.