Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-18

NATURES FIREWORKS
The Dashing Waves and Billows of
a Molten Sea.
THE HAWAIIAN VOLCANO IN ACTION
The RoyaIist Party Still Oppose
Registration by the Natives.
= q let DAYS IN HAW All
QUIET DAYS IN HAWA All


ton of the republic Of Hawaii was re-
ceived here on the 25th. 1t gave satisfac-
ton to the supporters of the government
and caused dismay to the royalists. The
latter are extremely reluctant to abandon
the hopes they have so long INDUCED in that
Mr.. Cleveland would restore the queen. To
illustrate their temper: While on a week 8
trip to Hilo. just completed, I found that
the experienced and capable purser of the
boat, who Is half white, and therefore roy
alist. was making II his business at every
way port to inform the people that the tel
egram, via Auckland, N. H., reporting the
| recognition, was "P. G. fraud" Chose
letters mean provisional government" y
He further stated to them that H. b. NJ S.
Hyaeinth, later from Victoria, b. c., had
contradicted the report, which was precisely
the reverse Of her news He also reported
that the royalists were thoroughly armed
and had abundance dynamite OF all
these statements Of his had positive tes-
timony.
The queen and her adherents are excess
sively anxious to keep the natives together
and prevent their registering and taking
the oath, which they are in great numbers
anxious to do. They are only deferred by
the confident assurances given out that she
will speedily be restored and If any of
them desert her cause Off their heads will
go when she gets on the throne again. Two
months yet remain for registration. The
election Is to be held October % The legis-
lature win be convened as early as may be
after the election. 1t will be the effort of
the government to make the natives under
stand the hopelessnes5 of the queens en-
deavorS to regain power, in order that as
many OF them as possible may be induced
to register and vote, cordially participating
n . vrrtlli Tv afft Of
the royalist leaders do not in the least re-
lax their efforts to deter the natives. In
fact they have never been more active
than now in filling their ears with false
hoods as to President Cleveland's inten-
lions.
The que-n's commissioners returned from
Washington two days ago. They are quite
reticent as to the results of their mission
1t is given out that they were in full and
frequent intercourse with Mr.. Gresham, and
even saw the President. Apparently they
do not intend to let the actual facts be
known. Possibly they are waiting to gain
the queens consent thereto. The disrep-
utable native papers on that side keep up
a strong show of confidence, asserting Sc
cret Information and assurances gained by
the commissioners. Meantime public affairs
are going along most prosperously and
quietly. We have been for some weeks
without the protection of an American war
ship since the Philadelphia left. And really
Ii does not seem to occur to anybody that
We need the presence of such a ship. Presi-
dent Dole likewise took a fortnight off for
deer hunting on Molokai and has just re-
turned. The government is commencing
a liberal course of expenditures for public
works. Things are looking up generally.
A Trip to Kiiauen.
I must now tell something of my trip to
Hilo and beyond. Having couple of
spare days there, 1 improved them for a
visit to the volcano of kilauea, thirty-one
miles by carriage road. The beautiful har-
Dor and town of Hilo. you will understand,
Is go miles run from Honolulu by steamer
taking thirty-six hours, including calls at
six way ports, where considerable freight
Is shipped. Hilo is on the east side of the
large Island of Hawaii. Kilauea volcano
lies southwest. splendid new road con-
meets the two points, rising 1900 feet in the
thirty-one miles and passing seventeen
miles through dense tropical forests. A
daily stage runs over 1t, making five miles
average speed up and six down. including
short stoppages Two hours rest are taken
at Mountain View House, midway. The
road is perfectly graded and rolled, being.
IN fact, first-class In construction and 10
cation. 1t cost $1,000 a mile.
We left Hilo at am, reaching the fine
Volcano Hotel at 4:30 pm. Some twenty
five guests welcomed their daily mail
These were some tourists, but largely is
land residents, seeking the bracing air of
the mountains. Observe, the hotel Is on
the western verge of a broad table land
The ascent to this is uniform and gentle
The pit of Kilauea, coo feet deep and nine
miles in circuit, lies at the front door, the
hotel standing on the verge Of the great
precipice. 1t most resembles lake of
black pitch. The northeast precipices are
densely clothed with bush and fern; to the
south and west they are dry and sere. The
farther end Is composed of vast mounds of
yellow pumlce, elected a century ago. On
the upland around the hotel and west of 1t
are numberless assures, much masked by
ferns, from many of which clouds of steam
issue. One group of these assures deposits
sulphur. Half an acre is covered with these
Their hot vapor Is utilized in commodious
bath room for warm sulphur baths. In the
old days, when a grass hut was the only
shelter there all the drinking water
was obtained from small pools on the rocks,
precipitated from the steam clouds by the
cold air. Rain water from the roofs is now
the supply. Copious rains fall there most
of the year.
The inner pit Of Ha-le-mau-mau was
smoking ominously In the distance. A
party Of half a dozen guests were preparing
to set out. We had a hasty cup of tea, and
at pm started down the steep descent
amiable mule. Ten minutes brought US to
the black lava at the bottom, then nigh
two miles along rough trail to little
corral where we left our animals One
third Of a mile remained of moderate as
cent over very knobby coils Of fresh lava
when We found ourselves suddenly on the
ragged brink of q most h.deous Tartarus
The dark brown walls of an enormous pit
yawned beneath us. with herce fire foun-
tains playing In the great molten lake in
the bottom of this horrible well But a few
weeks since this same lake had rested many
hundred feet higher on the summit of a
very hat cone 1t had suddenly subsidized
the walls of its inner shaft tumbling after
1t, making vast well Of 400 feet diameter
with perpendicular sides.
Fountains of Liquid Fire.
The lake below retains its previous con-
tour ard size, being about 800 feet in d.
ameter and having an area of ten acres.
1t is molten, tossing sea of liquid fire,
mostly yelled by thin film of CLASSY
crust, which glows by night with red heat.
Here and there are huge fountains boiling
up. These have for three years quite uni
fornlly gathered in three groups, each often
forming one great fountain. Central of
these Is peculiar pulsating fountain,
known as "Old Faithful" About once In
twenty seconds IT rises in a large round
bubble or blob. some fifty feet In diameter
and thirty high, which drops back with a
huge thud, while great stream of
liquid rushes away from 1t. Some $50 feet
distant in different directions are two
groups Of spraying fountains. The larger of
these occasionally unites into one huge
mass of tossing fire fluid, about the dimen-