The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1895-02-08

witty description Of the volcano OF
Kilauea appears in the San Leandro
| (Cal) Standard. There is Just one
error in it, where it SAYS the latest
lava flow was in 1882. There was
big one in 1887:
MAUNA LoA, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
November 3, 1S94I
EDITOR STANDARD:-Lava is every.
where around me as sit and write
by the crater Of the most active vol
cano in the world. Hawaii is proud
OF its giant Mauna Loa, with one
volcano on its side 1900 feet above
the sea level and another un its
summit, at an elevation OF 1900
feet. They are called the safety
valves OF the world, but much OF the
lava is so hot that the weary tourist
finds no safety except "a he keeps
moving on. / just now pushed
stick into yonder bank. II came out
, coated with liquid sulphur at boil
ing temperature. Everything is
weird and unreal. The lawn bends
as you walk, aud below il an echo
which you feel very unsatisfactory
foundation for the trail, three miles
long, by which you creep to the
edge of the crater where | am sit
ting.
/ rarely note down FIRST impress
sion, and have often regretted it, so
here, on the spot, | record a rather
irreverent comparison suggested by
the scenic play hundred feet be-
low.
II is not yet quite dark, and the
lake is still dimmed by the light Of
day. But it Is crossed and re crossed
by lines OF fire. They are cracks in
the lava, but they have a strange re-
| gularity that somewhat resembles the
map by which dealer in real estate
advertises his coming sale Of most
valuable and eligible lots. One al
most expects to see somewhere a
huge sign announcing, Building
Lots for Sale in He'll To. nightp
But the play goes on. Fountains
begin to sparkle; cascades tumble
and roar; geysers spout; and pre-
sently a huge wave Of white hot
lava rolls over at least one third OF
the great lake where the lots had
previously seemed rather neglected
and unsaleable. Ia one corner the
hour has come for increased activity,
and we hear the puff! puff Of the
engines, with the laundering Of
plutonic hammers, evidently pound
ing and smashing great blocks Of
chaos into fragments OF suitable
size for the fuel needed by the vol
cauo.
1t is q grewsome aud weird scene,
and is rendered none the less so
when the guide tells me that he con-
siders this rather comfortable ledge
on which l sit and write as liable to
tumble into the crater at any hour.
No one has yet gone to heaven--or
elsewhere-by this route, but the
guide says he has often found the
resting spot OF one day gone on his
visit the next. So a startling news
paper epitaph is included as one OF
the possibilities OF a tourists ticket.
This volcano is presided over by
Goddess Pele, and at frequent inter.
walls she sends from the higher crater
a stream OF lava that usually makes
quite a reputation for itself before it
ceases. And thereby hangs a rather
interesting tale.
In the year A. d. 1882 the last OF
these great laval rivers started to
cross the Island and reach the ocean.
But right in its road was the one
seaport OF the Island, the flourish
ing little city OF Hilo. The inhsbi-
tants, both sacred and profane, ma
turally objected to being wiped out
in this manner, and q battle royal
began, just a., according to sacred
history, a similar battle was fought
to the bitter end between Elijah and
the priests OF Basl, when the prophet
defied the god OF the priests to set
fire to the sacrifice on a great
altar he had erected. The pray.
ers OF those priests were many
and long but too cold for the occa.
sion, and the sacrifice remained un.
burned. But the prayers OF the pro-
phet went straight to the spot, and
there was grand conhagration. OIL
course the "madding crowd" joined
his church Immediately, for there il
nothing so popular as success. Here
at Hilo there was to be a similar
battle royal, only this time the victor
was to put out fire instead OF kind.
ling it. The missionaries and theil
hocks had their innings and prayed
with the fierce fervor of the ancient
prophet, but the goddess Pels con
tinued her march all the same. WheI
the awful stream was less than hal
mile from the city a dear, goot
princess OF the then royal family
one OF the famous line Of Kameha
mehas, undertook to appeal to tn,