The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-01-16

writer in the current number O
the Hilo Tribune, dated January 18th
describes the volcano of Kilauea a
follows:
Today, in the cleaning Of evening
and in the gathering darkness, we haV
stood upon the bank of Lake Halemau
mau Cthe house of everlasting fire. anC
gaZed down 400 feet into the depth o
this bottomIess pit, and have seen there
a lake of fire
ION all sides round as one great fur
mace famed,
A fiery deluge fed with ever-burninf
sulphur unconsumed"
And it seemed as though we could
almost discover
Floods and whfrlwinds of tempestuous
fire." -
In its face of 200 by $50 feet of molten
burning lava, and it's lurid light cast
forth lit up the surrounding formations
In all their CHASTITY and darksome cav
ems and craggy formations, all partak-
ing SO strongly of the Internal region
reminders of the immense heat below
were given to us by the hot air that
burst forth from the cracks and crew
ices beneath and all around us.
Standing there we saw volume after
volume of liquid, burning lava spout
ed into the air fifty and one hundred
Feet, as water is sprayed from foun-
ta1ns, continually rolling back and lap
ping up the red-hot mass, higher and
higher, slowly but surely coming to the
top and where we stood.
Surely the eternal fires below are
not quer ched. Pele is aroused and
again asserts herself The wonders
ana magnlncence OF Kilauea have not
departed. Pele was only sIeepine
gathering to herself new strength to give
10 the world more brilliant and ma
1est1c display of the wonders of Hawaii
than ever before
The air was scorching us with its in
tensity. The burning lake of fire be-
low boiled, dubbed, seethed, rolled and
tumbled about, revealing in each sue
ceed1ng moment new phases of won
drous formation and changing color.
"And from this chasm with ceaGeless
turmoil seething,
AS if this earth in fast, thick pants was
whitening;
And mighty fountain momentIy was
forced
Amid those swift intermittent bursts. "
And this was midwinter in the
tropics.
VI to return to our task and give to
our readers the details Of the return of
the wonders of Kilauea. On December
z, 1894, the fires left the lake in the
crater of Halemaumau in Kilauea, and
since then no fire has been visible,
though smoke and heat have been
emitted frequently from the cracks
around and in this crater. On the
night of January 3, 1896, about 11:30
o'clock, light was seen in this crater
from the Volcano House, which told of
the return of the fire. Early Saturday
morning Manager Lee, of the Volcano |
House, and others visited the crater
and found that the fire had burst forth |
on the east side, about 200 feet from |
the bottom of the crater, and had |
flowed down and filled the crater to |
this height and above. The action !
was violent and continues active, and |
gave evidence of permanent re-
turn of the volcanic fires. Since then |
the flow has been constant and the fill |
ing up continuous, so that the top of |
the lake of lava is about 200x250 feet. |
This is the longest period of inactivity |
known, unless the one in 1850 sur
passed it.
This crater is in the shape of an in
verified cone. having a base about 1200X |
1900 feet and a depth of $50 feet, $50 |
of which is now filled up, leaving the
face of the lake about 400 feet from the
surface, and this distance is being |
diminished slowly.
Manager Lee, of the Volcano House,
feels confident that there is plenty of
ground to believe that there is perma-
nent return of fire. This crater is sit
uated in the large crater Kilauea,
which is about three by four miles In
area, and is below the surface or the
surrounding country about 900 feet.
Lake Halemaumau is near the south
side and is reached from the Volcano
House on horses. The distance IS near
two and a half miles. The descent into
Kilauea is tortuous, through trees and
shrubbery, some places quite abrupt.
You then cross acres of lava flow for
over a mile, leave your horses and pur-
sue your way on foot to the very brink
of the lake, where a perfect view Of the
lake is to be had.
Mr.. Lee intends at once to construct
some seats and shelter on this bank
and to connect the place by telephone
to his house, so that persons may view
this lake at their ease at night, the best
effects being then secured.
This property and its exhibition is
all under the control of the Volcano
Hotel Company, who have built, fur
nished and are now managing fine
hotel upon the north bank of Kilauea.
1t is the best hotel on the island for
tourists or families. The scenery is
grand, the air cool, the sulphur baths
health-giving, the cuisine excellent,
the management faultless.
1t is the place for one to go to nave "
a quiet time of enjoyment and at the ,
same time enjoy the surroundings of :
,,r11r-u and comfort. L