The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-05-07

I some Oh US SuCcoOpeU IN getting a uCtl
r rest, the others failed in the attemp
: and were glad to welcome the first gloI
of morning.
2 The temperature had fallen TO % des
, soon after dark, and during the night j
reached % deg, not very severe TO on
| used TO it, but with the mist and slee
and the driving east wind, il was a.
. uncomfortable night for the whole o
! the party.
The natives were all sick, and ou
best friend, Julian, had all the respon
sibility of caring for the twenty-five
suffering animals. The mule from Pu
ma, more bold than the others, cheweC
off his own rope and then wandered al
over the camp, eating up such morsel:
as brides, halters and saddle girths, I'm.
til securely tied up again.
| Glad TO Break Camp.
Soon after daybreak the camp was
astir and preparations were made fol
an early breakfast, as We had a forty
mile ride to Ainapo and the Volcano
House, which we were to make before
shutdown. The air was much clearer
than on the previous evening, and we
had fine view OF Mauna Kea, with its
summit and upper slopes we'll covered
with snow, and all around and below US
were dense banks of clouds which hung
on the lower TANKS of Mauna Loa.
| As we afterwards learned, the storm
had been the most severe one of the
season, and our friends in Hilo and
Kau had had their misgivings about
the success OF our undertaking.
The return was made much more rap
idly than the ascent, as the animals
needed no urging, and the trail was
much easier going down. A heavy rain
began soon after leaving the summit,
and for three or four hours we rode
through it, reaching our first nights
camp about noontfme, Ainapo at $50,
where we lunched and changed our
tired and hungry horses for the fresh
ones to take US over the last stage of
fourteen miles to the hotel.
At p. N. of the third day we were
all comfortably settled at the Volcano
House and congratulating ourselves on
our safe return. Here we learned for
the first time that DIR. Friedlander had
made the ascent few days before
from the KOna side, and returned on
the morning we started.
The members OF the party have moth
ing but words of praise for the way the
expedition was conducted by Julian
MonSarrat, and for the faithful service
rendered by all the~men under him.
We left the Volcano House the next
morning for Hilo. leaving Mr.. Logan of
the Bulletin there, suffering from a
local condition only to be cured by
time" The member from Buffalo has
suggested pneumatic saddles for future
mountaineers.
The last night we saw the reflection
from the crater it was more extensive
than before, and the lake had evidently
enlarged its area and was in state of
great activity.
Reports from the Volcano House, dat
ed Sunday evening, May Sd, say that
the reflection from the fire fountains
OF Mokuaweoweo are brighter than
ever, and that there is every prospect
of the eruption continuing for some
time longer. ~
Monday noon four of the mountain
party left Hi1o on the chartered Hawaii
to connect at Paauhau with the Like
like, bound for Honolulu direct. At Ha-
kalau we picked up two more passen-
gers bound for the capital, and of the
Hamakua coast we we're transferred to
the Likelike and started at once, spent
the night at Mahukona, loaded cattle at
Kawaihai in the early morning, and
then sailed for home.
Our last view of the eruption was OBJ
tanned from Kawaihae just before sun
rise, when there was faint glow over
the summit and thin column of smoke
rising straight in the air. Soon after
sunrise all signs of activity had disap-
peared in the haze which hung over
the whole of Hawaii and as we sailed
toward Maui the island was lost to
view.
Predictions as to what will happen
on Mauna Loa, either in MokuaweOweo
or in Kilauea, are not to be safely in
dulged in, for the reason that no one
knows enough Of volcanic action to
give him the necessary dsza.
For two full weeks the great crater
has been more active than for many
years past. and from the record of past
eruptions we may perhaps expect an
outbreak on the sides of Mauna Loa
within a few weeks, or the fires may
disappear altogether from the summit
crater. A0st of the great eguptions of
the present century from the tanks Of
Nanua Loa have been preceded by act
ion in Mokuaweoweo, and from this
faet should not De greatly surprised at
news Of an outbreak along the great
Ene Of fissure on the northeastern side
of the mountain, or at the opposite ex-
tremity, from which the 1887 flow pro-
ceeded towards Kau.
In Kilauea there has been no visible
fire for several months, but vast vol
ume OF smoke and gas is continually
escaping, and there is considerable heat
just below the surface all about Hale
maumau. The smoke and steam in the
great pit, the rumbling noises heard in
the neighborhood, and the many evil
dences OF great heat, all point to the
probability of an early return TO a state
or great activity In Kilauea.
The year 1895 promises TO be an i'm
portant one ia the annals Of Hawaii
as great center Of volcanic action.
FRANK s. DODGE.
S%E fSle