The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-07
STAR REPORTER VISITS GREAT
ISLAND WONDER.
Clear Account of Present Condition of
Activity-Fires Lighting Up.

Those who believe that the old era
ter of Kilauea, on Hawaii, is dead .
would be surprised to see what great
activity it has shown within the past
fortnight. When Purser Becklev ,
brought down word last week that
Madam Pele had again burst forth in
some of her old-time glory he was not
relying entirely upon his imagination.
A reporter for The Star visited the
crater last Friday and spent several
hours in exploring the surroundings. |
Undoubtedly the smouldering fires, |
renewed by some unseen force, are
again assuming that activity that IN
years gone by has produced such Il
grand spectacle. To those who have
studied Madam Pele in all her moods,
the signs of the times are unmistaie-
able.
In the record books of the Volcano
House can be found notes from the
pens Of hundreds of travellers. many
of them world renowned, upon the
phenomena attending various erup-
tions since 1868. little study of
these notes show that the phenomena
which proceeded those several erup-
tions are now being repeated
For many months after the last
notable display. in 1893, when the
molten lava in the crater welled up TO
level so feet above the altitude of
the present rim, the crater has lain
dormant, and, apparently, almost eX-
tinct. The lake sunk to depth of
several hundred feet below the pres
ent rim, and the great dark hole thus
left was constantly so filed with va
pory smoke that even a glimpse of the
bottom was never obtainable. And
the hardened lava about the rim--the
relic of other overfows-had even
grown quite cold. Visitors were per-
mitted to explore huge cave under
the lava crust. scarce 200 feet from
the crater's rim. The guides ventnr
ed into the ground that had formerly
been inaccessible on account of the
great heat.
Within the past fortnight all this
has changed. First the craier poured
forth a great volume of smoke, which,
at times, stretched far away across
the Kau coast. Then the lava beds on
the north side commenced to heat up
and long assures opened through
them. The atmosphere of the cave
has become so heated that meat can
be roasted within n few feet of the
entrance. One OF the new sta IONS on
the north side has ba.n abandoned
because a hugh crack has opened 100
feet from the edge of the crater, and
indicating that within a short time a
ledge containing thousands upon
thousands of tons of hardened lava
viii soon crash into the crater. At
night the newly opened seams show
the duh red glare of rock super
heated.
The first indication of fire in the
crater was noted about ten days ag3.
\ fountain of lava suddenly sprang
from IA point un lcr the north wall to
a height of perhaps 200 feet, and re-
mained in play for half an hour. This
sign of activity, which has been re-
peated several times since, comes from
hugh cave directly under the old
station.
The party of which reporter for
The Star was a member, observed it
last Friday night. On that occasion,
however, the smoke was so thick that
only the glow of the molten lava could
be seen. No less than four heavy eX-
plosions were heard, the detonation
accompanying each being heavy
enough TO shake the ground upon
which the party stood. An eNperienc,
ed guide informed The Star man that
such phenomena had not been eX.
, perienced since the last great erup.
tion.