The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-17
WORLDS
INFERNO
tcontinoed from page IL

sleep. repeated in 1851 the awakening
OF 80. causing the death OF 1900 peo-
pie: but Kilauea has not for the past
century exhibited any such violence.
although in an almost constant state
OF eruption. nor Is any such outbreak
likely to occur in Kilauea, far more
Likely in the long sealed Haleakala-
The Rev. William Ellis visited the
crater August I. 1879. and made known
its existence TO the civilized world.
At that time the vast pit had been
emptied by a subterraneaE assure TO
the southwest. and the BLACK Ledge"
ringing the outer walls marked the
height TO which the lava had previous
ly risen. The whole bottom was new
ertheless In intense activity. The
southwest and northern parts OF the
crater were one vast flood of liquid fire.
in a state OF terrific ebuilition.
Fifty-one craters. OF varied form and
size. rose like so many conical islands
from the surface of the burning lake.
Twenty-Five constantly emitted COL
umns Of grey smoke or pyramids or
| brilliant flame. and many OF them at
the same time vomited from their ig-
nited mouths streams OF fiorid lava
which rolled in blazing torrents down
| their black. indented sides into the
boiling mass below" Mr.. Ellis and his
| companion descended to the Black
Ledge. entered several small craters.
Il
They collected the hair OF Pele." and
saw spherical masses OF fusing lava
/ or bright ignited stones shot up with
loud decorations.
In 1895 Lieut. Maiden, r. N. made a
survey OF Kilauea from the low plat
| form which separates Kilauea from
Kilaueaiki. At that time there were
not so many cones, although the actv-
ity was generally extended over the
whole bottom. The height of the high
- ~aI
1 In 1892. according to the Rev. Joseph
Goodrich, the lava had increased SO as
| TO rise so feet over the black ledge, or
600 feet above the level OF 1923. In jan
uary of that year the volcano sent out
great volumes OF smoke and the fires
were so brilliant that IL appeared like
a city in a confiagration. Earthquakes
accompanied this action, and from the
rent in the upper wall on the east SIDE
poured lava which flooded the PLATFORM
where Lord Byron had camped in 1875.
This outbreak Is still distinct and was
400 feet above the layas in the crater
below The walls gave way and the
lava fell nearly 1000 feet, making the
total depth OF Kilauea from 100 to 1000
feet.
In 1888 the first mention is of float
ing island in one OF the lava pools. In
| May. 1S4O the interior Of Kilauea was
zone great sea of liquid lavas, land on
the 3oth the walls gave way In a SOUTH
| east direction, the lava appearing al
the bottom OF an ancient pit crater IN
the Puma forest, and In several otner
pits and cracks in that region.
Finally, June /. the stream came to
the surface 81 miles from kilauea and
I244 feet above the sea, which 1t reach
| ed at Nanawale. June 30, having rur
III miles through a forest in that Time
The Immense heaps Of disintegrateo
Il lava thrown up when the lava plunged
into the ocean are still prominent lano.
marks The coast line was EXTENDED
a quarter OF a mile. and the waters 81
cheated that for 20 miles the snore'
twere strewn with dead fish. The ign
t.'ygas visible for over hundred miles
Fat sea. and at the distance of 40 mile
fine print could be read at midnignt.
In ls4S a dome formed over Halemau
mau. and by August this dome-was al
most high enough ito overtop the lowe
, mart of the outer wall of kilauea an
Hook out upon the surrounding coun
try Most OF this year no fire wa
}seen in Kilauea even by night. In lso
II and 1851, the volcano was In a state
screaming stupefaction, and throug
l1S54 IL was .'unusually dull" ferns an
chelo bushes were growing on the cen
trail plateau. In 1855 the lavas beneat
the dome commenced throwing up jet
To the height OF 200 feet. and in Ma
land June the central plateau had gir
die of fires nearly half mile wide l
which Rev. Titus Coan counted
pools of "Ieaping lavas" and there wa
a great pool at the foot OF the north
east path down into the crater. L
October the crater was less active an
the dome had fallen in. In 1856, durin
the eruption OF Mauna Loa, the nres {
Kilauea were very sluggish. In $50
the Great Lake had diameter OF
thousand feet; there were severai sma
pools near the northern wall where ~ ~
lava was about on "A level with u
floor and many cones and staiactl'
ewes over the floor. In that year IT
writer made the first complete surNe
OF Kflauea. and spent ten days at an
in the crater. passing several nights
the brink OF Halemaumau.
In 1865 a great outbreak and doWi
. plungs took place almost at the time
AN eruption from Mauna Loa- Mo-
than 1000 earthquakes, some OF the
very severe, commenced March 20 al
on April all fire had disappeared FRO
the cones. and by the night OF the D
al was dark ana the lava had heo
urrts unknown. At this time OCCURS
! another overflow on the east VIC
| which covered that OF 1S5@ IN mar
rtoc..s Th. cavity formed by the "a
I of the Great Lake was 5000 feet IN Oh
( ! meter nj thu. top. 1900 feet below, al
500 feet deep. In 1871 the Great La,
II was again fuil In 1879. April Il. y
| bottom dropped out. but in two mont
I both pools were quite active aSaln,
- In Julv. 1850. the writer again Nisit
tbs. crater and found the noor rlsli
in n tolerabIy regular dome 500 Ie
above the base OF the outer walls, az
surrounded BY four pools, aVerash
1850 feet In diameter. Biulsn e
flames illuminated the scene. III &c
there were two floating islands in wn
was called n New Lake, which w
somewhere east OF Halemaumau: II
,vas about tn. condition until Marc
- lSSGs Al haIf-past nine in the eEenll
a slight earthquake was felt' ana d.
,,,.7t.r Of ten three others. viii
Tn.de .'thud-Iike sounds. At ten I
lights oyer HaIemaumau, before We
brilliant. suddenly disappeared.
next day no hot lava was visible a
great Dit about half mile IN on
meter and 500 feet 6eep-from datu
ar the Volcano House-had taken I
place OF the lakes and hills In u
the iavas had again appeared ana
=. debris cone formed In 1885 the iaN