The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-16

Especial To The AdvertiserJ
VYoLcANo HOUSE. June is.-The
" volcanic conditions In Hawaii
hav~ not changed radically from
those existing In February last
whether there has been any action a.
the summit crater IN uncertain Man
a-sr waidron OF me Volcano House
r t.tes that he has seen nelthsr IRE
nor smoke from that quarter but q
number OF others. including = ID. Bald
Wis. the civil engineer. state that they
sav smoke issuing from the top Of
Magsa Loa as late as yesterday There
may bs some slight activity there. but
a. yet the evidence is insufficient 10
assert u positively
Al Knauea the outer crater 10 un-
changed. except that the hot cracks
on the side toward the Volcano House
and extending north and south some
600 feet. are hotter than they were on
February ~. when I last observed
them The rocks are rosy red to
wIthin six inches Of the surface. and
a stick inserted into n crack bursts Into
flames In a fs~ seconds The indica-
tions are srrons. judging from past ex-
p>r4ence. that lake win form At this
point
re process OF formation of lava
lake 10 a simple one The molten metal
beneath gradually meits the rock with
which n cones In contact. eating It's
~ay upward and outward as the sub
t~rranean pressure pushes the lower
column upward. when the lava col
una nears the surface. the gases es-
capiss through the surface cracks carry
vxish them small '-spatters'' of lava.
whS<h fall and CONCEAL around the
opealnx. forming a "spatter- cone.
from SIX 10 thirty feet high Event
uaIly the eating away Of the bank from
b~neath and the increased weight OF
the cone through constant accretions
,,g -patter lava from above. overcome
the resisting power Of the crust over
the top CT the lava column. ana the
crust. cone and all. fails into the molten
e.auIdron and a lake - formed. with n
sfiaueter of frSn ten TO ffty feet The
process still continues. molten lava be-
ins thrown upon and. conScalins.
,r-irhtinx down the banks which mean
wsfl~ are being melted away from be-
n-Asb causing a succession OF cave
fn-" which eventually widen the lake
a. . quarter. a half. and even diam
..t-r OF n mile
TIE chief scene OF present activity u
10 sse main central pit OF Halsfrau-
m4n. which Was formed by the sub
.is-nce Of n great lava lake In is9t-
ri. a. stiff between 500 and 1000 feet
sI--p. and approximately n quarter OF
= sziie long. but gives evidence OF a
great corlrnotiou within tts walls since
F~bruary last. The nat floor OF re-
e~.tfy formed black lava then visible
A. ts~ extreme bottom has disappeared
Tse debris slopes from the p~rpendicu-
lar walls TO the center Of the pit have
r.dicaiiy changed their shape. and LOOK
a. though they had been violently
r.urned up. There are frequent slides
and Falls OF rock from the walls and
slopes OF the pit. which echo up
through the smoke v<ith n sharp metal
lie SQUAD. producinE n weird. uncanny
s.suad which makes one unconsciousiy
move back from the edge OF the pit
Ts~re IN an immense volume OF
smoke and sulphur vapor pouring o1t
81 the extreme bottom OF the PIT ana
from two spots about n third OF the
way from the bottom This smoke COZ
urus was plainly visible from on the
rtA1aa2L t04ENs " ht*s~"
could be seen as easily n hundred miles
There IL molten lava visible IN the pit.
but n is ffuctuating In quantity. about
t~s-thirds OF the way to the bottom.
~ reason OF the great quantity OF
.soke visible only interrnittentiy.
ws-n "a hrst appeared 81 ran down to
tss bottom OF the pit in n magnificent
arcade some zoo feet high. forming n
Ike. This has entirely disappeared
uss.r the faIiinE walls and debris
.fsp<-- and only the molten lava on
10. side OF the pit was visible
re normal condition or HAiemau-
nan 10 the filling Of n pit. the building
sr a cone over II. the formation OF one
..r more lakes about the base OF the
c~s~ or over the space previously Oc-
euob~d by the pit. followed Inevitably
~ q collapse or the whole structure
:. rrrlue a new PIT. Since 1883 this hns
r.,s-uef four times. The last col
iap-~ occurred In 1885, The films up
PROCESS delayed longer than usual. has
ns~ begun. and the normal produc-
tiss Of lakes. biowhOles. hows end
fsfI- from the pit walls may BE- ex-
p-etsd until the pit u once more fuh
sn- sverfOwins.
Meanwhile the sight. while not a par
ffcuiarfy exciting one to person who
hr- seen the stupendous lava foun-
tsins OF Mauna Loa. or the greater
-ctfvity OF Eiiauea In former day-- D.
ess % intense interest 20 any one whn
s--ire~ % observe at frs; hand bow