Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-05
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES
Something About Their Hab-
its in Eruption.
NONE ARE DANGEROUS
PEOPLE IN HONOLULU FEEL PER
FECTLY SAFE.
Tuff-Cones Have Exhausted Their
Preventative ,Craters Are Now
Non-Explosive.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.


HONOLULU, June -, 1902.
The object of the present letter is to pre-
sent facts well known in Hawaii which
may tend to allay the entirely unfounded
fears of many tourists who We learn have
many great attractions OF our lovely
islands by the presence of our volcanoes.
The fearful explosion of Mount Pelee at
Martinique destroying in a moment an
entire city of 10000 people, has naturally
enough kfndled horror of volcanic action.
OF course 1t is not strange, nor absurd, IL
such a horror should become almost hys-
teric in some persons. Probably have
no cause to be surprised, although We are
so, that, as we hear, a very extensive dread
has infected the stream OF tourists about
visiting our volcanic islands.
These fears have taken two directions,
indicated by the San Francisco papers.
both of which 1 would discuss. One relates
to a fancied danger to the city of Honolulu
as being located at the base of two recert
volcanoes. The other is the alleged ter
ribly menacing action of our very tame and
friendly volcano. KiIanea, which count
upon as the most interesting of our at
fractions for tourists In treating of these
matters 1 may be INDUCED in claiming
some title to a hearing, being by no
means a tyro but having studied and writ
ten for many years past on volcanic sub
jects Among the writings are two small
pamphlets-one prize essay on the Red
CLOVIS from Krakatoa, the other an article
on the geology of Oahu, with an appendix
on The Brevity of Tuff-cone Eruptions."
which last was just published In the Ameri-
can GeologiSt January, 1901.
Honolulu Not Dangerous.
To begin with the alleged dangerous
neighborhood Of Honolulu. Diamond Head
and Punch Bowl. so conspicuous in our
city, are not properly volcanoes at all, but
"tuff-cones," produced by volcanic explo-
sions long ago. lasting only a few minutes,
as 1 demonstrated in the last named APP
pendix The accurately circular rims OF
these two bowls proves that the whole of
their explosions of hot mud, shot miles
aloft, lasted for very brief space. and
then ceased entirely and forever, having
piled up their huge and stately mounds.
Their presence furnished no ground of
apprehension, any more than would the pit
left by an abandoned powder magazine
after blowing up.
But one may ask How do you know
that similar volcanic explosions are not
likely to occur again?" | answer, we know
1t simply on very strong grounds of proba-
bility. This island of Oahu is composed OF
two extremely ancient volcanic ranges,
both having been originally huge domes
such as the still active Manua Loa now is,
2GO miles away. All volcanic action ceased
since when atmospheric erosion has
gnawed out and weathered away three
fourths of their bulk, leaving only the
skeleton ribs Of their once comedy shapes.
During the same lapse of ages these noun
tains have slowly subsidized into the ocean
depths some thousands of feet This is
proved by artesian well borings through
both lava and coral far below sea level.
In one instance, near Diamond Head, con-
tinuous strata Of coral were found at the
depth of 800 feet. And coral grows only
near the surface of the sea. The island had
sunk at least / 500 feet.
During all that million years there was
left no trace Of volcanic activity until
comparatively recent period, when a large
number Of tuff-cones were thrown up, chief
" around the coasts of the island. That
they are thus recent as compared with the
| immensely eroded hard lava mountains is
proved by the comparatively slight erosion
of these cones, although composed of the
very soft tuff rock, which is a cement OF
hot mud, rained down from aloft, and en-
tirely different from the very hard lava.
which welled up from below and streamed
| in burning. viscid rivers over the ground.
Cause of Later Outburst.
Now. what was the cause of that later
outburst of volcanic activity which produced
Punch Bowl, Diamond Head and a dozen
sister cones in this region? There seems
to be the strongest reason to connect IL with
a widespread disturbance of the earths
crust, due to a sudden breaking up of the
continental Ice caps at the close of the
glacial period. To similar commissions from
the same cause have been attributed those
enormous lava floods which invaded Oregon
and California at a recent period. II is
probable that the great cataclysm known
the deluge was due to the same wide
spread convulsive disturbance.
Any similar CONFUSION of the earth's
crust IS wholly unlikely to occur unless an
other ice age should supervene, occupying
myriads of years in It's progress. Hence We
may count ourselves entirely safe on Oahu
from any more volcanic explosions. On
page 10 of my Geology of Oahu I have
made a conjectural estimate of the age of
Punch Bowl at 5000 years and the Dia-
mond Head at Il 600 years. This Is but
somewhat crude guesswork. But we seem
to have good reason to feel safe from any
recurrence Of the commissions which so
long ago threw up these brown and pic
turesque monsters to diversity the scenery
Of our city. Punch Bowl constitutes sort
of Eiffel Tower 500 feet high, to whose
summit YOU can drive to survey the city.
A mile and a half inland one reaches IN
altitude of $40 feet on Pacific Heights py
electric railway, whence you can look down
into the symmetrical bowl, which is half
mile in diameter.
But how about danger from the active
volcanoes of the Island of Hawaii over
200 miles distant from Honolulu as the bird
flies? Is there no danger in visiting them?
One of them, kiluea, We count upon as our
chief attraction to entice tourists hithcr.
as being the most stupendous exhibition of
fiery forces on the globe, as far exceeding
Vesuvus or Etna as Niagara outdoes a
common cascade. Is it safe to go near to
such a terrific monster? After hearing of
the horrible pranks of Mount Pelee on Mar
Unique, it is not strange that many persons
should decide that all volcanoes to be
passed by at the greatest possible distance.
No Danger From Active Volcanoes.
We here do not feel so. have visited
and explored the great crater or caldera
several times from 1896 to 1894, and never
with a thought of personal danger or
suggestion of possible injury. have passed
a dozen nights in the beautiful hosiery
which stands upon the brink of the deep
outer pit of the volcano, with absolute Sc
renity, which was shared by large numbers
of fellow inmates of THE Volcano House."
Two miles away and below In the great
inner pit of Hale-a-mau-mau were foaming
and crashing the white-hot rock fountains.
We had spent many afternoon and evening
hours in watching their fiery spray break
ing through the red-hot crust OF the great
fire lake, which was a thousand feet in
diameter. We had stood on the very brink
of the pit without fear, not Thousand feet
from the fiery pillows. All night long as
we slept at the hotel, two miles away, their