The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-09-09
THE ACTIVE CRATER.
In Olden Times Fire Was Continuous
Now Appears at Intervals.

The Hawaii Herald says: Madam
Pele in her second childhood has PROV
en- somewhat erratic jade. Instead
of maintaining her residence at Kilauea
she has, since 1873, been fitting from
place to place and appears upon noun
tains from time to time with scarcely
an intimation of her intended visit.
Between 1873 and a period many years
prior she lived almost continuously at
kilaueaG then her pipe went out and
her visits to the old homestead since
that year have been uncertain.
Rufus Lyman, Sr., who was born here
in 1912, says that his father often
spoke of the crater being active almost
continuously from 1910 until 1868, when
severe earthquakes put out the fire and
the great mud flow in Kau followed.
During that long period of pyrotechnics
there were intervals when as many as
eight lakes We're visible in Kilauea, and
at times there was molten lava around
the sides of the big pit. On one occa-
sion when the elder Lyman was in the
crater attempting to dip out some lava
on the point of a stick he nearly lost
his life. 1t seems that the stick was
not long enough for the purpose and
he stepped back to tie two together.
AS he did so jet of lava spouted at his
feet and he stepped further back. A
moment later the lava caved in, leaving
running stream of fire where he had
been standing.
When Mark Twain visited the crater
in 1866 there were several lakes in ac-
tive operation, and so weird and dan
gerous did it seem to Twain's compan-
ion that he declined to go down to the
crater. After the earthquakes of '6S
the crater subsided for several months
and then became active and remained
so for nearly ten years. Mr.. Lyman
says that during that time he made
frequent trips TO kau and he says that
there were cracks in the pahoehoe nenr
kapapala in which fire was visible. Al
no time was the fire out of the crater
for more than a week.
Since early in 1850 the periods dur
ing which there has been little or no
activity have gradually increased in
length and at no time has there been
continuous fire for more than a few
months, and it is impossible, even for
kamaainas, to tell how long the pres
ent outbreak will continue. Henry Ly-
man was down to the crater Tuesday
night and in his opinion the fire is slow
ly rising. Captain Lake says he saw
flow of lava from the side of the
crater some distance from the bottom.
He says the now continued for forty
eight minutes without interruption.
. .1.p.N.p.t.E.I..t.H.s (.o.S.,
order will be said. Extra cars will be
attached to the train to convey men,
bers of the order and those desiring to
accompany the remains to the place OF
interment. The funeral viii ltake place
under the auspices of Hawaiian Lodge,
f. X a. NJ. of which the deceased was
FOR many years member.
Mr.. Boardman was born on the island
of Maui on October /, 1854, and was
educated at Cornell University, where
he was prominent in class and college
affairs being a member of the Kappa
Alpha fraternity. After leaving Cor
nell he engaged in the drug business
in Syracuse, n. Y. Four years after he
returned to the islands, becoming COL
lector of customs for the port of Kahu-
lui, and afterwards deputy collector for
the port of Honolulu. Subsequently he
became actively interested in the i'm
portation of Japanese laborers to the
islands. Mr.. Boardman married an
eastern lady. who died here about two
years ago. He leaves one sister, Mrs.
King.