The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-10-17
FIRST VISITORS
TO THE OUTBREAK
Continued from Page One.)

ence of these plutonian pyrotechnics.
over the rim of the small inner era
ter, the lava has broken and flows out
into the larger area, still hundreds of
feet below the summit, in a broad red
and yellow stream, extending for a
mile over the big crater bed. From
this moving molten mass all colors are
given out from that of yellow molten
gold to the fading pink of iron, cooling
, under the hammering of the forge. Out
, of the deep abyss, rolling and tossing
energies a steady column of smoke and
vapor rising high above the heads of
the watchers and losing itself in the
/ clouds. The fierce fires below illumin-
ate these tossing pillows of smoke
thousands of feet in height This light
is reflected back to the broad black
plateau of lava which extends for miles
in a fiat tableland around the great
crater. 1t is this upper illumination
that can be seen from Hilo, the Vol
cano House and nearly all points on
the island This is the spectacle free
to nearly all the inhabitants of Hawaii
from their doOrsteps and visible from
ships that sail the coasts of the island.
The fiery fountains which are the
source of the light are hidden within
the confines of the great amphtheater
of Mokuaweoweo and cannot be seen
!
and climb to the brow of Mauna Loa,
over 1900 feet high.
The Hilo party broke their vigil at
| the edge of the crater Wednesday
morning at 7 o'clock and by 1880 o. M
were at the Volcano House, relating
their stories with their feet under Bid
goods mahogany. On the down trip,
the mountain sickness left every one
rapidly. 1t stayed with a few until
below the 10000 foot level
r. T. Guard, who accompanied the
first party to reach Mokuaweoweo, ar
rived in Hilo yesterday morning. To a
| Tribune representative Mr.. Guard said:
The sight from the summit into the
great crater is beyond description.
The roar of the mighty fire geysers
sounded like the smashing of heavy
seas against the rocks. The spouting
columns of white hot lava arose in
great incandescent geysers to heights
of several hundred feet and would fall
back as blackened boulders and huge
chunks of CONCEALED cinder. The inn
pressive grandeur of the scene was
overwhelming. Speeches. we stood
and gazed. lndescribable feelings kept
pace with the indescribable scene be-
fore us. AS for myself, l did not at
tempt to control tie emotions stirred
by the mighty panorama of fire be-
fore me. The sublimity and awful
power of the scene brought the tears
to my eyes. l cannot attempt to de-
scribe it."
THE trip" said Mr.. Guard lis not
a hard one. In our party was Bert
! Wilson, only eleven years old, and he
stood the trip as we'll as any of us. If
a horse is able to stand the trip, YOU
can mount at the olcano House and
ride to within six feet of the edge of
the crater without getting off. lady
who can ride horse can make the
trip as well as a man. From Monsar-
rats place up and back our party
made the trip at a cost of only sS5
each. Each man had a horse. Two pack
animals carried provisions and extra
blankets. At the ve:y verge of the
crater we procured good ice water
from the lava cracks and if we had had
| buckets, we could have watered our
horses.
"One of the most impressive things
of a trip to Mauna Loa is the absolute
desolation and isolation of a man at
the summit. Around you is the black
disc of the lava plateau. The world is
beneath the clouds which are beneath
you and invisible below the blackened
circumference of the plateau edge. On
ly on outlook proved to us that we had
|
floating through cold space. Through
a Jagged assure to the north of us we
could see the tip of the bald head of
| Mauna Kea which is a few feet higher
than the mountain of fire. This evil
| dence that we were still on Hawaii was
comforting"
Reverting to the subject of the lava
now, Mr.. Guard said: THE present
eruption is further north in the bed of
the big crater than the last one. The
lava is flowing in large quantities ov-
er the rim of the inner crater and new
cones form, disappear and reform
again while you watch it,"
The thirteen who We're in the party
and who were first 10 look into the
crater this outbreak We're: c. /. Bid
good, Hilo; D. e. Wilson, Hilo; r. T.
Guard, Hilo; F. f. Haley, Kapoho;
John Holland, NJ. D., Kapoho; w. H.
Little, Hilo; ]. S. McFadyean, New
York; A. K. Nawahi, Hilo; #. C. Ridg-
way, Hilo; H. E. Wilson, Kalapana;
Bert Wilson, Kalapana.-Hilo Tribune.