The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-10-13
DAMNED Up
THE CRATER


Damming up a breach in the side Of
an extinct volcano crater to conserve n
water supply is something of nov
city, but it has been done in the crater
at the head of Palolo Valley.
The crater has held water as far
back as Hawaiians can remember. A
continuous stream has flowed out
through the opening, but generally in
the direction of Waimanalo. It was
noticed that the springs in the upper
Palolo Valley gave but minimum sup
ply of water during the summer
months.
The idea of damming up the breach
in the crater was preached and carried
into effect. The breach is quite mar
row, but extends down almost to the
base of the crater proper. A twelve
foot wall was built across the opening
and the crater filled up with water.
All through the summer months the
springs in the valley have poured forth
generous supply of water.
ScSScScSc ScoSSSSc
down ones spine, but which never
the crater was ablaze with fire all the
time, and the cone with a great glare
of light, shot a stream of liquid rock
high into the air, fully 100 feet. A
great fire fountain, as It were, weird
and wonderful in the extreme. We
were favored with this display twice
during the evening. There was one
flow, the most beautiful of them all,
being the largest, when one whole end
of the floor opened up and that molten
lava seethed and boiled in it's angry
way. Viewing such a sight, we be-
came unconscious of the time, or the
sharp rocks that were almost piercing
the flesh until the guide reminded us
that it was o'clock and about time
to make the return trip.
With the scene fresh in our minds
the return ride was even more i'm
pressive than the first. There was no
sound, save the crushing Of the lava
under the horses feet, or an OCCASION
al word spoken to them. They needed
no guiding and the riders were left
to their own reflections. 1t was n
tired and solemn looking crowd that
at last reached the Volcano house at
a late hour.
IN PUMA DISTRICT.
We left the Volcano house the fol-
lowing afternoon and went down into
the Puma district. This part of the
island is extremely interesting, being
the heart of the extinct craters, nearly
all of which are the cone craters. 1t
Is over this district that the flow from
Mauna Loa in 1910, took its course, and
nc 90 fHA
these great black cinder rocks, piled
up in great confusion, just as they
cooled in their mad rush to the sea
many years ago. From Mauna Loa to
the sea, distance of about IS miles,
there extends one long line of extinct
craters, varying in size. One peculi-
arity of these craters in this district
is they are composed of cinders, the
belief being that at the time of their
activity the heat was so great that
they burned themselves out, leaving
nothing but the cinders. This the ma
tives use for their roads, much as we
do the fine sand.
Close to the home where we visited
are three large extinct craters. In
the pit of the first one is quite a
good-sized lake, known as Green lake,
WHICH is potlolllleSS, as lar as is KNOWN
no one having been able to sound bot
tom. In the pit of the second one Ia
just a small frog pond. But the third
one, just a short distance above the
second, shows great activity at present,
and 1t erupts at the proper seasons i'm
the form of delicious bananas. vege-
tables of all kinds and fruits being
watched and tended by a Japanese
gardener. These three craters go down
to a depth of about 300 feet.
Taking the island as a whole one
would travel far before finding another
such beautiful and interesting country.
At times one would almost imagine he
were in China or Japan, there is so
much of Oriental life to be seen on
all sides.
The foliage of the trees is one of
the most beautiful sights to be seen.
Every tree, with very few exceptions,
blooms, some in the most exquisite
colors. Especially beautiful is the
poinciana regia, which is just one solid
mass of flaming red.
Many more interesting place are yet
to be visited. but they are as yet in
the future, so thus endeth the read
ing of the first lesson."-Ethel L. Post,
in Riverside (Cal.) Press.