The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-12

by the fiery pit of Halemaumau, sur
rounded by the enormous crater of XII
lauea. Many hundreds have made this
trip, but very few have given a
thought to the minor marvels that are
more easily accessible in the Puma dis
trict. Yet these latter will well repay
day spent among them, and the Wis
itor will return deeply impressed with
the strange and contradictory sights of
that region and with its great CONNER
cial potentialities.
Such were the impressions made upon
large party which on Thursday last
enjoyed an excursion over a considera-
BILE area of Puma, on the invitation of
Mr.. L. A. Thurston, president of the
Hawaiian Mahogany Lumber Company.
The prime objective was to visit the
mahogany company's mill and forest,
and to witness the operation of con-
verting ohia timber into railroad ties.
For reasons that viii appear, this pro-
gram was varied so as to take in many
other sights of interest. Leaving Hilo
by train about a. m, the party was
rapidly carried past Waiakea planta-
ton, through a rough and stony tract,
to the station at Olaa mill. Branching
off here from the main line, the rail
road runs across the great lava flow of
1s4S, which is some thirty miles long
by ten broad. Over the greater por-
ton of this area, the former deep and
rich soil is covered over and hermet-
ically sealed from sight and use by a
hard deposit of volcanic rock, in most
places fat as table, but occasionally
showing hummoeky heaps and deep ifs
sures But grass is already growing
luxuriantly on the barest parts, diver
sifed by trees and shrubs, and Mr..
Shipman has large herds of cattle graz
ing on this rocky plateau.
Arriving at the village of Pahoa, the
huge structure of the ohia tie mill
bursts on the view. The mill domi-
mates Pahoa; it fills Pahoa; it is Pa
hoa. AS Fate would have it, the big
mill was in sulky mood, and refused to
show off to the party on arrival Per
haps it had. got insufficient notice and
determined to show resentment. At all
events, the bursting of a small steam
pipe had brought the mighty monster
to standstill. The weather also took
a fit of the sulks Its frowns and tears
deferred the voyagers from making a
trip to the forest on fiat cars. What
was to be done9 The best cure for
the sulks is to leave the subject Sc
verely alone. So thought Mr.. Thurs
ton, who suggested a railroad tour of
Puma, including the breakwater quarry,
until Pahoa should have recovered. So
as the result of little accident, much
additional instruction and entertain
ment were obtained.
Travelling slowly through the lava
country, the visitors were able to OBJ
serve and learn much regarding this
land of contradictions. Here were sew
eral small volcanic cones, one of them
entirely of fine cinders piled
up symmetrically. On parts of this
hill, steam is at times seen arising,
showing that the internal fires are not
yet quenched. The crater of cone
adjoining this is occupied by a little
lake, whose waters have bright green
hue as seen from the crest of the hill.
About a mile nearer the coast, but
too far off for the party to visit on
this occasion, are warm springs, whose
waters have great virtue in the treat
ment of rheumatism and may also
prove TO be beneficial in some skin
diseases. There is a possibility of
these waters being made available for
sufferers. The railway<now goes so
lose to them that it is believed if a /
few cottages were built. and attend
NEE provided, many afflicted people
would be glad to go there and be heal
ID Even those who need no physician
would find at these springs a place for
est and contemplation, far from the
crowd.
Now the train is off on its journey
,ver an unballasted track leading to
he quarry. Slow is its progress. and
t rs well that it is so. for at sharp
urve the front wheels of the engine
cave the rails and the train is brought
o stop so gently that one can hardly
believe it is off the line. While the
PRACTICAL people of the party busy
themselves with getting the engine
,ack TO the path of rectitude, the
merely curious division find something
lse to wonder at. Very considerably,
he stoppage had been planned to take
lace on the very brink Of a great rift
IA the volcanic rocks. "FThe Bottom
ess Pit it is called, because hitherto
10 one has been able to sound it. The
urious ones gather around the mouth
f the pit and gaze awestruck into its
lack depths. Large stones are hurled
nto the abyss, while ears are strained
o catch the sound, or the echo of the
ound of them striking the bottom; but
lot even the faintest reverberation
caches the upper air from that mys-
erious vestibule of the Neither Re
ions.
CAN aboard" The cry is a welcome
elief from the contemplation of the
pit, and a short journey
lnds the party at the face of the
uarry. This quarry Is a natural won
er in itself II seems as though
Iother Nature had made an effort to
upplv material for the breakwater,
eady for Contractor Metzger to haul