The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-16

Amos -5-.eaomena Of
molten tendency to pile up
when as-a.ftets an obstruction. Thus
lt655fe are many places visible around
the wall of the pit where the lava run
ming in a stream from this higher cen.
ter of dispersion, strikes the wall and
dashes up like wave, solidifying in the
process. so that the level of the lava
at these points is actually higher at
the wall than 1t is nearer the center
of the pit.
On Thursday night the central lake
fed by the upward gushing fountains
from the center of the earth had built
itself up fully fifteen feet above the
| Immediately surrounding level. sold
Faithful - sometimes in one great gey.
ser, sometimes dividing itself up into
two or three. seemed more active than
ever. In two or three other places in
this lake there seemed to be rising
food of molten lava. The surface of
, the lake was in constant motion as the
rising lava spread. The surface, black
ening into thin cakes, was constantly
broken up, the blackened cakes being
hurled and swirled here and there, suck.
ed down into the livid depths to be
remelted in the fervent heat. All ar
once. about clock there were indi-
cations that this central lake would
overflow its self raised walls. There
was a point on its eastern side where
| it seemed likely to give way. This was
noticed by many of the half hundred
| fascinated watchers at the shelter house
on the northern edge of the pit. Those
who saw it called the attention of those
who had not seen it, until the whole
company was watching intently this
point At last the forces inside proved
too strong. The upper edge of the re-
tanning wall gave way. 1t was like
a crevasse in a dyke. Soon flood OF
liquid fire was pouring out in magnif-
cent cascade fully twenty feet wide.
Presently the whole surface of this hot
test lake was visibly in motion toward
this crevasse The blackened surface
broke up into great irregularly shaped
cakes which were carried over by the
cascade, breaking into smaller pieces
they did So From the foot of the cas-.
cade the fiery flood flowed in a well |
defined stream for several hundred feet |
until it lost itself as a stream in spreaq- |
ing out over the surface of that portion
of the pit not included in the centers |
of activity. Within an hour such vast |
quantities of molten lava had flowed out |
in this cascade that fully half of the
entire surface of the pit was aglow.
From the north side of the pit whete
the shelter house is, this cascade could
be seen flowing away. Even from this
point of view it was magnificent. But
a large number of the throng of spec
tators wanted another view, and to get
it, led by the guide, went nearly
third of the way around the edge OF
the pit to the easterly side. There they
faced the cascade. 1t was an enthrai-
ling sight. A cascade of fire twenty
feet wide at the very least, dropping
down in a beautiful curve and flowing
away in a river aglow.
There are other phenomena which
this wonder is constantly presenting and
changing. Some of them are
great squirting fountains rising in cor
lscating briliancy and falling In
graceful cascade of glowing sparks.
are probably formed by an escape
IF gas. Then there is the swirl, ano
he swish and the roar, of this liquid
element like the swirl, and the swish,
md the roar of the ocean. 1t Is the
he phenomena of water transformed
INTO the phenomena of fire.
1t is impossible to more than suggest
he impressiveness of the scene. The
difficulty is not so much in describing
.ach feature of the spectacle separately, :
md in detail But in viewing it the
letails are all fused into one magniff-
.ent whole It is presented to the eye
n it's entirety. X
Or if one desires to study it in de- '
all, the whole great flood of the crater
S there for demonstration and Illus
ration. One has but to look about
,ver the acres of blackened pahoehoe, |
III of which have poured out within
he memory of men now living, to see s
n rigid waves, and streams, and cas-
AIDES, and fountains, what has resulted '
rom the very processes which are GO c
ng on now before his eyes in Halemaa.
nau. The old and the new reeiprocafly
Illustrate each other. 1t is double 1
plastic and the rigid. c
It is a relief to get back from these t
Genes of Titanic forces. these world v
orging processes of Nature, to the COM i
ort and ease of the Volcano House. j
'hough these are rather strenuous days \
or mine host Demosthenes Lycurgus, h
18th their constantly arriving and con- r
family departing guests, the unrest he +
alters in not communicated to anybody "
lse. He may often be at his wits +
nd to provide accommodations for AMI
nusual tide of visitors, but he does it. !,
nd does it so that there is no maTring h
f the pleasure of stay, long or short, q
t this gateway of Wonderland. A visit :,
, the Volcano and the Volcano House =
annot be surpassed. :,
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