The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-09-24

UuIea U|nnfint cloud holder the
cloud holder embracing che bosofi ~
pe's. 20 "thc fed bot m0unih'n holding
clouds. "thc weather garland cncif
eiel eluui holder. aud thn young
cloud holder This family with many
Others settled near Kilanea Kamh.
puaa. n coarse. black. brstly man who
was called "half hog' In dorision,
made proposals 10 become the suiior OF
tho amazon Pele. Pele rejected his
proposals with contempt and n combat
ensued wherein Pele's family was
worsted and forced 10 retreat into
lava tunnel Kamapnaa finally discov.
cred the retreat and upon attempting TO
dig into II was driven away by n flow
Of lava. Because Of this timely erup-
ton. il was believed that Pele had the
power Of calling up the fire and so she
became the goddess Of the volcano.
Volcanic Activity at Kilauea.
Next after Mauna Loa, Kilauea is
treated historically and we find that
the tabulated statements of the con-
dition of the lava lake in Halemau-
mau give MS thirty.seven records of
change between 1925 and 1907. The
question of fuctuation in position Of
the lake Of lava brings up an amusing
query as to the boundary Of the Bishop
estate. IT appears that the Bishop title
is tied to the center of the lake and
If the lake changes it's position the
boundary moves with it. 1t should
be noted that a very recent survey by
Mr.. Baldwin indicates that the posi-.
tion of the boiling dome of lava N
the lake has been wonderfully CON
slant by trigonometrical measurement
for many years.
The history of the Volcano House
dates back TO a small native hut which
was used in 1924 and 1925 by the
Princess Kapiolani and by Lord By
ron's party. The record at the hotel
has been kept since 1865.
The Volcanoes Ordinary Work.
The following sentences are quoted
from Professor Hitchcock account of
the ordinary work of the volcanoes:
"For most of the time the activity
of the volcanoes is rather common
place. There is a daily routine of work
much like respiration and assimilation
in the human body, partly illustrative
of kind of life, and partly prepare.
ton for eruptions. The most promi-
nent feature is the presence Of lakes
of liquid lava which emit heat and
vapors and throw up jets. The sur
faces are crusted over and the con-
cealed layer breaks up in irregular
blocks which sink and disappear.
Fumes of sulphur and aqueous vnpors
arise from caldrons, causing visitors
t. avoid their leeward sides.
The ordinary work of the volcanoes is
accumulative. The molten lava has
been gathering at the apex of the as
censive column in such amount that
there is not strength in the containing
walls to keep it in place and it flows
down the mountain side, or else dis
appears in an unseen abyss"
Mauna Loa the Grand rneater.
Mauna Loa has been the grand the
alter for lava flows. The first symptom
of an eruption there is the sudden
illumination of the sky caused by the
reflection of the molten lava. Moku-
aweoweo has been empty and quiet,
until all at once the end of the as
censive column brings in a flood of
lava. Within very few days there
is an outburst from some point be-
low from the side Of the mountain and
the stream begins to flow, starting
from an elevation of over 10000 to
10000 feet above the sea. At the point
of outbreak what has been called the
terminal cone is formed. 1t would
seem that hydrostatic pressure causes
the lava to rise from an orifice per-
l.. I'M
highest at first and disappears when
the flow has ceased.
DIR. Hitchcock sets forth the follow
ing conclusions:
livery eruption commences with
the influx of melted lava to the pit
of Mokuaweoweo. In ten cases there
was no further manifestation of ac-
tivity.
2.-There are eight cases in which
this lava proceeded from orifices high
up, from one to three thousand feet
below the level of the bottom of Mo-
kuaweoweo, and considerable time was
required to discharge the liquid.
3.-Three instances are on record
where lava issued from rents COM
paratively low down, preceded by
vigorous earthquakes of short duration
In 1851 the flow came from a high
elevation but otherwise resembled
those from the lower rents.
An one instance, 1887, only
steam and dark vapors issued from
the summit
5.-Four submarine discharges OIL
disturbances attended the other phe,
nomena in 1865, 1872, 1877 and 1908
6.-Eruptions are more abundant in
the rainy months, January to May.
THE intervals between eruptions
are irregular, from three months tc
eleven years.
Ancient Volcanic Tradition.
The table on page 27l entitled
Eruptions from Kilauea previous t.
ls20," is a good illustration of tn,
marked contrast between modern scien
tifc records and ancient history de
pendent upon folk lore. Thus we hnt
thar from A. d. 40 to 1000 there wa
an average of one eruption for ever,
reign--three per century or about if
| ~ in ALL I'pele's Conflict With tn