The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-08-02
HaIemaumau Lake Increases in
Size and Shows Unusual
Activity and Force.
ONE BANK TOPPLES DOWN
Graphic Description Of Recent
Phenomena in KiIauea's
Burning Pit.
Especial to The Advertiser.)

Especial to The Advertiser.)
HILo, July 2s.-At midnight on
Tuesday, July 26, after the prohibition
votes had been counted, there were
great things doing in the pit of Hale
maumau. The small pit that has, for
weeks, been forming on the south side
finally undermined the walls to such an
extent that great masses of the rock
tex. The result has been to change the
shape of the pit from oblong to circular
and to enlarge its size by fully twenty
five per cent. The whole floor became
a seething mass of lurid fire, and the
noise, as the side of the cliff fell in,
increased from the rattle of rifery to
the roar of cannon. Those who were at
the pit and fortunate enough to see the
sudden change in Hawaii's volcano
were Mr.. and Mrs Alexander of Lihue,
Kauai, and Mr.. and Mrs. II. Tracy.
Graphic Description.
In describing the events of the night
Mr.. Tracy wrote to a friend in Homo
lulu as follows:
con the east end the floor, formed
by the lake in January, 1910, has brok-
en- down to the edge of the main pit
and sort of secondary pit, connected
to the main one by narrow opening,
has been formed. The main fire has
eaten away the walls to the left as the
lake sank from its level of January,
1910, until now this floor projects only
about one hundred to one hundred and
fifty feet out from the old walls of the
big pit. A descent to this floor may
easily be had from the east side.
Explosion in the Pit.
F'The best viewpoint proved to be
from the east where rough shelter of
stone has been built. Two fountains,
one on the northwest and one on the
southwest, with a smaller one near it,
kept continually spouting and upheav-
ing with attendant crashes and roars.
The surface was irregularly scanned
with fire, the southwest shore was an
overhanging ledge and underneath was
continuous play of fire. This state
lasted till about half-past eleven that
night, when there was roar as of
mighty storm in a pine forest and a
great dark cloud of smoke rose from
the eastern end of the pit and shut out
our view. This cleared and showed a
new source of activity in the northern
edge of the lake. 1t was a white vOr-
tex, and from all sides great islands of
black lava, like RATS in the rapids,
were tossed hitler and thither, turned
end over end and then sucked down
into the fiery hole. Soon half the lake
was involved and rushing toward this
whirlpool when suddenly, like bottle
being filled with water, it filed and
bubbled forth again, tossed, became
quiet and disappeared.
Old Lake Breaks Out
"The whole surface was now agi-
tated, flowing twice as rapidly and in
new direction, to the south, where a
surf of fire broke out and Numbered as
the cavern swallowed the surface rush.
ing toward it. Again the smoke closed
down, while the crash and roar re-
doubled. AS it cleared seam of fire,
like lightning in a black sky, shot across
the northern floor of the pit, which was
then all black, and great island foated
off towards the southern end. This en-
larged the lake by One-half, and the
crash and roar of the fountains re-
doubled their fury, shooting columns of
fiery rock in all directions. This con-
dition lasted for about fifteen minutes,
when another big slice of the shore was
pulled away by the current; then an
other piece slipped away, making the
lake nearly double the original size,
with the liquid fire covering nearly the
whole pitt
Geologist on Hand
Down somewhere in the big crater
was the Swiss geologist and chemist,
Mr.. Bruins. He had gone down with
guide, tent and provisions to stay for u
couple of days On previous explora-
tions he had pumped smoke from the
pit through n long rubber tube into a
glass tube. Rock and lava of all kinds
'were broken off by his hammer, and he
seemed TO be particularly pleased with
some pumice stone that he found.
The day after the volcanic disturb
anee, at nine in the morning, the sun
and moon we're clearly visible at equal
Instances above the eastern and west |
ern horizons in clear sky, the bril-
laney of the sun not dimming the light |
Of the nearly full moon.
New Gone Formed.
On Thursday morning early a new |
zone was formed IN the pit, and at half |
past three the fiery activity was in
Tense, lashing and dashing against the
walls as n anxious 10 break them down,
Later IN the day the tint Of fire was
visible through the steam and smoke |
Sven when tho sun was sh ming brightly. |
The wind WIS from the south, and q |
long trail " smoke assembled the slopes |
III Manna Loa
Many Visitors 10 Watch.
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