The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-01
KILAUEA PARK


The bill introduced in the House by
the Delegate from Hawaii asks for an
appropriation of not more than $4,000
for the establishment of the Kilauea
National Park The proposed park
would embrace all the land comprising
portions of the lands of Kapapala and
Keauhou, in the district of Kau, and
Kahaualea, Panaunui and Aqua, in the
district of Puma, containing approx
mately 1896 acres
To begin with, the Hawaiian Dele
gate tells of an interesting legend con-
corning the only occasion upon which
Mauna Loa, the summit of the noun
tain of which the volcano Kilauea is a
part, threatened through it's flow of
lava to deal death and destruction to
the towns below. The summit of the
mountain sometimes emits a deluge of
molten rock; the crater Kilauea never
does, although the lava occasionally
bubbles to it's very brim.
1t is about the mouth of Kilauea,
some four thousand feet up the noun
tainside, that the people of Hawaii
would have a national playground.
Away back in 1884," said the prince
"Mauna Loa, fourteen thousand feet
above the sea level, started one of it's
periodical disturbances. The people
of the plains and slopes below paid
little attention to the eruption, be-
cause, Heretofore, they had never
been of menacing nature. The lava
nearly always stays within the con-
fines of the crater
when Mauna Loa, some ten thou
sand feet above, is in eruption, the
disturbance in Kilauea practically
ceases. It's fiery matter seems to sink
almost into the bowels of the earth.
1t can hardly be seen. There appears
to be some sort of subterranean sym
pathy between the big mountain sum-
NIT above and the smaller crater away
down the slope, just above Hilo.
THE proposed park would be one of
the grandest natural beauty. Even in
it's present unprotected state the era
ter of Kilauea, which is one-quarter of
mile across, is visited yearly by
thousands of American tourists. Ha-
wall is in the line of travel to and
from the Orient. 1t is a way station
for the seeker for the out of the ordi.
nary.
1.-TWO years ago l conducted a party
! of twenty-five members of the House
to the very brink of Kilauea. They
took luncheon within a stones throw
of the crater's mouth. No one felt .un
easy; no one needed to, for this vol
cano is the one volcano that is regard
ed as being absolutely harmless. II
the first place, it emits no gases. II
volcanic eruptions it is the gases ant
the hot ashes which most frequentl.
kill.
THE lava emitted by Mauna Loa, a
the summit of the mountain, flow
down the slopes with such slownes
that even if the larger volcano wer
dangerous the people would have am
pie time for fight. But it is not dan
gerous. We no more fear the moltel
flow from Loa than we would so mucl
warm syrup trickling down the noun
tainside. 1t spreads itself all over tn
surrounding country, hardens rapid
and cools quickly. Mauna Loa goes o.
a rampage about once in every ten t
fifteen years. The eruption of 1881, a
l have stated, was the only one t
cause any concern whatever.
1T should be made plain that Will
Kilauea, which is to be embraced il
the proposed park is an active vo
cano, it is not one that offers any dar
ger from eruption. Perhaps it sound
rather odd to propose a national par
about the mouth of a volcano. TIL
average person will shudder with hol
ror at the thought. That's becaus
they are not acquainted with the pc
fectly harmless nature of our crater.
I'm the intervals between the NOR
violent periods of Kilauea, lastin
sometimes for years, intense heat
retained in all of the lava vents, a
we'll as throughout miles of fissure
extending in various directions upo
the floor of the caldera. Any infian
mable material exposed to these opel
ings takes but a few moments to b.
} come scorched or ignited. Odd formi
lions of lava are found all over tn
floor, including caves and bridge
within or under which spaces al
found large enough to shelter man
people.
"a resort hotel has been built wit
in a comparatively short distance {
the mouth of the volcano. When tn
volcano is active, as it has been Sc
eral times during the last year, for i