The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-06-04
Seize Most opportune
Moment for Their
Trial.
Information Game d
May Change All
Theories.
frrnm snndar,s Advertisor.l

(trOm SUNDAY b AoNoAteSA.J
The Rosetta stone was the key to the
mystery of the Egyptian hieroglyphics;
the pent-up gases in bundle of glass
tubes brought to Honolulu yesterday
from the crater Of Kilauea may prove
to be the key to the mysterious activity
of all volcanoes Carefully handled and
Guarded by Professor Shepard Of the
Carnegie Institute, who has been on
duty at the crater some time, reached
Honolulu Yesterday on the Mauna Kea,
these gases will be analysed. AS yet
the component parts of the gases are
n mystery to the scientists, but the
cloudy substances which may be seen
in the tubes may prove of incalculable
value to the whole scientific world and
give scientists the clue to the reason
why volcanoes exist and how they are
born.
Only a year has elapsed since Homo
lulans succeeded in interesting vol
canologists to establish observing sta
lions on the brink of Halemaumau.
Tuesday afternoon Professors Day and
Shepard of the Carnegie Institute, +.
b. Dodge of Honolulu, who has been
taking daily observations for the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
and Aleck, the well-known crater guide,
descended into the crater by means OF
a path cut along the almost vertical
sides of the wall.
Enveloped by Polsons.
As they descended toward the hoor
of cooled lava, which only couple OIL
weeks ago overlooked with living lava,
the gases from the lake swept around
and enveloped them. Each member OF
these intrepid scientists wore respi-
rator, in which a sponge, soaked with
water was held. Each man carried a
canteen of water, and as the sponge
absorbed gases and it became too
heavily impregnated, the sponge was
squeezed dry, new water poured in and
again applied to the nose. In this man
uer the scientists, carrying suction
pump, crates of glass tubes, and an iron
pine, reached the floor. Between them
and the bank of the roaring, angrily
flashing lake, was a cone which came
into being a short time ago. The cone
was about fifty feet distant from the
take.
Lava
The black lava upon which they
walked was hot and before long each
man was dancing Highland fling to
aessen the heat which passed through
the soles of his shoes. Arriving at
the cone, an iron tube less than two
feet long was attached to the end OF a
long glass tube, which in turn connected
with the crates of tubes and at the
~ OF,
Sached. The iron tube was forced
through the crust of the cone, which
was free of fountain lava, but almost
dncandescent with the heat and full OF
gases which had not yet come in con
<act with the air.
With the pipe inserted the pump was
put in action and almost the first re
suits noticed was quantity of water
which entered the glass tubes. The
scientists we're astonished for that first
action of the pump had destroyed one
of the theories of the new school OF
voleanologists, which claims that water
as unknown quantity in craters Their
came the gases The tubes rapidly
filed. Strange as it may seem, the
scientists heard little of the roaring o.
the fiery fountains, proving to some ex
tent that the roars heard at the brinl
are largely echoes and reverberationi
as the sounds strike the walls.
Pipe Destroyed.
When the party finished it's task anc
BOTTLED up the tubes the iron pipe wal
found to have been destroyed by thu
chemical properties of the gases within
the cone. They climbed to the brinl
again, and the following morning IN,
side of the cone had fallen in. TIL
scientists had chosen the exact momen
to secure the precious gases, and may
never have so good an opportunity Il
capture more of the elusive poison
which are Madam Pele's breath.
IL was n hazardous undertaking, an,
only determined men, who have givel
their lives TO the study of the mysteri
Gus forces which govern action in tn
vent.holes of the earth, would dar
make the attempt in the interest o
science. The floor upon which the.
walked was unstable, full of blowhole
and treacherous veneer which might a
any moment give way and plunge then
into the seething ealdron beneath.
Scientists Theory.
The scientists have half formed
theory that the composition OF the III
iauea gnHea, when known, may prov
that such gases nfe sufficient unit
themselves 10 generate heat aud kee
the volcano active by boiling the m0lte
mass over and over again, II this b
80 Il may prove that kilausa 10 al
isolated e0lumn Of lava, independent o
other volcanoes, Cor tbs peTiodlea
activity 0f Mauna lsoa seldom affect
tho constant activity Of kilapea,
Lake Active,
The LAKE h unusually active AZ pTesan
and tho day sad night speetaelpr Az
fhr gfuwds ~ yialtoIa which are Ia A,