The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-06-07


1855 Dbl fls NaffNHn lsianis
WIS, 10 riannsa
IIa r|an m lif 1i.rr aioif ipto 81
.fHn HtntTi aIms liffi fUriiHnen.
rlIantf'oH hni fa0off of Dose mU. b.
lnfs HHI fHffif TfHuIaf fu thf Iif
HHrf end we'll lnuNu a. Do m fuhlH
HrnfHI IHrnif second. experiment.
fI0n nn physical 0f chemical rhrrumfH l
n thmr rtleiIon f. ihcfo geologic b.
ulInrfIrs The permanent stan D. ti
uofk upon ito problem of couilnuou'
recording A. an experiment station
ihr observatory Will welcome accom-
n.ifhcd specialists and some fellowship
nidl can occasionally hp granted 20 suef
work Not mote than one or two sucl
investigators can be- accommodated 90
one tame, and it b. desirable, owing "a
the expense ~ The journey, aud ihc
/ field conditions. that euch persons ~.
main for from siK 20 eight months, in
order 20 insure results 81 value. Under
the terms Of certain funds held 10y the
Institute. notably those from the estate
Of the late Caroline and Edward Whit.
ney. II IL desirable that some invosti.
cations made al the observatory shall
have direct bearing on the protection
OF life aud property from earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions.
Observatory Well Fitted Up.
Locally there ~ little general knowl.
edge OF the completeness of the OBJ
seTvatory az the Volcano. The OBJ
seryatory itself is built near the Vol
cano House, the original observatory
at the edge Of the FIRE pit being now
! known ne "Perret = hut. The main
building, which WAS erected on funds
supplied in Hilo, is equipped with two
laboratories, directors room, pho.
tograp pho dark room, and stoTeroom on
the main floor, porch extending
along two sides commanding views Of
the three volcanoes, Kilauea, Mauna
Loa, and Mauna Kea. In front there
H. concrete post for geodetic expert
ments. The furniture includes large
cases OF drawers, for storage Of speci'
mems, maps and photographs, and there
are work tables and drafting tables.
The seismograph cellar, known az the
Whitney Laboratory of Seismology
eighteen feet square, is foored on the
solid edge of basalt 1t is equipped
with three principal instruments built
in Toxic under the direction of Pro
fessor Omon. These are horizontal
pendulum tromOmeter, magnihcatlo1
I 10000, designed for registering distant
earthquakes; and tiltOmeter for re
c0Tding changes Of the vertical. A
| fourth instrument now in Boston anC
not vet installed, IL a BOschOmOri 100
| kilogram tromometer made in Strass
/ burg Besides these, an experimental
! kymograph with devices for recording
local tremor in the vicinity Of the
active lavas has been constructed foi
the observatory. Other instruments
promoters, Photographic and surveying
apparatus, microphones, gasmeter an(
several special thermometers.
The observatory is supported by th'
| Whitney fund OF the Institute of Tech
nology, the Bishop Museum in homo
lulu, and by an association of subscrib
era The small station at the activ,
lava pit of Kilauea, built by Perret il
! 1911, IL now an instrument house, will
q smaller hut adjacent designed 70
routine measurements and physical ex
perments. The United States weathe
bureau has furnished the obseryator,
with a set of standard meteorological
instruments and the territorial govern
ment, in cooperation with the Unite
States geological survey, is preparing
detailed Topographic maps of the vol
canic area.
What's the Use.
The answer TO the question cOmmonl
asked, "What is the use of sue
studiesG'-is difficult if the questIone
is wholly ignorant of science. VIVA
is the use of an agricultural or zoo
logical experiment station, or of a
Astronomical observatory The volcan
observatory is n geological experimer
station II is designed to seriousl
study for many years TO come the ply
les and chemistry of the earth y il
terror and the reactions of that interiC
, on the crust. From such gases an
: lavas MS are boiling at Kilauea hay
. come directly or indirectly our ir0
gold, silver, copper soils, buildir
. stones and fertilizers, fuels an
chemicals, the air we breathe and 81
5 water we drink, and probably also OF
food as represented by animal M
, vegetable life. The primitive eart
r. may have been dotted with hundre
r of such lava fountains. Just as h
f. geologist would revel in the privilel
J. of dwelling for space amid q
}. haunts OF the ancient sauTians, or
z, joining with our aboriginal fol-
:, fathers in mastodon hunt, so he W,
', comes today the opportunity offered
J. the civilizing OF a volcanic land, whci
r. by he may study a bit of the wor
:. still in the making.
v -.s.%.s.--
,r npNn0nH DIIMOp