The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-01-07
PELE SULLEN
AND RETIRING
Lavas in HaIemaumau Recedinu
and SluggiSh-0Id Faithful
Is Still on the lob.

TECHNOLOGY STATION, January
Until December 2s the level of the
lake at Halcmaumau remained station.
airy or rose slightly. From that time
to the present it las fallen about
thirty feet, leaving a cavernous pit
with sluggish glowing lava in it's hot.
tom and nearly vertical walls Scared
with the shore MARKS OF subsistence.
The suLsidence of the week has been
marked and there is no sign that it
has yet ended.
The Ieve 5 nave been Approximately
as follows:
Dec. 26, 1912, $3.50 p. m., below NV.
station, 372 feet.
Dee. 2s, 1912, 10:30 a. M, below NV.
station, $40 feet.
Dec. 81, 1912, p. m, below n. sta
tion, 3Ss feet.
Jan. ?, 1913, p. m, below n. sta
ton, S95 feet.
On the evening of December 26 the
streaming was mainly from the NV.
The S.W. promotory was very sharp
pointed with fan of blankets at
tached to the shore, and the general APP
pearance was the same at 1890 a. M,
December 2S. At this time the fumes
were thin, there were black wrnkled
skins on the surface Of the pool but no
cracking crusts about the shorelines so
often Characteristic of subsistence. The
fountains made noise of steady
FLASHING, the wall about the pool APP
peared about twelve feet high, there
were clinging stagnant blankets at the
NV. end enclosing a round cove of
boiling melt, and the general condition
suggested slow rising. At y. m. of
December Is the fountain activity was
greater than in the morning and re.
lnarkably semicircular blankets were
forming around the S.W. cape with
sadial streaming out from the semi.
circle, and now and again Il tearing
away of the half-circle of skin from
the bank took place, the fragment
hoating out to be engulfed in the foun.
tain of Old Faithful.
Sinking Begins.
December 30 conditions were much
the same but sinking began about the
10th, which was proved bv survey the
afternoon of December 81. At first
tnere was clear seeing and a survey of
the pool was attempted but the fumes
began to swirl about 8 p. m. so that
thereafter there were no clear views
flom the south and east and only oc.
casiohai brlef views were obtained
rom the northern stations. Vertical
ahgies determined the Sc. boiling
~ tiesioh TO ne 5Ss feet below the N. sta
NJ siohi y, anu o'u rect below the much lower
{, 90 ~. STATION which is located on the
Ie'f pehcn' This implied a lowering
VI ABOUT eighteen feet in three days.
Fumes and Avalanches.
There was no observable denression
of the platform and the SW cana bo5
become a peninsula and nraseptod p "i
terraced appearance growing Iarger ho
low and nearly dividing Tho iaLo IN
two. The actiyitt, M tne iake IN
in streaming of the crusts and ;n foun ousn
tanning. Peripheral cracks were noticed
in the platform with sulphur depositiop
at the lips. The fumes were tb;cker
than at any time recently, and several
small avalanches of talus were heard
sure index of sinking.
New year,a pbaror
January +bo mol o,
still sinkino ond to@5 L. TPpeaIeu TO pe
is every evidence tbat - Z, there
tho 401. font tH"' n M - approaching
dense +be S;vis;nn 90 me ne tunes are
peninspIa ana tba ~ .ne Pool ny the
nnd of IL roaar ,:a;o @ eam around the
and p sbora ,norI. ITnuls,ons I IN november
nm the vol, ahan, iHHte 'nah nan way
higb abova snUms ias1 week s level
pearance of tho nenins,,ia ap-