The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-05-14
LIKE A PIT OF LIQUID FIRE.
Play of Flaming Colors So Dazzling
In the Darkness of the Vast Crater
That 1t Terrifies the Spectator-A
Veritable Fountain of Fire.

In the Darkness of the Vast Crater
That 1t Terrifies the Spectator--A
vsritabls Fountain of Fire.
According to all the rules of school
biographies, volcano ought to be
situated on top of u mountain; 1t ought
To throw out stones and ashes and
molten lava; its crater should be In the
shape of an inverted cone, and should
emit terrifying noises; periodically 1t
should oyerwhelm a village or two.
kilauea, ON the island of Hawaii, con
forms to none OF these Specifications.
1t has thrown out neither stones nor
ashes since 1t annihilated the army that
was marching against kamehameha,
almost hundred and fifty years ago.
1t retains its lava within Its own era
ter, which Is not shaped like an in
Yerted cone. The sides are from 100
10 TOO feet high and Z 7S5 miles In cir
:umference, and the floor covers 1850
acres The volcano seldom makes ter
rifying noises-at least Of the kind
heard In imagination by schoolboy.
Thousands Of people descend into the
crater annually, and not one has ever
been injured.
The walk across the floor of the era
ter, about two and one half miles, Is
over hard lava bed, more or less up
and down, since lava hardens quickly
and remains as it flowed, i'll great ropes
and ripples. \ few yards from shore
one comes naturally to call the bank
''shore"-a ragged crack is crossed by
wooden bridge. At the time this
crack opened, large party was in the
crater. They stayed long because they
were delighted with the unusual ac-
ttyity of the lake and had no idea
that this activity extended beyond the
pit Of fire until at last they started to
go back to the hotel.
= 1t was night and as they approached
the northern bank Of the crater their
lanterns suddenly revealed huge fs-
sure directly across their path Al
ready molten lava was bubbling up at
the bottom. They followed the edge
of the crack. keenly conscious, un-
doubtedly, as they turned 10 keep
parallel with the crater wall. that they
were on the inner edge. Vt last they
found spot where the lava had split
uneyenly, leaving projecting ledge on
which 1t was possible to stand. and so
to jump to the other side. The whole
experience. with the thought of sink
ing to the fires beneath or of being
overwhelmed by the lava slowly rising
In the fissure and the utter helpless
ness OF their situation. was enough to
test the most fearless.
Kilauea is really an enormous qui-
escent crater with an active inner pit
This cavity is. perhaps, 1000 feet
across, and its precipitous sides lead
down to lake of molten lava several
acres IN extent. sometimes higher,
sometimes lower in the pit This is
Halemaumau, which is commonly
translated (although Incorrectly. "the
house Of everlasting fire" Ii is GER
tainly the house OF the goddess pele.
BY daylight the lake OF fire Is
greenish yellow, cut with ragged
cracks of red that look like pale streaks
of stationary lightning across its sur
face. 1t Is restless, breathing rapidly,
bubbling up at one point and sinking
down at another; throwing up sudden
fountains OF scarlet molten lava that
play few minutes and subside, leav-
ing shimmering mounds that gradually
settle to the level surface OF the lake.
turning brown and yellow as they sink.
AS darkness comes. the colors on the
lake grow SO intense that they almost
hurt the eyes The fire is not only red .
1t Is blue and purple and orange and
green. Blue flames simmer ana dart
about the edges Of the pit. back and
forth across the surface of the restless
mass. Sudden fountains paint blood
red the great plume of sulphur smoke
that rises constantly
Sometimes the spurts of lava are SO
violent, SO exaggerated by the night,
that one draws back terrified lest some
atom Of their molten substance should
spatter over the edge of the precipice.
Sometimes the whole lake is Ia motion.
Waves OF fire toss and battle with each
other and dash In clouds of bright YER
million spray against the black sides of
the pit. Sometimes one of these sides
falls In with roar that echoes back
and forth, and mighty rocks are swal-
lowed In the liquid mass OF fire that
closes over them In a whirlpool, like
water over sinking ship
Again everything is quiet a thick
scum forms over the surface of the
lake, dead, like the scum on the surface
of lonely forest pool. Then it shiv-
erS. Flashes OF fire dart from side to
side. The center bursts open, and a
huge fountain Of lava twenty feet
thick and fifty feet high streams into
the air and plays for several minutes,
waves OF binding fire flowing out
from 1t, dashing against the sides until
the black rocks are starred all over
with bits of scarlet. All sensations
are submerged IN a sense of awe. This
vision of the earth building forces at
work Is a picture SO overpowering that