The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-12-29
Bench Above Flame Reached A.
ter PeriIous cian1berlng
Down Side Of Crater
MAIN CRAG-MASS UPLlFTED
BY SWELLING TIDE OF FIRE
Summit Now Less Than Forty
one Feet Below Level
OF Pit Rim

The stormy weather Of the past week
has made Photographic work at the
Volcano an impOsSibility, and even
compa rativGly close observation q mat
ter of difficulty.
The week has, however, been one Of
stirring interest, for the lava lake of
HalenaumBu has resumed its vigorous
rising, and rock slides from the eastern
wall have made the lower bench over
hanging the lake, accessible with care.
full climbing A descent was made to
this bench on the twentieth inst. by q
small party Of enthusiasts, and the re-
turn 10 the rim of the pit was accom-.
plshPd in safety.
The main crag-mass alluded 70 in
previous reports, has again risen with
the rplift Of the lake, and its summit
is now only forty.One feet below the
upper rim Of the pit. The height of
this mass of rock above the level Of
the lake, is now seventy seven feet,
while the south island is now fifty feet
high and the east bench sixty two feet.
The entire lake, during the past sew.
en- days, has risen twenty-one feet, a
rise Of three feet per day, There has
been but little change in the general
| CONFORMATION, and the lake has been
alternately rising and sinking as usual,
the sinking spells being again accom-
panied BY furious Outbursts of foun-
| tanning
Remarkable Display
A very remarkable display took place
] in the west wall pond on the night Of
December -. This pond had been heav.
| lily crustrd over for several days, and
there had been no sign of action. At
nin".fftecn on the night mentioned,
the whole surface Of the pond broke
up with startling audiences and be
came liquid pool. furiOusly fountain
ing with literally hundreds of bubble
fountains, which continued to play for
fully ten minutes.
At the north end of this pool cavern
| and driblet cone could be seen The
nature of this sudden activity brought
back 10 memory the violent activity OF
the summer of 1912, when the lake was
perhaps even more spectacular than at
present.
The average number Of large foun.
tains have been in action during the
week, and conspicuous feature has
been the presence of burning gases
faring from many cones, cracks and
assures. One chimney in particular,
high up on the south face of the erag.
mass, and at least forty feet above the
| lake, has been a source of great inter.
est to visitors. As seen from the south
west station, it showed fame leap.
ing from crack in a projecting corn.
ice, letting out horizontally against a
/ an 10.
an ideal subject for photo.spectroscopi
| work.
The great spatter domes, to which
reference was made last week, are now
hung with splendid stalactite curtains
on the lake side, showing usually an
open vertical slit in the middle Two
tunnels have formed in the peninsula
west Of the south island, and through
these the lava has been steadily pour
irg southwark. Gas pressure continues
exceedingly heavy and loud putting
sounds are constantly heard. Over
flowing of the ramparts has been con.
stantly taking place. aud in some cases
the "versplashing has been so heavy
that floods of lava have rushed down
the outer side of the banks
Small Earthquakes
Three small local earthquakes have
occurred during the week, and the mi
crOseismic motion and volcanic Vibra-
tiOns have been somewhat greater than
the general normal value. The north
erly tilt which has prevailed recently
has decreased and a slight tilt to the
east has increased, but of comparative.
ly small amount.
visit to the Volcano at this present
time will be richly rewarded by truly
magnificent display.
The conditions at the moment strong
ly resemble those of the middle of May
Of this year. The lake then was at
high level, though lower by some two
hundred feet than the present great
height The attainment of this high
level in May was followed by a great
outbnrst of gas and steam from the
southern flank of Mauna LOa on May
! 10; succeeded by an outpouring of lava
. on the night of the twenty-frst. On
June 5, the lava lake of HalPmaumam
Tell rapidly and reached very low
level within the ensuing twenty.four