The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-01-30
GREAT MYSTERY
!. OF THE VOLCANO
LIES IN ISLANDS
------- ..a-
Kilauea Presents Features Not
Seen Since Early Eighties,
D.. Says L, A. Thurston
LAKE OF FIRE ONE OF
INTENDING PULSATl0N
Level Of Lava Is Constantly Ris-
ing With Apparent Acceler-
alton Of Force

Everyone who can should go to
Kilauea, and, in justice TO himself and
TO the Volcano, he should remain over
one steamer at least said L. A.
Thurston, who arrived from Hilo yes
terday. ''I have observed the Volcano
for thirty-seven years, and, while l
have seen more intense activity and
the pit full and running over, never
have seen so much Aof interest as to
both size and activity There are sew
the early sos. d."
( Especially remarkable among these
are the peaks and islands. One island
now is sixty!fve feet above the level
Of the lava lake and Is several hundred
feet long, and another, which came up
the first of October, is fifty feet high
and about one hundred feet square.
"This smaller island is joined to the
shore of the lake by an isthmus six
to eight feet high. Between these two
rock masses the lava is rising and is
pouring out around both, thus giving
the lake roughly the form Of great
letter ;W.''b ..'., ..,. s
n Inc stdlS VI Inc .lake now Is ono
IF unPnding pulsation, Mr.. Thurston
said. There are rises or falls of three
TO six feet within twenty minutes, but
She gains overbalance the losses, so that
he level constantly is rising, apparent
v with an accelerated force. During
he fifteen days ended January 10, the
rain was forty feet; in the week just
losed Mr.. Thurstoh believed the gain
would be more, although he had not Cd
tanned the figures of Prof. 7. A. Jag
gar, the observer.
Islands Arc Profound Secret
10 students Of the Volcano tho be.
'aVior of the two rock masses is Of
xtreme interest. They arose from the
'ottom Of the lake, perhaps from the
I'D bed, forced their way above the
ava level and continued to rise more
apidly than the liquid itself, attain
ng tho elevations given. However, IL
appears now that the lake in turn is
gaining on the larger island. Tops
of both masses are visible from tine
veranda of the Volcano House.
In these masses, usually known as
aoating islands, lies one of the pro-
found secrets of the Volcano. They
IRE inexplicable, although there are
theories to account for them: That
they are not truly floating, but
are, instead, poised on pinnacles,
which rest upon the bed of the lake;
out Mr.. Thurston said, on the other
hand, that he had seen debris fall
into the pit, particularly in the great
breakdown of 1894, when mass
lnnged into the lake, producing great
wave, and, after disappearing alto
gether, arose with lava cascading from
It, and foated TO the side. Another at.
"mPt TO explain the islands is that
they are ballooned up by gas beneath.
crags Rise Forty Feet
About one.fourth Of the rim Of the
fire lake is composed of the old bed
# the main pit, which has been raised
iGher and higher in front and de-
ressed in the hack, until the crags
rise forty feet above the fluid lRva,
and present, on the other side, steep
lope of forty-fve degrees. The action
f elevation, if continued, would stand
hose portions of the black ledge on
edge.
For the remainder. Of the eircum.
ference of the lake .spatter rampurts
stand from six to fifteen feet high. They
Tc being built by constant aceretions
from fountains on the sides. Now and
hen the lake will break down these
retaining walls and viii overflow into
he main pit, filing the whole 10 its
evcl; and then Immediately win begin
building new ramparts, which again are
broken down. These walls overhanQ
the lake in the striking manner shown
IN old paintings.
Professor JaEgar climbed 20 the tor
| of the rampant and got Temperature,
from boiling fountain, which CAV,
him much the same data as that OBJ
tained by Perret six years ago, Mr.
| fhurston said.
Two days after Mr., Jaggar was ther,
fifty feet of the rampant at the yer,
pot where he had climbed, fell into IN,
axe, which with great rush poured
through The gap, inundating great
Nrnccs within few seconds. Al womar
visitor I 'oeivcd bad fright a few
laws ago when n huge fountain burs
@nd cast small drop Of lava full,
80 feet, striking her dress. She wal
fifty feet above the lake then.
| 4 . 70,