The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-01


mushroom shaped cloud to a height Of
more than $4,000 feet above the summit,
it's crest gradually spreading outward
into ring with diameter of about 100
miles. The phenomenon was accom-
panied by small earthquakes, which, con-
tinued for forty-eight hours, keeping the
visitors at the famous hotel overlooking
the neighboring active crater of Kilauea
upon tenterhooks of excitement and ner-
vousness
On the night OF May 81 the mountain
split open and a vast flood of molten lava
commenced to pour downward over the
bleak and barren slopes of mighty
Mauna Loa into the tropical forests be-
meath.
The lava flow continued for fourteen
days, and deposited some millions OF
tons Of new magma over an enormous
area 1t did little or no damage no
lives were lost, and owners of automo-
biles all over the island reaped q rich
harvest conveying sightseers to the points
Of vantage
We come then to the memorable 9th of
June. All through the two weeks pre-
vious. Notwithstanding the theory that
the vast outpouring Upon Mauna Loas
| Hanks should have drained the world
famed lava lake of Kilauea, the level had
remained unaltered. The volcano was,
indeed, in placid mood, and only the
usual playing of the majestic fire foun-
tains was to be seen, SO that, finally. the
most eager upholders of theory went
away disguised, the last OF them vanish
ing on the night of the 4th of juno.
On the morning of the 9Th, three OBJ
servers from the Hawaiian Volcano Re
search Associations permanent station
10 rstf1 M n
their customary visit to the inner or &C
tive throat. All was quiet and normal
to their trained eyes, and nothing pre-
saged the commencement of the events of
that awful day.
They proceeded upon their usual tour
of the rim of the inner pit, taking their
| daily measurements and noting the
| more important changes of rock fall and
cone building In progress
They were at the southwest obsery-
| ing point, busy with transit and note
books, when a sudden movement in the
great lake beneath riveted their atten-
ton. The movement was unusual, for 1t
vas in the nature of a swirl from the
| sides toward the centre, the lava cur
rent commencing to stream slowly in
ward to distinct depression in the
| lake surface. drawing away from the
massive islands with which the bosom
OF the lake of fire was dotted.
A Drumhre of Earth Crashes.
The movement became more rapid.
and a strong wind commenced to draw
downward into the pit. The depres-
sion became hole; then funnel, and
then, in an instant, a mighty opening
into which the entire lake of twenty
seven acres in area commenced to pour.
And now. with a few premonitory trem-
blings. the solid earth began to shake
while masses of rock commenced to
break of from the inner face of the pit
walls and to hurtle downward with re-
sounding crashings, to vanish with a
mighty splash into the now surging lake
three hundred feet beneath.
Down upon their faces went the three
scientists, for. by this time, no man
could stand erect and dare the rushing
whirlwinds that swept inward from all
sides. Clouds of suffocating dust envel-
oped them. to be torn asunder by the
mighty winds and give vision to the
wondrous spectacle beneath. Crash af-
ter crash; earthquake upon earthquake /;
gust upon gust ensued in terrifying sue
cession as they crouched helplessly in
friendly crevice of the upper rim. \
momentary clear view into the depths
revealed that the lake had sunk fully
one hundred feet in twenty minutes. and
was now a roaring inferno into which