The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-21
Letter From Honolulu
Honolulu, T. H.

Honolulu, T. II.
Dear Editors:
Will write a few lines in regard to
my trip to the big island, visiting the
Kilauea volcano.
One hundred men from my post
were granted ten day passes for the
purpose of Visiting the other island,
which is hte largest: of the group. 1t
is 1S0 miles by. water. Our trans
portation cost us SLIPS round trip.
We landed in Hilo. and were sent up
to Kileauea military camp, which is
81 miles from Hilo. After a nights
rest we started hiking party to the
volcano pits.
The first you see after reaching
the crater is overflow lava, which is
cold. Walking over it for about two
miles we reached the active lava pits.
The fire was 800 feet below the rim.
1t was so hot you could hardly look
over the edge. We would push big
rocks over the sides that weighed
800 to 500 pounds, and when they
hit you could see them melt away like
butter in cfeamed potatoes.
We walked about a half mile fur
ther, coming to two big pits 25 yards
in circumference and 800 feet deep,
which are called Peele's Oven, where
the old Hawaiians would throw
pretty girls to sacrifice and pray to
the volcano. These pits are steam
holes from the lava under ground.
We threw rocks in them that would
weigh 25 pounds and they would be
blown out in small pieces about the
size of an egg.
We walked two miles further, COM
ing to what is called the lava tubes
We walked through them. They are
600 feet long and SO dark that we had
to carry torch. Then we came to
dead crater called Kileaueaiki,
twin crater to the active volcano. 1t
is TO feet deep. Myself and another
went down to the bottom and spelled
Battery G, 55th in it. The letters
were built out Of rocks and We're Is
feet across, and when we went back
to the top they looked about the size
Of a pencilSmark.
Leaving here we came back by the
volcano at night, and if some of the
people who don't believe there is a
hell could see it l think they would
change their mind. The bottom of
the pit is red hot for an area of half
mile around, burning and making
lots of noise Then we went back
to the rest camp for the night, visit
ing these places several times later.
Next day we hiked to the sulphur
banks, big banks of sulphur 8 to 10
feet high. In the cracks in the
ground where we walked you could
see red hot Goals IL inches under our
feet. Later lots Of the boys hiked to
the mountains, which are covered
with snow and plenty of wild goats.
Several days later hiked to the
fern forest, a forest covered with
ferns, and came back by the tree
nolds wfssfcf tho hot lava overAowed
years ago and burnt the tree but left
the shape of koa tree.
While in the town of Hilo the peo-
pie treated us so good we hated to
leave. guess it is because they
never saw many soldiers. They gave
us the best they had, while in Homo
lulu the people hate a soldier and
wont even notice one. All the tour
lists from the States say Honolulu is
the end of nowhere. But they praise
the other island as the Paradise of
the Pacific. The famous beach of
Waikiki is not as good as Broad
river for a swim. the bottom is so
rough with coral you have to wear
hob nail shoes to keep from cutting
your feet, they don't have any diving
board and lots of other things
could say, but will close.
Private Marvin r. Wilburn,
Battery G, 55th Artillery, Fort Ka-
mehameha. Honolulu. II. H.