The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1922-02-21
MOST AWESOME
OF VOLCANOES
KiIauea in Hawaii Is Perpetual
Show Place, Performing
Day and Night.
LAVA IS CONSTANTLY BOILING
Crater Covers an Area Of 200 Acres
and Is Eight Miles In circumfer.
enee-Paved Highway Leads to
lt From Hilo, 80 Miles Away.

Hilo, T. Hon the Island Of Ha-
waii-the big island, as it is called, OF
the Hawaiian groups located the
only tame volcano In the world. 1t is
perpetual show place, performing
day and night and at times putting on
a demonstration that is awe-inspiring
in its grandeur and manifested power.
On such occasions boat excursions are
run here from Honolulu and other
island towns. 1t was only last March
that Kilauea belched forth a food of
molten lava that flowed in giant
streams over the vast floor of the cir
cular crater that surrounds the active
pit Of Halemaumau. The big crater
covers an area of 200 acres and is
eight miles around. The pit of con-
stantly boiling, steaming and screech-
ing lava and gas is situated almost
In the center Of the original crater.
The active volcanic pit is more than
three miles in circumference.
Has No Counterpart. q
From a typographical standpoint
the volcano of Kilauea has no coun-
terpart.. There leads to the very rim
of the crater a paved highway. all the
way from Hilo, 81 miles. The only
visible hint that is given one that a
volcano is anywhere around is the
white sulphur fumes that may be seen
during the day and the glowing red
of reflected fire from the live pit at
night.
So easy is the grade of the highway
that the rise from sea level to an alti-
tude of 1000 feet in less than thirty
miles is scarcely noticed, except by
the increased chilliness of the air.
Then suddenly at q turn in the fern
lined road there bursts into view the
black, undulating crater of Kilauea,
and there comes to ones ears the hiss
ing of the giant cauldron of gas and
molten lava In the pit Of Halemaumau.
The automobile is run through pass
in the outer rim and out upon the
hardened lava. The remaining short
distance to the performing center is
| made on foot.
Owing to the accessibility this vol
cano is visited by hundreds Of tourists
every year. 1t is in such close contact
with the everyday life of the people
home visitors that whatever dangers
there may be in it's occasional over
| flows are lost sight of. During the
eruption of last March Some of the
visitors came near being cut off by
the streams Of lava which flowed over
the enormous sink that surrounds the
main crater. Even small children ven-
tured close to the tapping columns Of
molten froth that rolled out of the
fiery pit.
Hotel at crater's Edge.
Upon the very edge Of the big crater
is built the Volcano house, a modern
hotel where the guests may view the
performances Of the restless monster
from the windows of their rooms or
from the restful chairs upon the We
randas. Many times during the day
light tremors of earthquakes may be
felt at the hotel, and on all sides Of
the building white fumes Of sulphur
constantly pour forth from cracks in
the lava formation. For miles around
the main crater of Kilauea are to be
seen evidences of vast destructiveness
wrought by the volcano In times past,
all going to show that its present long
period of comparative passivity may
be only a prelude to another disas-
trous performance.
1t is at Kilauea that the most thor
ough scientific study OF volcanoes and
earthquakes ever undertaken is in
progress. This work is in charge of
Prof. Thomas A. Jaggar, Jr. He con-
ical station upon the brink of the vol
cano, where every phase and move
ment Of the lava pit and the earth ire
mOrs are recorded day by day. This
research work has already resulted in
many valuable discoveries. some of
which promise to be Of much practical
value in the future, 1T is asserted.
For one thing, the conclusion has
been reached that the underground
fires of Kilauea may be used for indus
trial purposes. At the last session of
the Hawaiian legislature bill was in
troduced appropriating $4,000 to
make borings In the floor of the big
crater to test the heat supply for
power purposes. While this measure
failed of final passage because of the
rush of other measures that were
deemed of more Importance, it is re-
garded as practically assured that the
next legislature will make the desired
appropriation. 1t is stated that the
use of this heat in large power plant
or piping 1T to sugar mills and other
industries could be easily accom-
plished.
Power Possibility.
volcano power for human use is q
possibility" said Professor Jaggar,
for heat is power. and volcanoes gen.