The herald., 1922-02-16
Most AWeSOne
of Volcanoes

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, q 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-
ducts an observatory and seismolog-
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, it 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 a 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, II 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 it to sugar mills and other
industries could be easily accom-
plished.
Power Possibility.
"Volcano power for human use is a
possibility" said Professor Jaggar,
for heat is power. and volcanoes gen.
crate heat. Earth steam is used d.
rectly near Volterra in Italy. Vast
stores of earth steam exist in Japan,
Iceland. the Yellowstone and New
Zealand. There is no steam pressure
at Kilauea, but there Is a furnace of
oxidizing volcanic chemicals, with
sulphuric acid and alum and
epson salts as by-prOducts, so that
borings may discover very inter-
esting temperatures and minerals. 1t
Is not proposed by boring to tap
steam jet, nor merely to discover
hot rock; the bore-hole would imme-
diately cool it off. The source of re-
movable energy in a volcanic boring is
chemical process. Cracks near the pit
of Halemaumau in Kilauea volcano
have opened from time to time. They
got hotter and hotter until they be-
came glowing furnaces, emitting ap-
parently merely hot air. If boring
will start such furnace, then 20 holes
at such place will run respectable
sized engine"
Rising to height of 1900 feet only
few miles from Kilauea is the great
volcano of Maunn Loa, which has in
termittent eruptions, the last one of
great violence beginning in October.
1919. and continuing for five months.
the flow coming from a split In the
mountain far down upon Its TANKS.
The black rolls of treacle lava flowed
for miles through the sandflats. for
ests and bare rock slopes. finally
emptying into the sea. where giant
clouds of steam rose day and night.
Myriads of sea fsh were killed by
the boiling water.
Scientific Possibilities.
Speaking of results that may come
from the research work which he is
conducting. Professor Jaggar said:
| "PrObably the most far-rea chino moo