The Volcano Kilauea

The Volcano Kilauea By Albert L. Wilkes

The Island of Hawaii, contains the principal attraction of the group, one of world-wide fame, the Kilauea volcano, which has the distinction of being the greatest active volcano in the world, a favorite of the tourists, and, to quote Mark Twain, grander by far than Vesuvius." From the Crater House, as we later discovered upon our return daylight trip, an excellent view is obtained of the entire crater of Kilauea. By night all that is seen is the red glow of the sulphur fumes as they issue from the pit, tinted by >'.: .

the hidden fire of Halemaumau, the name of the pit. We commenced our decent into the crater, the road ^^K %§*«. * i 4} ~4k is good and the descent gradual as is also the approach to ll Halemaumau. The road !v -?- makes quite a detour of the crater. Sulphur fumes, issuing from crevices at the side of the road, filled our eyes and lungs, causing us some - - * .-•C">» discomfort, until we became A. — '^ .

-v somewhat accustomed to "• them. As we neared the pit '

itself, these crevices were less in evidence, while the fumes from the pit rose straight into the air, and were not bother- One of the many Spatter Cones, showsome. ing layers of solid lava From the end of the road to the pit proved to be but a two-minute walk. Following a well-worn path, we soon found ourselves within the confines of an observatory, three walls constructed of lava rock. Through the open side, which faces the pit, is had an excellent view from its very brink. The pit is indeed a sight to behold. Words cannot convey

212 IMPROVEMENT ERA

to the reader a correct impression of what we beheld! Before us was displayed a great chasm, with dense sulphur fumes steadily rising from within it, ruddy with the glow of the fire. Within this chasm was a literal lake of fire; a seething mass of burning lava, a never-to-be forgotten spectacle indeed! We sat at the pit's edge for some time, awaiting the next parting of the dense fumes, so that we might get another glimpse at nature's fireworks. We soon became weary, after our long ride, and our vigil at the pit's edge, so we lay down upon the hard lava floor for a little rest before the dawn. At dawn we arose somewhat refreshed though chilly, for it

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""*8-«» % Day view of the fire-lake surface, Volcano Kilauea M is cold there, the volcano being about seven thousand feet above

sea level. The sun soon arose, bringing with it light and warmth. With light hearts and an eye to the wonderful, we started out, after a good meal, to circle the pit. The crater of Kilauea is about four miles in diameter, describing a circle. The pit, or active portion of the crater, named Halemaumau, lies a short distance west of the center of the crater. It is also circular, and approximately a half mile across, with depth, of course, undetermined. We could see for a thousand feet down, and the fire in the pit was at about that depth. The lake of fire rises and lowers from time to time, ac-

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cording to the activity of the volcano. In the year 1911, we were told it was within one hundred and fifty feet of the brink. We entirely circled the pit, walking out upon every projection that looked at all safe or promised a good view We were !

never once disappointed! As we looked into its depths we called to mind the ancient worship of the goddess "Pele" by the Hawaiians. They formerly offered sacrifices to her, usually consisting of pigs, to gain her favor. At intervals of from one to five minutes, we heard a puffing or blowing sound, very distinctly followed instantly by sounds of falling or sliding lava.

Kilauea — The volcano resembles a gigantic geyser With each individual instance, great volumes of sulphur fumes, were sent into the air. If the wind were unfavorable to us we would be left coughing and sputtering until the wind carried the fumes away. To look down into the pit from any of our many seemingly perilous positions, was enough to strike terror into our hearts. Had we experienced an earth-quake, and these are numerous here, who knows but that we would have been let down a thousand feet into that eternal lake of fire! But I have not heard of any such thing ever happening, so I suppose what fears we entertained were foolish and unnecessary, though not at all out of keeping with the place. The inactive portion of the great crater, though not so awe-inspiring as the pit, is nevertheless quite novel and interesting.