48 C. H. HITCHCOCK — VOLCANIC PHENOMENA ON HAWAII 



were only such as would come from a violently tossing mass of liquid 

 matter. They did not notice the explosions that were reported later. 

 The third cone is only a stone's tlirow from the latest active one. The 

 lava which was thrown into the air went up in a red-hot mass, but turned 

 black as it fell. Pumice was noted among the products of the eruption. 

 There were two or three light earthquake shocks when the flow stopped. 



Professor Ing alls' Obskrvations 



Professor A. B. Ingalls reached the eruptive cones by way of Mokua- 

 weoweo, starting from Kona, on the west side of Hawaii. The route 

 was more difficult than the approach from the Kau side. He found the 

 upper cone to be " merely a smoldering heap, wdiile the lower and far- 

 ther one was the real fountain-like crater." . . . The up})er one 

 " had the shape of a truncated cone, with a deep gash on the upper side, 

 in which we could plainly see hot rock. From this vent, as well as from 

 the top of tlie cone, great volumes of sulphurous steam poured forth. 

 The trade-wind carried these fumes over the southwest side, compelling 

 us to pass along to the north and east of this pile on our way down to 

 the spouting crater." On the north there was a deep layer of sponge- 

 like pumice, which impeded i)r()gress, like deep sand. The lava had 

 flowed down as " aa," and the same clinker material filled the region 

 between the cones. " The display was a continuous lava fountain with- 

 out cessation. Rocks were ever rising from or falling back into the 

 might}' cauldron, and 3'et the shajjes of the pieces and the general struc- 

 ture and outline of the masses as they stood for an instant before com- 

 mencing to fall back into the seething pit was never twice alike; so with 

 the clouds of vapor." At one time it was a dome pinnacled l)y a column 

 of flame ; at another, an P^iff'el tower stood in outline for an instant and 

 then fell back in a heap of ruins. 



On the return Professor Ingalls and his party were in danger of being 

 enveloped in and strangled b\' the sulphurous fumes. 



Statemknts by W. R. Castle 



The estimates given b}' the Honorable W. R. Castle agree with those 

 already quoted. At night an occasional heav}' thud gave evidence of 

 the proximity of a live volcano. He says : 



"The cone is probably 250 or 300 feet across the top, and is filled with a restless, 

 surging mass of white-hot lava, always leaping into the air, sometimes rising to a 

 height of 200 feet. Explosions are continuous. Now and then a heavy volume 

 of white smoke is literally shot into the air. It is always rising and rolling away, 



