338 L. A. Thurston — Recent eruption of Kilauea. 



Art. XL VIII. — The recent eruption in the Crater of Kilauea ; 

 by L. A. Thurston. (From the Pacific Commercial Ad- 

 vertiser, July 23, 1894.) 



The great lava lake in the southern extremity of Kilauea, 

 Halemaumau, has been steadily rising since the last great dis- 

 charge in March, 1891, when an area 2500 feet long by 2000 

 feet wide sunk in one night a distance of over 500 feet. 



The rising and overflowing of the lake filled this pit last fall. 

 Since that time the activity of the lake has been intense, as 

 many as twenty-three overflows of liquid lava having taken 

 place in a single day, and the walls surrounding the lake have 

 been rapidly raised by continued overflows. 



Accurate measurements of the lake were made by Mr. F. E. 

 Dodge of the Survey Department in August, 1892, and March, 

 1894. He has recorded in the Volcano House book the result 

 of his observations, as follows : 



" In August, 1892, the outer rim of the pit surrounding the 

 lake was 282 feet below the level of the Volcano House. 



" The surface of the lake was 240 feet below this line. 



" In March, 1894, the surface of the lake was 207 feet above 

 this line, making a rise of 447 feet in nineteen months.- 



[The profile view of the lake at the two periods is shown by 

 figure 1.] 



1 



Fig. 1 ; A B, surface of lake, Aug. 1 892 ; C D, rim of pit in 1891, when its level 

 was 280 ft. below volcano house; E F, surface of lake, March, 1894. 



a The area of the lake was somewhat larger in 1894 than in 

 1892, being 1200 feet long by 800 wide." 



Upon arriving at the volcano on July 5, 1894, the principal 

 change since Mr. Dodge was there was found to be the sudden 

 rising of the north bank of the lake, covering an area of about 

 800 feet long by 400 wide, which, on the 21st of March last 

 was suddenly and without warning elevated to a height of 80 

 feet above the other banks and the surface of the lava, the lake 

 being then full. 



