The vapors of sulphur may assist in the making of these ovens or domes, and will leave in the spaces below yellow and white in crustations and stalactites of glauber salt and gypsum. Instead of a scoriaceous crust when the lava exudes through fissures, th:. surface may be composed of glass, as the scoria material is not present.
The changes ensuing, seen in September, consist in a longi tudinal division of the west wall, showing vapors rising from the whole length of the western section. By March 8th, 1888, the cone had risen so high that the summit was "on a line with the outside walls of the crater beyond it, looking from the Volcano House." The whole mass, both the cone and the depression around it, had thus risen nearly forty feet since August.
Still further changes were apparent in July, 1888, illustrated in our reproduction of Mr. Dodge's map and section, Plates 38, 39A.
The conical mass seems to be subdivided into four elliptical cones encircling a space concealed by vapors of unknown depth, where molten lava may he existent. These subordinate cones are from one hundred and sixty to one hundred and twenty-five feet above the surrounding black ledge. The whole area of what was the depression of March, 1886, is also elevated above the black ledge, and lava from the central vents pours down into the old hollow where the New Lake once existed. On the west side of the cone the Dana lake has been further developed; there were six small discharging cones ten to twenty feet high outside of the central more highly elevated mass.
Dec. 22, 1888. L. A. Thurston says the activity is greater than ever before. From the Elephant's Head a flow of as pro ceeded four days ago. A dozen blowholes. Lava lake has a con fining wall built by itself, five feet thick. Lava rose and fell
several times to the extent of three or four feet. A layer of Pele's hair four inches thick.
Feb. 21, 1889. Light over Kilauea. May and June remark able activity. No eruption. Mrs. S. J. Lyman.
In May E. P. Baker wrote to Professor Dana that there was at this time a subsidence of eighty feet in the floor of Halemaumau which carried down the large central debris cone, leaving ver tical walls about the great depression. There was a fissure in the floor of Kilauea which may have drawn off this lava and trans ported it a comparatively short distance. On July 4 there was a stream of lava from Dana Lake, flowing towards the cone.
July 18. A. B. Lyons says there is a cone of debris two hun dred feet high, from whose base perpetual clouds of steam and sulphur are issuing. The mass floats upon lava deep down. It is in the center of a triangular depression 2,400 feet in diameter, surrounded by precipitous walls twenty to thirty feet high. On one side is a lake of lava one hundred and seventy-five by one hundred and twenty feet.
Jan. 2, 1890. E. P. Baker says a crack N. W. and S. E., cor responding to the outside of the area that has been lifted ver tically, formed Nov. 4, 1889. Plate 40A represents the lake in 1890, the exact date not being given. Taken by Williams of Ho nolulu. Shows well the appearance of a black ledge encircling it and fragments of the congealed crust.
Jan. 2, 1891. L. A. Thurston reports great activity, Dana! and the new lake boiling, throwing lava from forty to sixty feet. The wall about Dana Lake more conspicuous and the surface of the lava about ten feet above the surrounding coun try. Climbed the north wall of the central cone of Hale maumau.