Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1901 — FORDING A FIRE RIVER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FORDING A FIRE RIVER.

How a Tourist Walked On Stilts Through a Stream of Molten Lava.

A. It. Watson, a ; u’.in dealer from Chicago, sightseeing in u.e liiwaiiun Islands, was curious to know wh.it a big volcano looked like when in a .-.lute of furious eruption. Mr. Watson is in Ran Francisco, under medical treatment for the burns upon his face, hands and feet. He is gradually improving and has an oculist’s assurance that tlie injury to his eyes will not he permanent. His feet, which be says resembled the hoofs of camels, are assuming natural proportions under the influence of lotions and absorbent cotton. When Manna Loa commenced her pyr-

otechnics in honor of the Fourth of July, Mr. Watson was in Hilo, killing time iiL the customary tourist fashion, says the Bt7~ldmTsT T bST r DißpirtrlL Hewas charmed at the timely occurrence, which gave him an opportunity to view what he considered the most impressive Bight in nature. He resolved ut once to ascend the mountain. Several other tourists who happened to be similarly Inclined made up a party,' which started by noon of that day, with two pack niujes; a teamster and a week’s supply of provisions. By night they had covered the first 15 miles of their jouruey over a hroad, macadamized road and camped in n grove of palms and ferns. On the following duy they reached Volcano House, on the edge of the quiet crater of Kilauea, and on the following morning started out on the final stage of their journey. They were then 12 miles from the Mokiinweoweo crater, which is on the crest of Mnunii Loa. The path luy, however, over fields of lava, the coolings of old flows occurring during the eruption of 1881, and these were crevasst'd with great splits which in places gaped apart so that it was Impossible to stride them. The walk over this sheet of lavn, which was about four miles wideband extended upward to the lips of the old crater, was very tiresome and perilous. Two of the party, muctr~fntigued and desiring to reach a place of rest, concluded to turn north, while Mr. Watson, filled with tin* idea that tliA southern cone was the most interesting, separated from his companions and moved in that direction.

The two tourists, the teamster and the donkeys, therefore, went by the north route and over the crest, while Mr. Watson continued south, movHig toward s promontory of rook and eurtli which projected from the surface of the mountain, on the top of which grew about u down small trees. Close upon the far side of this knob the great river of lava was bounding in a straight line down the mountain, while about R(X) feet above on the slope of the hill the crater, like the mouth of some infernal monster, was pouring forth melted sfune. Mr. Watson sat for hours and gazed upon this vast estuary of rolling, flowing, bursting tire rushing down the side of the mountain. Borne thousand or more feet below the stream entered a thicket of trees, seemingly of the same variety as those which clustered above him. Here, as he could plainly discern with his glass, the mounting process of the lava was repeated, only instead of mounting lava upon lava it mounted on trees, formed cones about them and ran up to their very tops. These cones, however, did not burst and fall over as did those ! in the How beside him. but. stood there erect, some 30 feet in height, converting u forest of trees into a forest of stone. In this process of attacking the trees , Mr. (Watson remarked with wonder the resistnnt powers which the wood seemed to possess against the heat of the lava. The tree did not catch fire. A little smoke surrounded it. and this only when the lava had reached the area of its branches. Toward night Mr. Watson arose from his seat below the rocks to go over the summit, down the hill and walk out'between the Inva on the side which he was to cross. He thought that iiis eyes had been resting too long on running lava and that he could see such a stream in whichever, quarter he might look, so he ttontforwardi But ho was not. mistaken. While he find been sitting with his hack to the direction from which he had come and in which he must go, with his eyes orj the flowing stream, enchanted with its marvels. th»re had broken from the lower edge of the crater and Rome feet to the north of the one he was watching u second Mow. lie started on down and had proceeded several hundred feet when, to bis horror

and amazement, he discovered that the new stream of lava ran directly into the earlier stream. The streams joined, and his retreat hud been cut off. He was hemmed in by running rivers of lire. The streams converged in the crater mouth above him and united at the brink of the forest below him. Mr. Watson was palsied with fright. Not knowing what to do, he hurried back to the rocky knob, mounted ft and gazed abroad. The (low to his right was a mile wide*. The new flow was 100 feet across and seemed to be increasing in that direction. To pass either was impossible. Gould lie be rescued by his party? Would they think to come and look for him? If they came, would it occur to them that he was imprisoned on these rocks? How or by what means could they rescue him? As he meditated his eyes fell upon the singular forest at the bottom of the incline, and he thought of the heat defying properties of that wood. If he could only turn the bunclMvhJch grew übove him to liis service— A, he hud it, stilts! He hud been an expert on stilts when a boy. Would his skill forsake him now? On stilts he could possibly ford the smaller stream. He would not judge it to be over a foot in depth, and he could traverse it in about 25 steps. Drawing a stout bluded knife from bis pocket, he began hewing at the base of one of the-smallest trees. The wood was dense and hard, of the species known as iron wood. When the blade grew dull, he whetted it on the rocks. All through the night he worked, while the terrible furnace belched above him, exhaling its green, yellow and blue vapors. By daylight be had bis stilts carved out. They were about 12 feet long, with a good prong upon each on which to rest his foot and ample length above the prong for seizure and guidance with his arms. The distance below the prong was four feet. This would give him three feet of atmosphere above the flow. Besting his stilts against the face of the rock aud lifting himself upon them, he staggered a moment, then started off to the edge of the flow. A strong wind was blowing in his face and added to the difficulties of his advance. It waa hot and scorched him.

Mr. Watson put forth a stilt in the lava. He found that he could draw it out of the mass and that, though smoking, it was not burned. His gait was unsteady, but he fixed his eye on the edge of the stream and worked toward it. The wood was burning rapidly, though not in flames. This added perhaps to the ease with which he could withdraw the stilts from the lava. The heat was frightful. His slices seemed to be on fire, and his feet were roasting. The wood was now shedding charcoal, showing specks of black and gray lava. He pressed on, covering four feet at a step. lie felt the left stilt crumbling. His hands and face were now great blisters. His eyes seemed like balls of fire. The edge was fully 18 feet ahead. If he fell, he would shrivel like a spider on a hot shovel. On he went, the stilts burning away beneath him. The left one broke at the bottom, and he plunged forward on the hot earth. lie had crossed tire flow. He was free of the lavn. The cheeriug voice of one of his companions and a cup of water held to his lips was tlie first Mr. Watson knew upon recovering his senses. He does not know how he crawled some ten feet away from tlie lava until he reached the cool ground, but instinct guided him to this if memory had left him. He was placed upou one of the mules and taken across the summit to a sheep rancher’s house. And that is how Mr. Watson was cured of all curiosity übout volcanoes.

WADING THROUGH REDHOT LAVA.