The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-10 00:00:00

THE BURNING CLIFF.

AUGUST s.—The Burning Cliff near Wey-
mouth has lately assumed a more grand and in-
teresting appearance than on any previous occa-
sion. Yesterday the heat was so great, that it
was difficult to stand within six yards of the
cavern. An excavation was made on Wednes-
day last for an experimental research by Mr. T.
Harvey, of this town, and the material extracted
from the cavity on being thrown undesignedly
into a heap, and exposed to the atmospheric air,
ignited without any artificial application of fire,
and burnt the greater part of the night with the
brilliancy of a light-house, so as to attract a vast
concourse of persons on our esplanade to wit-
ness it. The late spring tides produced an in-
creased fermentation, added to which, a strong
current of air from the easterly gale has ignited
the stratum to a considerable extent, and the
fire at the mouth of the cavern is now seen to
burn more fierce than that of a malt kiln or large
furnace. From the crowds of persons attracted
by curiosity, it has now excited the attention of
the scientific. Two gentlemen are expected
here to-day from Oxford to examine it. The
artists also have been busy with their pencils, " to
whose imagination," as the celebrated Opie says,
" whatever is great, whatever is beautiful, what-
ever is interesting, and whatever is dreadful, must
be familiar."

It is very probable that at some future period
perhaps not very distant, after the partial consump-
tion of the materials feeding this immense body of
fire, the present crust or surface may sink down, and
exhibit all the incidental peculiarities of an ex-
tinct volcano ; or possibly astonish with the more
awful characteristics of one existing in active
operation. There are not, at this time, any in-
dications to warrant the expectation of any
violent eruption ; nor are the peculiar local pro-
perties of the soil of such a description as to
excite any alarming apprehension. After a time,
it is very probable the vapour may partially sub-
side. That there is an extensive body of subter-
raneous fire accumulated here, is too evident to
be doubted.

It being ascertained that the Cliff contains a
mixture of pyrites, sulphur, and iron ore, the
effect to be produced on such a combination of
materials by the action of salt water must be
precisely that which has happened. There are
instances on record of similar effects from the
like causes, viz.: in the month of August, 1751,
at Charrnouth, in this county ; and at the mouth
of the river Shannon, in Ireland, in 1793 ; and
in the Philosophical Transactions, mention is
made of a like cirettmstance in Caernarvonshire.

There is no doubt of the communication of
salt water with the interior of this cliff. As a
proof of it, it has been observed that the spring
tides, and more particularly the equinoctial tides,
have invariably produced very visible effects on
the discharge of vapour from this cavern. At
these pe►iods, a much larger quantity issues, and
a far stronger effluvium is emitted, than at any
other time ; an instance of which was experienced
on Monday—as the promenaders on the espla-
nade could plainly perceive, with the naked eye,
clouds of it issuing therefrom. On Tuesday
fire was again seen below the interstices of the
rocks ; and the next evening it was seen here,
for the first time, by hm3greds of spectators, in.
brilliant fire issuing from the surface of the cliff.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

It is now ascertained that this Cliff is prin-
cipally composed of pyrites, • bituminous coal,
alum-stone, and cornu-ammonis ; and that there
are streams of water running into these mixed
materials. It is well known that these materials
invariably generate subterraneous fire, by their
own spontaneous action. A short time since
some men were employed in excavating the
south side of the Cliff, about forty feet above the
sea-beach ; they removed a frontage of about
seven feet in width, averaging four feet in height,
and six feet in length inward ; the contents con-
sisted of lime and alum stones, intermixed with
the dark bituminous earth, which was smoking
at the time of removal. The men then
came to stone and stone-coal, and quarried
about four feet inwards, three feet high,
and two feet wide ; a few sparks of fire fell from
the stones, &c., on being shook with the tools ;
the men lighted their pipes, and several gentle-
men their cigars, from the same. On the fol-
lowing day the excavators resumed their work,
about three feet to the westward of the previous
day's work, leaving a stone partition or pillar of
about three feet square between the two excava-
tions ; the extent of this opening was about seven
feet in height, and the width of frontage five
feet ; length inwards about nine feet. At the
inner part of the first five feet, they came to fire,
which blazed at the top, bottom, and sides. The
excation was continued in the fiery substances
for the last four feet, when, after removing
about five cubical yards of red-hot materials, they
were obliged to desist in the presence of many
bystanders. The fire from the mass of materials
removed out of the cavern was seen blazing from
the esplanade by a great concourse of people,
which produced a striking and singular effect.