Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1843-02-13
rRIserluNo III unrNr Elm

= ERUPTION OF MOUNT TtNA
The following graphlc account Ut ,he late erap'ich a
Mount Hlna, ~exifseiei .ren q private lelipt, dale'
lrelermo. Dee. l., 1872. sefud N the London Des
patch. &c. :.
half rast Z o'clask on Monday morning. arrived ~ Adef
no, Ola Sieilian OF is English miles iIoin tie cap
ta) and thence. while changing horses. We HAD IN
first view ufthe e%rraiiqn. We csulls, ,s,,n,, discern III
fiery stones rising and filling, but, al that distance, loos
Jog ike sparks. 4 bali u fire seemed 10 T9ll up frnn
the top OF which proceeded n blazing column, which
a; length. burst at lis submit. and fell IN soft showers Q
slowly defending FIRE. Next morning. we arranged III
our eseursion up The mountain. and started at ~ al
night. Tho lava light grew stronger IS We advanced,
and on turning a ~pnyccgRg point Of the mountain, the
crater and the upper paft 81 Tho stream Of lava burst up
on our sight ia al lis maaHihsaace. We wese now l..
500 feet up the mauntan. and aioui six miles distant
from the ciaior, do not tiiiak II l'5ked graHdef at any
higher polni. lie volcano was sFauiIng out lire aad
red hot stones 70 q p~rudisiogs hel-ht fhi75 twice as
great as that 81 70 cone. Which Is 100 feet
= IN a huge column. apparently ufthc size Of a mar
telo tower, At the mouth Of the crater. aud dlstendIng,
10 an eaormoas bulk, TIL Il lis utmost height, II burst
into my risd. ol fiery fragments, thase on the leit being
+ paHirularly conspicuous. because there was no lava there
and tie red hot sfonrs e%1nfTasiel with the dark side ef
mountain. As they fell, they cast a bright glow on the
snow, and each %raftcular fiery fragment lighted up lis
own portion Of the saowY surface. while A column oi II
Illuminated steam aTso wherever the lasalng calls oi Ire
sunk apaa the sfaUnd.
The higher We clmbod the longer Inc We saw Of la
-. and after another hpHl and q halls ascent We reach
Cd a plah oi seeming sand. tbeine, IN fact, pulscrised
scOriu) al about a mile sIuale IN eNisut, and studded
With geulsia OF broom, tie eHiy plant that grows al tins
height. which VAS above Tat ct the Casa del Busco-
Here the guide. required Is 10 stop. Is It would be high
" dangerous Ia proceed further during the night. We
were, however. well content IL halt IN the position
we had now attained. a. Ne enjoyed a complete
view II the crater. and II The whole stream ct lava from
It's sufcc 10 the lowest depth It had yet reached. The
crater. thus srfr, rcsenel,d an enormous bowl brim=
ming over with molten metal. such rs one SEES m the
cannon %ipundrles. which sieamed down III cascades Of
living fire. and - II struck agalusi some stupcnduous
+ rock upon the mountain side, stQafaled INTO various cur
rents. twisting and winning IN uyuleis Of fire. snakel.ke
along the s1riea II the mountain. ~ tofiuous
+ 10 us course that whcu tho stream ul lava wis full
j 10 miles bong. no part 81 IT had yet reached above two
miles from ITS source IN the Volcano. Along with the
volume Of flame inccs5antly Yoniied Forth by the crater.
We now hear at every burst n booming sound
like tie roaring al the sea against IN ron buund coast
gradually swelling louder, Is If beginning Far down IN
the bawels ot the earth and believing mort leaTtully as
u Approached the outlet. whence II ISSUED over and anon
with fresh explosions, Ike terrific poals of thunder. In
The p~mdigious blaHc Of Ighi " could not lur some time
perceive That the lava did MT. as We first supposed, bTim
over iHe lip Of the cup. bat bust 4 passage through
The SIDE ni the cunr, snme 300 feet below the top,
whence II gusled fourth IA an lmqeinoHs flood and PIE
scntly flowed IA |bahbllng TauneIs Of liquid fire that ran
along the ground, al first n narrow streams, sometimes
rs fine rs CHAINS of urkel lightning linked together,
flashing al1ug the snow. but these. as they decended fell
into one another, aud united III one wide mcandcing Ia
VA food.
Another current swept down the hill side with n state
cr march. the ng9d Of fire occasionally o%vcrtlowlnI lis
banks. and nnaioo a golden glare upon the surrounding
snow, MI at a distance ct about Two miles from its
source II struck against a tall rock Overlapping a beet
hing %pfeciplcc, many hundred feet deep. and splitting II
sell 20 he rDck iuto two divided torrents. like tho falls
OF the Rhine, nj Schclbausen, IT irlped in twin cascades
Of fiery flood sheer down lnfa the gulfo desulatlon that
yawn6d below. Occasionally we could ste huge rocks
spouled cut lromll3s fall e%ttife, and shoot away III sera
rate maases into the rayioe, laundering along the blocks
Of old lava IN tie NHl dvl l}1gc. into which this fresh
stream poured. stretching lihe strings Of burning heads
along the distant snow. Nhcn tire first excitement,
which thu awful sahi, "heluuly beautiful. = produced,
had partially subsidized, We began 10 feel The punching
c.ld insulc'ahle. Orr feet Were stbty. as If all clrcula
ton had departed. and on dsnpuutinR from our mules II
was With great difficulty tbaf we could stand. lhdred,
no wDndrr, FIR " were within a frw huulrod feet Il
the line Of prraetaal snow. and the wind. though happl
ly very moderate, cut through rs like Il razar. bringing
water Ia our cyes. aad freezing our ears and npses. Bnt
any temporary saitriugs. my toll would have been am
ply fcpaiJhy the %gplond1r and magndiceuce Of the macs
tic sighi upon which We ar gazing II Is pleasant 10
know thai the eruption has nat caused, and IS not likely
to cause. muck d81napc. by reason Of the dcsnlatc sui
over winch thc lava has this tllne directed It's course. II
Is noteApectcd 10 last much longer.