Litchfield enquirer., 1850-08-29

}. cended high and naked ridge Of Sce
 riac, entirely, overlooking it. From th :. point it presented the aPPearahce Ot a :, immense kettle, upturncd, with hol
 knocked in the bottom, forming the era
 ter. From this, upon one side ran ol ? the lava st cam, yet fervent with hca and sending off its tremenduous radIa tions. The eruptions had ceas d tha morning, but a volume of smoke wa'
 still emitted, which the strong north eas
 wind swept down in a traliing current
 along the tree tops. I Tie cone was patched over with yel'
 low, the crystallizcd sul phur from the hot
 vapor passing up among the loose stones
 The trees all around were stripped oi
 their limbs, leaves and bark, resembling
 as many giant skeletons. Tempted by
 the quietude of the volcano, and anxious
 to inspect it more closely, in spite of the
 entreaties of our guides, we descended from our position. and going to the
 windward, scrambled over the interven-
 ing lava beds, through patches of thor ny cactuses, and agaves toward the cone.
 On all sides we found the flakes of the
 melted matter hich had been thrown
 out on the first day of the eruption, and which had moulded themselves over everything they fell upon. We had no difficulty in reaching tie base of the cone' the wind driving of the smoke and va DOTS to the ieeward. It was perhaps hundred and fifty or two hundre feet high, by two hundred feet in diameter at its base. and of great regularity of
 outline. It was made up entirely ot stones, more or less founded and of ev,
 cry size from one pound up to five hun
 dred. No sound was heard when we reached it except low, rumblng noise, accompanied by very sligft tremulous motion. Anxious to examine 1t more closely, and to test the truth of the pcp> ular assertion that any marked disturb,
 ance near the volcanic rents is sure to
 bring on an eruption, We prepared to ascend. Fearing we might find the stones too much heated near the sum- init, I prepared myself with two stafs as supports, and to support my hands. The Dr. disdained such appliances and started without them. The ascent was very laborious, the stones rolling away beneath our feet, and rattling down the sides. We however succeeded in almost reaching the summit, whence Dr.. Liv ingston, who was little in advance sud- denly recoiled with an exclamation of pain, having all at once reached layer of stones so hot as to blister his hands at the first touch. We paused for mo- ment, and I was looking to my footing, when I was startled by an exclamation of terror from my companion, who gave and almost superhuman leap down the side. At the same in~ stant, strange roar almost deafened me there seemed to be whirl of the at- mosphere, and sinking of the mass up on which I was standing. Quick as thought I glanced upward-the heavens were black with stones, and a thousand Iightnings flashed among them. All this was in an instant, and wish the luickness of thought I too was dashing down the side, reaching the bottom at he same instant with my companion and ust in time to escape the stones, which 'ell in rattling torrents where we had stood moment before. need not say hat in spite of spring cactuses and rug yed beds of lava, we were not long ia putting 8 respectable and safe distance between us and the flaming object of ,ur curiosity. The eruption lasted for nearly an hour, interspersed with lulls, ike long breathipgs. The noise was like 1 hat of innumerable blast furnaces in 'ull operation, and the air was filled with projected and falling stones. The subsistence was almost as sudden as the outburst, and we waited several hours in vain for another eruption. Our guides assured us that another attempt to as ,end, or any marked disturbance on the slope or to the vicinity, would be fol- owed by an eruption, but we did not care to try the experiment.
 Although believing that most of the volcanic cones have been formed in this by gradual accumulations, yet the volcanoes which have shown the greatest energy, are low. and irregular. and devoid of anything remarkable in their appearance. Such is the volcano of Cozeguina in Nicaragua, the eruption of which in 1885, was one of the most terrible on record.
 On the morning of the goth of Janu- ary of that year, several loud explosions were heard for radius of hundred leagues around this volcano, followed by the rising of an inky black cloud above il. through which darted tongues of flame resembling lightning. The cloud gradually spread outward. obscuring the sun, and shedding over everything vel low, sickly light, and at the same time depos;tlng fine sand, which rendered
 respiration difficult and painful. This continued for two days, the obscuration
 becoming mone aud more dense, the
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