Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-02-28
ASCENT OF POPOCATEPETL

ASCENT OF POPOCATEPETL.
Our readers are aware that the stupendous
mountain known as the Porp,aIepeI is within
full view from the city of Mexico. The ascent
OF it was effected in May last BY Edward
Thornton, Esq. attached 20 the British Lcgn-
ton in Mexico in company with some Of his
friends. The party passed their first nigh, at
the "Ra:l ;ho IF IamaoiS' at the height of H.
5S2 English feet above the level of II c ocean.
On the following morning they started at o.
clock, and in five hours and threc-1uarters,
they reached the lower lip OF the crater Here
is small Rancho for the convenience Of those
collect ing sulphur from the Volcano.
"From our feet, (says Mr. Thorn'on.) straiph
down to the limits of vPgelat ion was one sheet
Of snow, without rock or stone TO break its
unity; then vast woods. then towns and Wis
laEes dotted over the cultivated lands bnt all
seen exceedingly clear, even with the naked
eye-a prculiarity which have never observed
in any country much as in the high table
land of Mexico the eve could even distinguish
the difers n green of rle sugar plantations in
in the 'Terra Caliente.' far awav.'
TIE height OF the mountain appears to have
been ascertalned very eali>iaClnrv-the barum-
etrlc"l measurements of Mr. Thornton agree
ing almost exactly with those oi Mr.. G'ennio.
My next care was to SGT up my batOnp ter.
One OF the thermometer- | found brnkrn. how
cannot imagine, for had packed them very
carefully, and had never ri them ont of my
own hands Ia wrver. considered myself VERY
torunate that brought up two of them -
The height Of Il e lit lr uuu-e have mentioned
ahcYo, and w ich he d. e'ror entitled tho
"RAnch del Espro.' j.. according tn my bar.
ometer lT,277.6 EuLlj>h tee, or 5 23l. , me
tres. iulhe year 1876 tie moun'aln was as
ceuded by Mr.. Wiuam Glcrn and MS brorl.-
er. on the North West SIDE. and harometr-
cal observation was taken by the former ON the
highest peak. winch is un the highest side Of
the crater. WAp height ca'culatrd by INN va
l7,S9S English feet. and we couj'ctured tnat
that yetk vas about 500 feet higher than the
loW"r hp OF the crater, and the Rancho del +
prjp about one hundred feet bcluw the latter;
50 that in tact NV observation j. confirmation
of ihat taken bY Mr.. Girnnle. We dld not 90
To this n'lnt because, on accuuu' of the broken
nature ui the m0uilajn, It would nave cost about
four hours m're hard labor to have got to it,
which we did not think worth while for so
small an eleYalIon."
the most trrrta objects when the volcano Is
active. Imagine an oval pit nearly twu-thlrdS
OF "A mile across, wIrh almost perpendicular
walls, and an average deprn of ii quarter oi "A
mile. it re-emblas, more nearly pruJab,y than
any other crater on the surface of the globe,
hose tremendous cavities on Inc surface of the
moon, revealed by the telescope.
'Gr at as WAS the impression which the first
tlt iut m p ms II X IN
-iLle for me to give any adequate description of
t. The ascent to it from Rancho del E.prjo
was so rapid that we came upon 1t Of sudden
The snow reaching to the very brink. 1t re-
quired a tolcrablr good head not be little be
wildercd at so suddenly coming npon the edge
OF perpendIcula depth OF | 600 teet which
is certainly no eXaggeralun os that Of the { q.
ter even from the lower hp; from the highest
peak II must be 800 The flrnis rather more
oval than circular, aud the distance across from
east to west about 300 feet the sides are near
~ perpendlcular all round on the northeast
side however, ere Is steep desrent To small
terrace upon which a Whitney has been fixed
on The very edge OF the crtler, for the purpose
of letting down and drawing up the men EN-.
plONed IN 9 'ttlnI I'll phur from below, aud of
ing the sulphur; HE rope Of this Whitney
i, 2jO measured varas, perpendicular depth, or
6s7 feet. The surface nt the bottom of the
crater j. sprlukled with from 40 to - It's
from which smoke IL constantly issnlng, some
m re, som le = IN some OF them large stones
are lllug over one another Ike the bubbles oi
bulllHL water, beng sometimes uI briI yell
low color, which remains tor II moment aud
disappears; the smoke emitted has a mo,t nau-
seous Smeil OF sulpIur. y thus Is accompa-
uled with Il constant rum1ng nplSe, like 4 hca> |
Wy snrl breaking on rocky shore. The d.
rector assured rs there was stream IN the |
bottom 50 strong nat Il burst hues in the clothes
Of the rkmen; he Sd d II loat itself in the bot |
IN OF the mounttn. iarge masses Of stone
ave beng constantly telalched from the sides
o the crater, which 90 laundering down to the
l'ttom, 10 the great usk ot the wurkmen, one
II whom had been killed some dtys before, BY
h falling of stone ON his head. This was
Ge danger which principally deferred us from
lr>cendlug lno The crater, which We could
Pe very well from above. From conversations
have had VITA Mr. Frederck G.cnnr, Nhp
vent upn ls2G, | should say tie volcano has
rcome mu;n less active; Tor he tells me that
r~ldeS the constant rumblng noise which !
ave described, thete was occasionally loud
NP'0Snn and that stones were thrown up above
ie crater, IA lIng on the sides Of the IN ,uutain
t saw nothing OF this sort.