Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-08-02
to the color and appearance of coke, streaked,

TO the color and appearance of coke, streaked,
however, with narrow stripes of red hot mat
ter The scenery as we assembled became
wilder and wilder. After time we entered
narrow, deep cut and very steep pass, which
shut out everything from our view. Emerg-
ing from this, we came suddenly on one of
the mostii blime spectacles this earth can
afford. Just opposite, across a deep, dark
gulf, the lava poured down in four distinct,
and still red hot streams, over a precipitous
descent of eight hundred or thousand feet,
the sui phurous clouds drifting from its surface
and rolling away up the mountain side
Imagine such a scene in the stiffness and
darkness of night! If it had been but a noun
tain torrent, glittering in the moonlight and
pouring its brawling waters into the gloom
below, with succession of rapids down that
dark rayine, to the distant plain, even then
the effect would have been striking and
romantic In the extreme. But conceive the
waters of that torrent suddenly converted into
liquid gold, lighting up, with their glare, the
obscurity of night; their several streams
awaiting to form at the bottom of the abyss,
lake of fire; aud you may form some idea
of scene never to be fully conceived except
by those who witnessed its awful and sublime
reality.
Quite different but very remarkable in its
character was the scene which some days af-
forwards | visited, in the plain below, at the
extreme points of the lava-stream. Above,
on the mountain, had seen it in its wild
sublimity; here, it appeared in its destruc-
tive might. Inch by inch, foot by foot, and
finally mile by mile the smoking mass glided
on, silently and irresistibly as death, swallow
ing up every thing before it. Cultivated
fields, orchards, vineyards olive groves, houses,
roads, were covered up for ever from human
sight. On and on it came, showing in front
like huge blackened wall, scanned with
veins of fire, great masses of dark lava rolling
down in advance.
The people, with pale faces of terror and
wonder, were clustered by hundreds in front
of it, watching its progress. And only watch
ing it, or at worst weeping and wringing their
hands; for every one felt that human effort
might as well avail to stop the sun in his
course, as to arrest the progress, OF divert the
course, of that exterminating scourge AS
taken in connection with any puny efforts OF
man-we were in the presence of Almighty
Power 1t might spare, or it might destroy
we could but look on and submit Except
perhaps, the main fall of Niagara, never
witnessed anything that so completely en-
bodied the idea of irresistible Fate.
The progress of this lava-current, now eight
or ten miles from its source and gradually
hardening to rock, was slow; usually some
twenty or thirty feet in half an hour; though
at ono time | saw it move on thirty feet in
five minutes. 1t separated into two streams
One threatened the village of Cercolo, bu
stopped short of it about 800 yards. The
other flowed towards the village of Santioria
but came to stand about half mile tistan
L
was less than was at first anticipated.
OFFICERS OF THE GRAND ENcAMPMENT
o. F.-The following gentlemen have beel
elected officers of the Grand Encampment
o. o. F. for the ensuing year:
Louis Humphreys, of South Bend, M.
: G.. Patriarch.
Rev. Gamaliel Taylor, of Madison, M. W
G. III. Priest
William Rea of Jacksonville, r. w. G
w.
: William Hacker of Shelbyville, r. w. G
j w.
Willis W. Wright, of indianapolis, r. W
G. Scribe.
George G. Holman, of indianapolis, r. W
G.. Treasurer.
Christopher Toler, of Madison, Inside Ser
tinel
, b. f. Haugh, of indianapolis, Outside Ser
tinel.
The encampment adjourned on Wednes
day. Their sessions were characterized b
the greatest harmony. A large number {
Delegates were in attendance
G. l.. |. O. O. F.-The following Officer
were on Wednesday elected by the Gran
Lodge of !. o. o. f. now in session in tn
city:
GRAND MAsTER-Prof. j. b. Anderson,
3 New Albany
: DEPUTY GRAND MAsTER.-A. II. Ma
thews, OF Laporte.
GRAND WARDEN.-John Ii. Stailey, {
Rochester.
o GRAND SEoRETARY.-W. w. Wright {
5 Indianapolis.
: GRAND TREAsURER.-J. B. McChesney,
Indianapolis.
|, GRAND REPREsENTATIvE.--(Fo For two years
T.. A. Hackleman, of Rushville.
r ALTERNATE G. REPREsENTATIvE--N
, Herndon, of Charlottesville.
The TRUE PARTY OF THE CoUNTRY.-I
reply to a letter addressed him by some {