Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-03-12
Ascent to the Crater of Popocate-
petl. $50

| Ascent to the Crater of Popocate
petl.
From a newspaper published in the city
of Mexico called The Extraordinary we cop.
the subioined account of the ascent of Noun
Popocatepetl, made by DR.. S. w. Crawford
of the United States Army. The docto
was. as we are informed, preparing secon'
expedition to Popocatepetl. with the inten
ton OF spending a ight in the crater, o
which he has promised the Ertrdordinar,
a full account. 1t may be proper to note
by the way, that this mountain is situated
| in the State o: Puebla, aid rises to the
height of II ZIG feet above the level of the
! sea:
MEXICO, Janu.ry "a, 1857.
Ny DEAR Sir: In consequence of po.
lite request that 1 would furnish you with an
Scceunr Of the ascension OF the volcano Pp-
pocafepetI. msde BY myself on tke 18th
instant. have the honor to submit the
following:
Our party originally consisting of eight,
ith servants, &c, arrived at Amecameca
upon the evening of the 18th inst. -Four
ot our number had been obliged to return.
and another, with servants, left US at Ame-
cameca. At this point through the kind
ness of our hospitSbfe friends, we procured
our guides and made the necessary arrage-
ments Tor the ascent Of the mountain
When our object become known We we're at
once jpined by number of volunteers, all
anxious to accompany us 10 the sumnit.-
While some spoke of the season of the year
and of the intense cold we might anticipate,
others teld US OF path to the crater made
by the Indians going up and returning with
the sulphur, and assured us that at some
seasons the ascent was by no means as DIFF
ficult as imagined. But we found that but
| few of our friends had been beyond the
Sno,o-line, and that the mountain had not
| been ascended by even all Indian for months
the working of the sulphur ceasing with
| The commencement of the rainy season.
As we sat at night watching the moon slow
| ly rising behind the mountains, and lighting
with ghasty glare their frozen submits,
stretching away IN sublime beauty to the
clouds, we felt that the task we had under
taken was no light one; but there was fas-
cination about the undertaking that We all
felt. There, in her cold shroud, lay the
| Tztachihuatl, or white woman; while there,
in silent watch, wrapped in his icy mantle,
stood the monarch of mountains OF North
America An effete civilization had invest
ed him with mystery that rivalled in its
poetic wiIdness the mythology of the an
cient Greeks. A god had dwelt there, and
for ages had controlled the sentiments of
millions. The lion heart of Cortes has iden-
tilted il with his wondrous career, and the
genius of Humboldt has consecrated it TO
science.
The morning dawned beautifully, and, as
our arrangements were not yet completed,
we ranbled over the Sacramento at the back
oil the town and visited the beautiful grotio
upon its summit A lovely view awaited
US, and we have rarely seen more enchant-
ing spot. At Amecameca our observations
showed an ascent from the city of Mexico
OF some FIVE hundred leet, and the increas-
ing cold assured US of the fact At noon
we took leave of our kind host and turned our
horses heads toward the mountains. We
soon reached Tomacooa, small rancho,
where good mill is in operation, turned by
beautiful stream from lztachihuatl. We
were here joined by party. among whom
was Don Pablo Perez, gentleman who had
been engaged in extr1cting the sulp phur from
the volcano, and who had pursued the occu-
patton or three years His ascents had
Oeen frequent, and We felt re-assured by his
| resolution to accompany us. Our road now
was up, over steep ascen's, through the ce-
dars and pines; wild flowers of every hue
| grew through the tangled shrubbery. The
labor brea Thing of our horses plainly trld
o. the change Of atmosphere, as eur path
gradually led US through the clustering pine
/ trees TO Tlamacas. We were now ascend
| ing the mountain. and the rich loamy soil
and ashy earth through which our path led
gave evidence OF the fact.
| By shutdown we arrived, much faligued
from our days journey, at Tlamacas, SET
| tlement created for the convenience of those
| engaged in the extraction of the sui 2nur.-
The night wss exceedingly cold and COM
fortress. The thermometer stood at 28
| Fahrenheit, while our barometrical obser-
vaiions showed an ascent from Amecameca
OF over five tn Iusand feet. Instead Of the
rest SO necessary to us, we passed another
disturbed night, but day al last dawned
beautiful and clear, and our guides aroused
US 10 the ascent.
Our party numbered twenty, including
guides and poems. We set out from llama
cas- on horseback as far as La CrHz, some
thousand feet above. Here. with two OF my
companions, set out on foot; the remainder
rode on some distance. At the same time
We all joined, and after our final arrange
ments OF packs, &c we grasped our spears
and, protecting our eyes from the reflection
set out upon the snow, our guides ahead
the Indians with our packs following. Our
first start out was steep and amid frozen
snow. The guides and Indians struck boldly
out without spear or staff; the rest OF us
clinging to our snow-spears, slowly followed
Up we went some eight hundred feet, when
getting in advance Of the party, we haltet
to take breath. Respiration had become
: labored and difficult, and, as sat exhauste:
On the snow, deadly fee ling akin to sea
sickness came over me. Rallying, however
looked around for my companions. and o
all those who had joined us at Amscamec,
not one remained. Two o: my friends, witt
the guides, were above me shouting to US Il
follow. On we went, slowly and tedipusly
: The difficulty of travelling increased will
every step. The servants who accompanie,
b US had all given out, and, taking the bar
o omeier from one who had sank exhausted,
o joined my companion above. On we toile,
o some hundred yards further, and again W,
e stopped TO rest. Our number was now re
G duced 10 four and our two guides. The SAM
sickness | had experienced was now felt b.
;, others; the oppression was extreme Al
d angry storm swept around the brow OF tn