The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1858-10-29
A Leap m the DaTk.

| NNhWN ~ NWN " oNN tANuAnNoa hheieN
Of the visit Of party Of Englshmen 10
Mount dlna. On their way up they had
oamped out for the night.
Awaking with a start. they were sur
Iprised at leelip- warmth much greater
than their wood Giro was calculated to i'm
part; the sky, moreover was filed with q
blcodired glare, which bewildered At once
their senses and their imagination and
the terrible idea suggested itself to their
minds that the eruption was in full prog
ress. Indeed, they had but to look arouad
them to discover undeniable proofs Of Il.
They were standing on a knoll, skirted on
the side Of tho cone with trees. and on the
right and left broad stream Of fre, glow
ing like a furnace, WAS rushng down IN.
10 the plain, oyerthrowing everything in
its passage, trees, rocks. aud where Il en-.
couutered them, human dwellings, New.
er did Mr. Fehurl witness anything so
awful as The Ted glare cast upon the ewood
10y the desolatipg torrent as IL swept on
| He turned to the guides, who stood be.
side him paralyEed with terror.
"llow are We TO get out Of this situa
tion." inquired hJ,
ave don't know" they replied. W,
have never before been placed in such cir
oumslanoes, But we must make som,
movement, and that speedily too, or W,
shall be burnt 10 ciuders where we stand
Look the lava, is coming; aud those vast
lreesare bending and cracking at its touch
like fine grasses"
"Well," J" replied tho traveller, lead IN,
way-you must know II better than We
that wo may got out into the plain ooun
try before the fiery streams meet below
aud hem as in"
"You are right" declared tho guides
"Gor the lava ispursuihg the course Of tw.
ravines which have their confidence be
low yonder hin, and il we fail to pfeced
them we are lost"
5 The iokers OF the morning were not In
oliued to joke now, The lava was send
ing It's iutolerable heat before il, warning
them that inevitable death was near un
less they escaped rom il by miraculou
oeleriiy. Down the mountain, therefore
they went, leaving everything behin,
. them but the iron shod slaves which the
, carried Ia their hands. Tho hndscap
, previously 10 silent was now flled on al
sides with fearful noises; the believing o
r terrified herds, the shouts and shrieks 3
I human beings, the sudden bursting up Q
q flames and here and there as the torrent
reached some oombustible matters, th
tumbling down ofroeks, aud the crash Q
forests, as the irresistible lava forced i
/ way through them. AT length they cam
r suddenly upon the edge Of preoipi,e
!. down which they looked. but could dil
cern no bottom. On the right and lei
was the 6rei in front, gulf Of unknqw
Is depth; behind, the lava rolling towar
= them with terrific rapldity, scorching, y
+ It's advance, trees, grass, nay, the vey
/, learth, which Il absorbed and hqulddi }
/, its indeseribable heat. fFlQ1 11
" "Are youignorant Of this chd2'a !
to quired Mr.. Fennel f'or may we hope
At save our lives by throwing oursely
N oper?"
IL lies entirely out Of our usual tract
" replied the men, "aid We have never se
e il beforeY l,au
~ do not intend 10 describe Mr. Feunel
feelings at that momeDti because he h
/. left behind him no record of them. II
we'll known that extreme danger Off
renders men silent, they do not oonyers
le do not discuss their means Of escape.
s. not communicates their fears; their moot
I powers appear, for the moment. TO be a
nihilatedi they only feel But what lee
., ings are theirsl All Sioilynow appear'
eI TO be on FIRE. The earth was reddeniI
A. on every side, the sky overhead glows
ls like furnace mouth, and clouds deus
4. charged with igneous PARTICLES, aud emi
ting an intolerable stencil, were preoipit
. ted upon them by the west wind TO
z seorehed to death or suHocated appear'
e. now inevitable. unless they threw Ihep
% selves over the preoiPice, aud so deliver'
m themselves from such fate by suicide.
n While they were medilating on Oh
~ idea, the earth under them began to TO,
O. violently. Il shook; there was wi
= crash; che rock parted and yawued, an
a they beheld red streak making its va
eastward through the bottom Of the ore
: lice, They fed, not knowing whittier Z
y wards the left, but their progress W
'e soon arrested by the hast thrown out /
ie the lava. All thou ghls, alleges were no
4 directed towards the precipice, Shou
:, they dash over, and by Que leap in q
dark, either deliver themselves from Il
ie most fearful of deaths. or pnt an end
"a their aSopies at once? With seusalio
Il. Which bahis an description, theyapproie
ri ed the rock and looked over it. Cou
! they discern anything belcwY MOI
: was thick darkness, suggesting unfathoI
or able depth. They would remlin tbel
o. fore where they we're, In the hope th
Il tbe lava might rise 40 higher, and th
J. when the light VI day should make lts a
peawaea they might ses some avenue
ldslissanos, But this hope the guid
dissipated. They knew too we'll ;hat :
lava streams, now separated, would nj
~. and mix before morning, aud leave, 3
, 80 t,oh Of fha orrnund thav NOW stood