Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-01-03
manle.l. have you never seen his spot lle.


he replied, !" but never a9whing ike t'iss
When was here last there WAS no hollawj
here, but only n level plain Of snow and len
"lndeedl" excpimel !, feeling strange
ly interest d. "wlat, then, do You infer |?
that there is TO he fresh eruption 7"
I" fear so, master. what else can have
cansed this changer You see there is heat
below, which has melted the thick glacier,
anil only few streaks of lee remain upon
part Of the sides, while the center is gone.
/" And The ground here has slight feel
ing Of warmth, too " rejoined as ] bent
down and laid my hand upon It.
Let Us leave, masterir returned the
fellow, hurriedly, looking round with az ex
pression Of alarm. s,sI do net like 70 re,
main hcre We may 6e Destroyed At any
moment. Let US hasten down and report
what we have seen"
Nay said |, feeling strangely inter-
ested and fascinated by the perilous novel;
ty. 81 do not think there is any immedi-
ate danger, for the snow and ice, it IS plain
to be seen, have melted slowly, and before
l go away never to return, should ike to
venture into this basin and look down into
one Of those chasms."
Oh, no, master!' replied the guide,
with nervous anxiety do not do ii it
might cost you your life"
"At least will risk it, if you VIII agree
to wait f,r me-" said l, fully determined on
the venture, even though were to 80 wnh-
out his consent,
81 will wait" he answered, . but remem-
Der, master, you go down against my adj
vice"
The crater or hollow was about fifty feet
in depth, with gently sloping sides; and
using my pointed stick wlh the greatest
care, | forthwith besa the descent, often
stopping to try the temper Of the laya with
my hand, and finding it gradually grow
warm as | proceeded, though not sufficient
i " so TO excite any alarm. In q short time
\
| reached the bottom, and stood on the
verge of one of the seams or chasms, which
opened far, far down into the hPart OF the
mountain. 1t was about four feet in width,
zigzag in shape, and emitted strongly the
peculiar odor before mentioned. * small
tricking stream from melting layer of ice
above, was running into IL but ! could
only see that il was lost IN the deep dark
ness below, from which came up kind Of
Kissing, boiling, surging sound, with some
thing like rhmbIing shock At intervals.
and gentle puifs Of heasaa. air--4--.s~--
/ The place, the scene, and withal The
sense Of danger connected with i, held me
there with a sort Of gasgnetic fascination,
and soon found myself strongly tempted
10 make fatal plunge into the awful
abyss. knowing By experience that rea'
son is not always able tocontrol the action.
in such cases, ] forced myself back few
| feet, but still remainednear the opening
/ deaf TO the entreatieg Of my frightened
lie who now began to implore me to re-
it sdouitS be too late. As the
= act been in action fol
sfore bis birth,
NV no more of the
therefore prefer.
red etaies Of my own feel
ings ss fears and as was tc
pay his services, felt but little
dH hurried from place which
n so much time, money and
i /.
heed, therefore, to his earnest
/ now resolved to sound, i
edepth of the chasm before me
proceed to inspect the others
this purpose | pried off from q
G small block of lava, and adj
TO the very edge of the chasm
it down and listend to the hollow
erations, az it went bounding from
} side, long after II was lost to the eye
depth was so immense that / heard il
A1lG AAidti dtiu lfiSu tiiC Sohui
med rather TO die out from distance than
cease because the block had reached its
estimation. It was an awful depth, and
earfully impressed me with the terrible
and as drew back with a shudder, gust
of hot, sulphuoos air rushed and roared
4 upward, followed by steam-like vapor,
and heavy, hollow sound, as if a cannon
had been discharged far down in the bow
els of the earth.
/ This new manifestation Of the powers
of nature fairly startled me into desire
for flight, and had already turned for the
purpose, when suddenly there came sort
Of rumbiing crash. and the ground. shaking.
heaving and rolling under me, began TO
crumble off into the dread abyss. was
thrown down, and on my hands and knees,
praying God for mercy was scrambling
over il and upward to save myself from a
most horrible fate, when two blocks. rolling
together, caught my feet and legs between
them, and without actually crushing, held