The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-07-04
A Terrible Adventure in Iceland.

Mount Hecla on the island If Iceland Is
slightly under mile in height. 1t has
three peaks little elevated above its body,
and along its sides are numerous craters,
the seats of former eruptions. The crater
of the principal peak is about one hundred
feet in depth 1t is composed chiefly of ba
salt and lava, but slug sand and ashes Gov
err a great part of the surface aud obsidIan
is among its most remarkable products
There has been forty.three eruptious OF
Mount Heca recorded within the last thou
sand years, FIVE OF which have been stimuli
taneous with Vesuvius, four with those Of
Etna, and one with those OF both.
The last eruption began September
1945. aud lasted until April g. 1916 On
the 23d Of November the torrent Of lava.
two miles from the crater, was a mile III
width, and from forty to fifty feet i'll depth
Carl Steiuman visited Hecla just previ-
Gus to the terrific eruption, and bad one II
the narrowest escapes from horrible death
that ever befel all adventurous man.
We give his narrative i'll almost his own
words:
On the next morning after my arrival al
the small village at the foot Of the volcano
| engaged guide, faithful honest fellow,
and sa t out for visit to the noted crater
From the very first it seemed as If had
passed the confines and was entering
new world, so entirely different was the
scenery.
As you press upward toward the focus OF
all the horror of burning stuff, you lind the
peril dreariuess aud desolation increases,
until at length its awfulness becomes sub
lime; and, at length when you stand on the
topmost point of this burning world of cha
os, you instiuctively raise your heart to God,
with shudder of terror, to restore you to
the great living world that you have left
behind you.
For six mortal hours-three on horseback
and three on foot had been cIambering
upward from the lower world, and now,
among the clouds and mists that rolled
around me | stood in a world Of lava
mouutaius, ice and snow, the lava black as
ink, the snow of dazzling whiteness-and
not in all the region the slightest brush,
shrub, plant, or living creature except the
guide and myself.
AS far as tue eye could discern, when the
sweeping clouds afforded view, was sue
cession of dark hills glisiening glaciers,
snow capped peaks, and frozen streaIns-a
world devoid of life, the awful solitude of
itself-fiIled with gaping caverns, terrific
abysses and Stygian caves, which echoed
only the sullen reverberatlons Of thunder or
the groanings of the troubled earth beneath.
So impressive was the scene that l felt a
NNstrange chill creeping through me, and
shouted to break the horrible stiffness which
was more awe-iuspiring than the thunders
of thousand Niagaras. frequently found
myself imagining that was dreaming, and
was only assured by pinching my limbs
or conversing with my guide.
Drawing my blanket around me to shell
ter me from the chilling atmosphere, and
carefully puncturing the ground with my
sharp pointed stick before me- to make sure
of my footsteps, | began to pick my way
over piles aud heaps Of lava, and pltfhIs
of ice aud snow, my guide keeping neat
me, aud often warning me when he imag
ired my footsteps were leading me into dan-
ger.
Occasionally | struck the fragments Of
lava that rolled down behind me, and as
vet discovered 10 signs of the crater, which.
eighty years before. had vOmited forth its
tremendous volume of melted black sand.
At length, however, | reached the summit
and looked down iuto sort of basin, open
at the lower side, and having several deep
seems or chasus in the centre, into wlict
the melted snow or ice on its sides were run
ming in small streams.
A repusive odor, in the shape of a thin
smoky vapor, came up, and tdncied
heard distant rumbling noise that sound
ed far down in the earth
turned to my guide and was about t.
speak. when | observed that he was tremb
ling and as pale as death.
whats the matter?' | asked, ''yol
seem to be frightened "
'Oh, my God!" he gasped, 'there's goins
to be another eruption"
elbow do you know that? "Have yol
ever been here before?"
Yes but / never saw it look like this. =
When was here last there was no hollow
there, but level piece of snow and ice"
''Indeed." exclaimed, with intense in
terest; ''and you judge that fact to be deci
sive with regard to an eruption?'
ooh, my master" said he, in the creates
agony. "wha. else could have caused TIM
change? There must be fire below, or wha
has melted is glacier? You see the ice
nearly gone, aud What is left is fast melt
ing. and will soon follow it ,
/ observed at thus point that my feet ha
a sensation of warmth and stooping dow
found the ground quite hot
'How is this? inquired
He shook his head
'Al wrong: there's trouble brewing
master, as sure as you live. You had bel
ter leave
recalled the fact that the last eruptio
of Heca had occurred so years before lon
previous To the birth of my gnide, and cor
sequently he could know as ii'tle Of that a
I did. This foolish thought prevented N
from putting the faith in nis words that
ought to have done,
1rhere is bo hurry | replied, 1 hav
been so long 6udirg my ny to the tor
that am hardly disposed to leave until