The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-10-05
Terrible Adventure in Iceland.

Mount Hecla, in Iceland, is Slight,
under a mile in height. 1t has thre
peaks little elevated above its body
and along its sides are numerous cratere
the seats of former eruptions. The era
ter of the principal peak is about on,
hundred feet in depth. 1t is composeC
chiefly of basalt or lava. but slug-sanC
and ashes cover great part Of its sur
face, and obsidian is among its most re
ma arkable products.
There have been forty-three eruption'
of Mount Hecla recorded within the las
thousand years, five Of which have beer
simultaneous with Nesuvius, four witt
those of Etna, and one with those o
| both.
The last eruption began September ,
lS45, and lasted until April 9th, ii SAG
On the 23d of November the torrent 0
lava, two miles from the crater, was
mile in width, and from forty to fifty fee
in depth.
Carl Steinman visited Hecla Just pre-
vious 10 this terrific eruption, and haC
one of the narrowest escapes from hor
rible death that ever bcfell an advcntur.
Gus man.
We give his narrative in almost hi,
own words
On the next morning after my arriya
at the small village at the foot Of til,
volcano, | engaged a guide, a faithful
honest fellow, and set out for n visit tC
the noted crater.
From the very first i, seems rs il had
passed the confines and was entering 4
new world, so entirely different was tn,
scenery.
As you pass upward toward the focus
of all the horror Of burning stuff, you find
the peril, dreariness and desolation in
creases, until at length, its awfulncss be.
comes sublime and at length when you
stand on the topmost pont of this burn.
ing world of chaos, you instinctiycly raise
your heart to God, with shuddcr Of ter
ror, to restore you to the great living
world that you have left behind you.
For six mortal hours-thrcc on horse
back and three on foot had been clam
bering upward from the lower world, anC
now, among the clouds and mists tha
rolled around me, | stood in a world OF
lava mountains, ice and snow, the lava
black as ink, the snow of dazzling white
ness-and not in all the region the slight
est brush, shrub, plant, or living creatur,
except the guide and myself.
As far as the eye could discern, whel
the sweeping clouds afforded view, wa
succession of dark hills, glistening gla
ciers, snow-capped peaks and trozel
streams world devoid Of life, the aw
ful solitude of itself-flled with gaping
caverns terrific abysses and Stygian caves
which echoed only to the sullen reverber
ations of thunder or the groanings Of tn,
troubled earth beneath.
So impressive was this scene that fel
a strange chill creeping through me, AM
| shouted to break the Mortified stillnes
which was more awe-inspiring than tn
thunders ofa thousand Niagaras. | fre
quently found myself imagining that
was dreaming, and | was only assured b.
pinching my limbs or conversing with m
guide.
Drawing my blanket around me t
shelter me from the chilling atmosphere
and carefully puncturing the ground wit
my sharp-pointed stick before me, to max
sure Of my footsteps, began to pick m
way over piles and heaps Of lava, an
pitfalls, and patches of ice and snow, m
guide keeping near me. and often warnin
me when he imagined my footsteps lead
ing me into danger.
Occasionally | struck the fragments G
lava that rolled down behind me, and q
yet discovered no signs of the crater
which, eighty years before, had vomito
forth its tremendous volume of melte
black sand. At length, however, | reach
ed the summit, and looked down into
a sort Of basin, open at the lower side,an
having several deep seams or chasms j
the center into which the melted snow @
ice on its sides was running in sma
streams.
A repulsivc odor,in the shape of a thin
smoky vapor, came up, and ! fancied
heard distant rumbling noise that sounC
ed far down in the earth.
i turned to my guide, and was abol
to speak, when | observed he was treml
ling and as pale as death.
whats the matter !" ! asked, " yo
seem to be frightened
"Oh, my God !" he gaspcd, " there
going to be another eruption"
How do you know that Have "
ever been here before p
"Yes, but | never saw it look like thi
When | was here last there was no he
low there, but level piece Of snow al
ice."
: "Indeed~ | exclaimed, with inten
interest +; land you judge that fact
be decisive, with regard to an cru
ton 2" I..
"Oh, my master" said he, in t
greatest agony, "what else could ha
caused this change There must be f
d below, or what has melted this glacie
}" You see the ice is nearly gone, and wi
is left is fast melting, and will soon foll'
it."
l observed At this mint that INV (,