The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-27
The Ascent Of cotopaxi.

This, the highest active volcano In the
world, had never been scaled until re-
Gently, when that great feat was accom-
plished by DIR. Reiss, who has made
report of the circumstances attending
the ascent to the president OF Ecuador.
He commenced the ascent early IN the
morning, and reached the snow-lins in
the afternoon. Here he encamped for
the night. Tt showed during the even
ing and night, and the next morning
the sand and lava were covered by a
coating of ice as smooth and hard as
glass, and they were forced to wait until
the sun had melted it. DR.. Reiss then
pushed forward with the greatest ardor
and arrived little after 10 o'clock at
the base of the rocks which crown the
summit of the mountain. He turned
to wait for his companions, and found
that all had fallen discouraged by the
way except his maior-domo and his dog,
who were toiling painfully after him.
The rocks among which he had now ar
rived were the huge relics of former
lava deposits, from the assures of which
came occasional gusts of sulphuric acid,
while the climbing was made dangerous
by the fall of dislodged fragments, one
of which actually struck the doctor, in
fiicting troublesome wound. But he
and his faithful attendant clambered on
and upward through the mist, until
about noon they found themselves
suddenly and Unexpectedly upon the
southwest point of the rim of the crater,
which, stretching 1,500 feet below them,
revealed itself p obably for the first
time to human eyes. Its form was ell
iptical, its longer axis running from
north to south. From all its circum-
ference, rocky slopes descended into
broken lines to meet in the centre, there
being no plane of any extent. The
northeast portion was thickly covered
with snow, from which the rest of the
crater was free. The air was filed with
the roar of falling fragments from the
sides, and with white jets of sulphurous
vapor from the southwest portion of the
crater. The barometer gave height of
1898 meters, an estimate considerably
larger than that of former writer's. A
noticeable observation of DIR. Reiss is
that chlorides are found among the de-
posts of this crater thus contradict
ing the statement of Humboldt that the
absence of this acid was characteristic
of South American volcanoes. The in
tons, however. for while he was examin-
ing handful of earth, gust Of wind
filed his eyes with dust impregnated
with sulphuric acid, causing immediate
and acute Inflammation, and driving
him at once down the conc. He thinks
that the tremendous floods which often
devastate the neighboring valleys have
their origin in the sudden melting of
the ice and snow IL the high ravines by
bursts of lava and hot air from the
crater, and his explanation seems as
probable as it is ingenious. DR.. Reiss
adds another to the many refutations of
the exploded fictions about respiration
being impossible at these great alti-
tudes, and blood gushing from noses
and ears. There is little difficulty of
breathing at II, 600 feet, but it does not
appear to increase above that height
The doctors dog appeared to suffer
more than the poems; but though his
lungs were weak, his conscience was
strong, and he followed his master,
HI b 46o