The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-20
COTOPAXI.
The First Ascent of the Great Vol
CanO.

Twenty Thousand Feet Above the
Sea.
James Orion III the N. Y. Post)
The ascent of the loitiest active vol
cano on the globe Is no ordinary event
Its achievement would have filed many
pages in the works OF Humboldt.
Standing fifty miles below the equator,
and a hundred west Of the meridian oil
Washington, Cotopaxi Is at once the
most beautiful and the most terrible OIL
volcanoes. From the valley OF Quito It
appears like huge truncated cone, in al.
titude equalling five VesuViuses piled up
on each other, It's summit rising four thou.
sand feet above the limit OF perpetual
snow, its sides presenting alternate ridges
and gOrges plowed by descending Hoods
Of water, and round the base for miles
heaps of ruins-boWlders twenty feet
square and volcanic ashes and mud six
hundred leet deep. Very seldom does
Cotopaxi wake up to intense activity, iol
as rule the higher aVolcano the less ire
uuent It's cruptiOns. Generally the only
signs OF life arc the deep rumbllng thun-
dcrs and cloud Of smoke laZily issuing
from the crater.
The scientific world has long desired
10 know the structure Of the crater OF Co
lopaxi. Tho great Humboldt, although he
ATTEMPTED TO climb ChimbOrazo, seemed
10 think the top Of this volcano unap-
proachable, and cOntenled himself by ex'
alnining ii through his telescope. Fifty
years Igo Colonel Hall, m American
tried it with scaling ladders only to fall
Iu 1860 DR.. Felipe Sarrade, an Ecuador
an, said no reached tho summit, where hi
found seven craters; but nobody believed
us story. The glory wNs reserved tol
Dr.. Reigs, u German naturalist, who, will
DR.. Slubrl, has been exploring the valley
of Quito during the last four years.
will now give u condensed account OF TIL
ascent.
THE START.
On the eth of November, 1879, DR.,
Reigs set out from MulOlO with ton peonct
tor the southwest point Of the crater
Crossing the river CuLuchG ut Limpiopun
10, where tho stream cuts through vas
deposits OF volcanic ashes, he reached thu
"Ventanillas," a dry and sterile pampa
since tho porous earth retains no moisture
Here tho ascent Of the cone began. Fol
lowing the triangular ridge that divides
the deep dGhles OF Man2anaguAiCo anC
PuCahuico, and whose apex reaches tht
snow limit, he crossed subordinate cerrol
and pampGs, which are so many steps il
the Grand staircase he was ascending
Vegetation now ceased entirely, and the
surface was covered with ashes and blacl
sand. In fact, nearly the whole occldent
nj slope OF Cotopaxi, between 1850 ant
l8OO6 feet, presents the aspect OF disma
black desert. In this lofty, lileless, silen
solitude, says our traveller, man seems al
intrusion. lie found It difficult to judg
Of the distances and dimensions OF OBJ
eCls. Progress was slow, for at ever!
step the loot sank into tho sand, which
Increased in depth with the ascent Tn
mules were scarcely able to move, sink
Ing to the knees and suffering from IN
ratification Of the air.
Occasionally the magnificent vista be-
low and the ncighborhood OF the snow!
Cppe above absorbed attention; but cloud
ddd driving hail.storms generally cut Of
all prospects. Suddenly profound
chaSm, containing fresh, smoking lava
WAS discovered on the left. This lava
stream was the lower limit Of vast mass
which from the valley appeared like I
long black line. At2p.M, our travele
reached the point where tho two queOra
das unite, marked by an immense pile Q
rocks. Hero he encAmped for the night a
an altitude Of 1870 feet. AT Q oclocl
the upper part ofthe mohnGaln was clear
ed Of smoke and mist, and gave a gram
and imposing view. The white cone ros
Immediately above, appearing very hug
but not very high, The border Of tn
crater showed itself as q broad limo, witt
aloityro rock on the north end and Hnothe
on the south. An immense stream {
lava came down the cone, and near III
place Of encampment divided. enterln
The two quebrad6s or ravinCs mentioned
Inc lava was still warm, clouds Of vapo
rising along the whole extent oil III
stream. During the afternoon the thCr
momCtcr had stood at freezing point; bu
1.-THE night it fell to twenty-five degree
ON THE WAY.
Tho next day DR.. RelIS attained all hl