The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-06-03
A NIGHT IN THE CRATER.

CLING over Terrible Abyss-sIeebing
TIA the Bowels Of the Earth.
Frcm the Cleveland Leader.
I succeeded in reaching an altitude
of nearly 5000 feet, and then gave ont
on account of a previous illness, from
which I had not fully recovered, and
was compelled to return to ranch down
on the 50 timber line" Here awaited
the return of the party, which was
composed of Col. Grasty, OF Virginia,
and Mr.. Harry Stevens, of Cleveland,
who had accompanied ms from home.
The gigantic crater is about one mile
in diameter and 4, 500 feet deep, and,
almost Incredible to believe, but never
theless true, thete is d settlemeht con-
sisting of forty sulphur miners in the
bottom of this awful cavity, their only
mode of ineress and egress from this
internal region being by the means of a
windlass of 1,000 feet of rope, by which
they are lowered down to shelf in the
side of the abyss, the rest of the jour
ney downward being performed on foot,
over a long and steep descent. The
thoughts of Grasty and Stevens were
now turned to the horrible gulf that
yawned before them, for IN it they must
pass the night, which would fall IN the
COURSE OF BRO OF hlEC6 tOL IL Was
alike impossible to spend, it on the
mountain-top, or to return down to the
" timber line." An Indian employe of
the sulphur mine had preceded them
MP the volcano, bearing their letter of
introduction to Senior Corchado, the
superintendent of the mine, who imme-
diately repaired to the summit, where
he met them half or thTee-quarters of
an hOTIr after their arrival
COrchado, "the Old Man of the Noun
tain" is a singular character. Born at
Tiamacas, he has always lived on the
mountain, or in his present birthstone
home, where his father lived and died
before him. He has been intimately
connected with Propocatapetl, and
everything associated with the great vol
can6, for over half century. He now
lives at the bottom of the crater, 4, 500
feet below its rocky ruin. To this
strange abode he welcomed Grasty and
Stevens with heartiness and real hospi-
tality.
ENTERING THE VOLCANO.
They zigzaPged down the bleared and
bIackened rocks about 200 feet, and
came to windIass called 'sEl Mala-
cate" From this was suspended Ca
BILE about an inch and a half in diameter
and a thousand feet long. From this
point they obtained magnificent view
of the crater, whose walls rose In all
directions in fTightful wildness and
sublimity. They at once appreciated
its enormous dimensions. Nearly mile
below them was the bottom, almost lost
in the darkness and distance. To illus
trate the great depth, it would be no
exaggeratiOn to say that if you were to
take Mount Vesuvius, which is $500
feet high, and turn it upside down and
stick it into the crater, it wctild about
fill it.
This gulf presents one of the Rrandest
sights on earth, and has terrible fas-
cination for the behOlder. The most
stolid are greatly impressed, while the
susceptible are completely overwhelmed
by its awful sublimity. Grasty and
Stevens peered over the ledge where
stood the windlass, and saw far, far below
them level rock that formed the top
of long steep declivity, at the foot of
which was a black spot. This they
were told was the miners house. They
were to descend to the declivity by the
rope, having accepted Corchado's invi-
tation TO spend the night below. Corch-
ado and Stevens went first. They were
tied to the cable in such a manner that
they sat side by side.
For about the distance of $50 feet the
ledge from which they made their wild
leap projected out over the precipice,
and consequently they hung Tree and
dangling in mid-air. II was only a
minute or two, however. before they
came to a place where the cliff bellied
out further than the windless rock, and
they were compelled to kick against its
- IL -
mense clouds of sulphuroUs steam and
gases rolled skyward from beneath this
| projection. These nauseated Stevens,
and set him to vomiting badly. They
were now out of sight of the people
above them. Stevens afterward said
| he felt that he was going straight intC
| the Jaws of hell. On every side of then
was a gigantic and hideous ruin o.
cracked cliffs and blistered crags. Be
meath them were pools of liquid and
burning sulphur that trickled in little
| rivulets from the gashed and fire
marked walls of the crater. Noxiou
vapors foated through the air-al
seemed a horrible nightmare. The,
reached the declivity in safety after
fearful journey of ten minutes, anC
united themselves. The rope wa
then pulled up.
THE FUMES OF AvHRNUs.
The colonel proceeded to tie himsel
on. Through some mistake the rop
that went round his back slipped dow
too low. He dropped from the crsR
still weak from the suffering be had ex
perienced in the ascent. Everythin
went well until he got to the plac
where the precipice bulges out. Her
disaster overlook him. A cloud of gas
laden vapor enveloped him, and b
tainted away with yet 700 feet to de
scend. Carchado and Stevens saw hiE
let go of the rope, throw bis arms on
grasping at the air, and fall back unit
| his head was lower than his heels the
spin round and round, striking th
sharp rocks In fearful manner. Ste
vens said it fairly made his blood m
cold, and be turned his head from I'll
awful sight. Meanwhile CoFchado ha
given the MAN at the windless q sign
| lower faster, and Grasty's apparentl
lifeless and mutilated body soon reache
the spot where they stood. His fac
was severely bruised, and his clothin
badly torn, while the blood was tricl
ling from his nose and ears, but be sti
! breathed. After an hours rubbing an
throwing of snow in his face he can
to, and the whole party, now augmente
by the arrival of number of peo
miners from below, descended the slol
, ing side OF the crater. Corchado an
l and his Indians led the way, slowly 70
lowed by Grasty, who was supported b
Stevens, and a peon- After they hs
. got about half way down the steep the
: experienced from the ice and stone
great difficulty in travelling. The mo-
annoying thing, however, was the col
slant danger they were IN of bein
! crushed by the huge hunks of ice an
rock that we're continually rolling dow
: | This debris is the matter that is loosel
! ed daily by the sun, whose waFmi
: strikes of its icy letters and suffe
Z | gravity to have It's way. After tv
! hours slippery descending they yFeaohe
4 THE BOTTOM or THE PIT
about 4:3O in the afternoon Of Thank