Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-04-15
A NIGHT In A VOLCANO.

Last November party OF three adj
venturous Americans made the perilous
ascent of Popocatapetl, the loftiest vol
cano in the world, with the purpose of
spending night at the bottom of the
crater, which is 4 800 feet below the sum-
nit of the mountain Two of the party
succeeded, but the third, who tells the
story in the Cleveland Leader, was COM
PEELED to give up before the ascent of
the 1893 feet of mountain was accom-
plished The following account of the
adventure is taken from his letter:
| succeeded in reaching an altitude of
nearly 5000 feet and then gave out on
account of previous illness from which
had not fully recovered and was com
PEELED to return to ranch down on the
timber line" Here l awaited the re-
turn of the party, which was composed
of Col Grasty, of Virginia, and Mr..
Harry Stevens, of Cleveland, who had
accompanied me from home. This ac-
counts for the commencement of this
letter after their having reached the sum-
NIT of Popocatapetl
The gigantic crater is about one mile
in diameter and 4 800 feet deep, and, al
most incredible to believe, but nevcrthe-
less true, there is settlement consisting
of forty sulphur miners in the bottom of
this awful cavity, their only mode of in
gress and egress from this internal re-
gion being by means of a windlass and
1000 feet of rope, by which they are
lowered down to shelf in the side of
the abyss, the rest of the journey down
ward 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 two or
three hours, for it was alike impossible
to spend it on the mountain-top or to re-
turn down to the climber line" An In
dian employe of the sulphur mine had
preceded them up the volcano bearing
their letter of introduction to Senior Cor
onada, the Superintendent of the mine,
who Immediately repaired to the sum-
NIT, where he met them half or three
quarters of an hour after their arrival
Corchado the old man of the noun
tain, is a singular character, one well
worthy of the pen of the romancer. He
is Creole man, well advanced in the
evening OF life. His appearance was odd
and ancient and in perfect harmony
with his strange and frighttul surround
an enormous shock of grizzly gray hair
which fell over his shoulders and beard
that reached far down his breast COM
Fletely yelling his features from scru-
tiny. Peering from this luXuriant crop
OF hair was a strong Roman nose, while
pair OF green goggles protected his eyes
from the sulphurous vapors of his home
ana the reflections of the sun on the
snow of the IOmp IIa uoS Iracca1 in a
heayy flannel shirt, deerskin round
ABOUT and pair of bag-like goatskin
Towsers with hair on the outside. His
Ieet were incased in blanket moccasins,
Whlle a hat with six or eight inch brim
Inlshed his attire, Born at Talamacas,
he has always lived on the mountain, or
IN his present birthstone home, where
ms father lived and died before him.
reared IN region where nature is
marsh, rough and sterile, his manners
are rude, but his heart is big and his
disposition warm and kindly. He has
oeen intimately connected with Popo-
Catapet and everything associated with
me great volcano for over half century
lie now lives at the bottom Of the
g grrater, 4,5OO feet below its rocky ruin
10 this strange abode he welcomed
Grasty and Stevens with heartiaess and
real hospitality.
They zigzarged down the bleared and
o!ackened rocks about 200 feet and came
to a windlass called "El Nalacate. >
rom this was suspended cable abou,
an inch and half in diameter and DOC
ieet long. From this point they obtained
magnificent view of the crater. whose
walls rose in all directions in frightfu