The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-05-11
The Volcano of Popocatepetl.

| BOilCu W w - hohNh uONh Oh
timber line." Here | awaited the re
turn Of the party, which was composed
of Col. Grasty, of Virginia, and Mr.. Har
ry Stevens, of Cleveland. who had ac
companied me from home.
The gigantic crater is about one mill
in diameter, and 4,500 feet deep; and
almost incredible TO believe, but never
theless true, there is settlement con
ssting of forty sulphur miners in the bot
tom Of this awful cavity, their only mod,
of ingress and egress from this inferna
region being by the means of windlas
and 900 feet Of rope, by which they ar,
lowered down to a shelf IN the side o
the abyss, the rest Of the journey being
performed on foot, over long and steer
decent. The thoughts of Grasty and
Stevens were now turned to the horrible
gulf that yawned before them, for in i,
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 return down to the
timber line" An Indian employee had
proceeded them up the volcano bearing
their letter Of introduction to Senior Cor.
chado, the superintendent of the mine,
who Immediately repaired to the summit,
where he met them half or three. quarters
of an hour after their arrival.
Corchado, "the old man Of the noun.
tain" is 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 con.
nectti with Popocatapetl and everything
associated with the volcano for over hall
century. fle now lives at the bottom
OF the crater, $500 feet below its rocky
ruin. To this strange abode he welcom.
ed Grasty and Stevens with heartiness
and real hospitality.
They zigzagged down the bleared and
blackened rocks about 200 feet, and came
to wiudlass called "El Malacate." From
this was suspended cable about an inch
and hall IN diameter, anu thousaHu
feet long From this point they obtained
a magnificent view of the crater, whose
walls rose in all directions in frightful
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 illustrate the great depth, it would be
no exaggeration to say that if you we're
to take Mount Vesuvius, which is 1900
feet high, and turn it upside down and
stick it into the crater, it would about
fill it, This gulf presents one of the
grandest sights on earth, and has terri
BILE fascination for the beholder. The
most stolid are greatly impressed, while
the susceptible are completely overwhelm.
ed by its awful solemnity. Grasty and
Stevens peered over the ledge where
stood the windlass, and saw far below
them level rock that formed the top of
a long, steep declivity. at tho foot Of
which was black spot. This they were
told was the miners house. They were
to descend to the dcclvity by the rope,
having accepted Corchado's invitation to
spend the night below. Corchado and
Stevens went first. They were tied to
the cable in such manner 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
conseqently they hung free and dangling
in mid air. 1t was only a minute or two
however, before they came to place
where the cliff beuied out further thar
the windlass rock, and they were compell-
ed to kick against its front to keep clear
of it. Immense clouds of sulphurous
and gases rolled skyward from beneath
this projection. These nauseated Stevens
and set him TO vomiting badly. They
we're now out of sight of the people above
them. Stevens afterward said that he
felt that he was going straight into the
jaws ofhell. On every side of them wa.
a gigantic and hideous ruin of cracked
cliffs and blstered crags. Beneath then
we're pools of liquid and burning sulphur
that trlckled in rivulets from the gashed
and fire.marked walls of the crater. Nox
ious vapors Aoated through the air-al
seemed horrible nightmare. They
reached the declivity in safety after {
fearful journey of ten minntes and untieC
themselves. The rope was then pulled up
Tho Colonel proceeded to tie himsel
on. Through some mistake the rope tina
went round his back slipped down to-
low. He dropped from the crag, still
weak from the suffering he had ex
perienced in the ascent. Everything
went well till he got to the place wher
the precipice bugles out. Here disaste
overlook him. A cloud Of gas-ladel
vapor envcloped him and he tainted away
with yet 700 feet to descend. Corchad
and Stevens saw him let go of the rope
throw his arms out grasping at the all
and fall back until his head was lowe
than his heels, then spin round and round
striking the rocks in a fearful manner
Stevens said it fairly made his blood ru
cold, and he turned his head from tn
awful sight. Meantime Corchado ha
given the man at the windlass a sign
lower faster, and GrnstY's apparentl
lifeless and mutilated body soon reache
the spot where they stood. His face We
severely bruised and his clothing badl
torn, while the blood was trickling frol
his nose and ears but be still breathet
After an hours rubbing and throwing
snow in his face he came to, and the who
party, now argumented by the arrival
a number of peon miners from belo'
descended the sloping side of the crate
, Corchado and his Indians led the wa,
slowly followed by Grasty. who was SUI
ported by Stevens and peon. Aft,
e they had got about half way down ii
steep they experienced, from the ice ar
q stones, great difficulty in travelling. II
most annoying thing, however, was Il
. constant danger they were in of bell
= crushed by the huge hunks Of ice al
rock that we're continually rolling dow
This debris is the matter that is loosen'
daily by the sun, whose warmth strik