The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-05-28
A NIGHT IN THE CRATER.

A NIGHT IN THE CRATER.
The Fearful Adventure OF two Daring
Americans-Penetratin the Volcano
of POPOcatapstI-s~OORt While Dam
CLING Over Terrible Abyss-SIeeping
in the Bowels Of the Earth.
From the Cleveland Leader.
1 succeeded in reaching an altitude
of nearly 5000 feet, and then gave out
on account of a previous illness, from
which I had not fully recovered, and
was compelled to return to ranch down
on the &c timber line." Here I awaited
the return of the party, which was
composed of Col, Grasty, OF Virginia,
and Mr.. Harry Stevens, of Cleveland,
who had accompanied me from home.
The gigantic crater is about one mile
in diameter and 4, 800 feet deep, and,
almost incredible to believe, but never
theless true, there is a settlement con-
sisting of forty sulphur miners in the
bottom of this awful cavity, their only
mode of ingress and egress from this
internal region being by the means of a
windIass of 1000 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 II 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 return down to the
" timber line" An Indian emplOye of
the sulphur mine had preceded them
up the volcano, bearing their letter of
inf IN TO-oha1n tho
superintendent of the mine, who imme-
diately 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 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
can0, for over half century. He now
lives at the bottom of the crater, 4, 500
feet below it's rocky ruin. To this
strange abode he welcomed Grasty and
Stevens with heartiness and real hOspi-
taIity.
ENTERING THE VOLCANO.
They zigzaQged down the bIeared and
blackened rocks about 200 feet, and
came to windIass called Gel Mala-
cate" From this was suspended a ca
BILE about an inch and a half in diameter
and thousand feet long. From this
point they obtained q magnificent view
of the crater, whose walls rose in all
directions in frightful wildness and
subimity. 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 4, 800
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 a terrible fas-
cination for the behoIder. The most
stoIid are greatly impressed, while the
susceptible are completely overwhelmed
by its awful sublimity. Grasty and
Stevens peered over the ledge where
stood the windIass, 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 manner that
they sat side by side.
For about the distance of 150 feet the
ledge from which they made their wild
! leap projected out over the precipice,
and consequently they hung free and
| dangling in mid-air. It was only a
minute or two, however, before they
came to place where the cliff beIlied
| out further than the MINDLESS rock, and
! they were compelled to kick against its
| strong front to keep clear OF 1t. I'M
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
| be felt that he was going straight into
| the Jaws of hell. On every side of them
| was a gigantic and hideOUs ruin of
cracked cliffs and blistered crags. Be
meath them were pools of liquid and
! burning sulphur that trickled in little
rivuIets from the gashed and fire.
marked walls of the crater. NoXiOus
yapors hOated through the air-all
! seemed a horrible nightmare. They
reached the declivity in safety after a
fearful journey of ten minutes, and
united themselves. The rope was
then pulled up.
THE FUMES OF AvEREUs.
The colonel proceeded to tie himself
on. Through some mistake the rope
| that went round his back slipped down
too low. He dropped from the crag
still weak from the suffering he had ex-
perienced in the ascent. Everything
went well until he got to the place
where the precipice bulges out. Here
| disaster overlook him. A clOud Of gas
| laden vapOr enveloped him, and he
! tainted away with yet 700 feet to de
| scend. Carehado and Stevens saw him
| let go of the rope, throw biz arms out
/ n.nsr,ircr Of the air and fall back until