The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-26

variety of tongues that they are guides. and II VIC
require II, Will go to tho summit Women como 10
cabin doors. aud hold up bottles Of wnitc wine-the
vino called Lachrymn Christi, by some horrible
irreverence-apd ask Us TO stop and driak. And al.
ready tho houses begin to thin, anu have fields
around US and gm pscs OF the sea- aud although thu
lazy volcano with its pulls of smoke, looks as far
distant as when We were the deck OF the Vandala
miles away, we know that the ascent has begun and
that really climbing the sides OF Mount
Vesuvius
TnE ROMANCE HISTORY or THE MOUNTAIN
While We making this slow ascent let me recall
some facts about Vesuvus, which are the results Of
recent reading reading made with a view to this
tourney. In the times o. liable these lava hills
SAID TO have been the of battle between tho
giants aud the gods, In which Hercules took part
Here was the Lake Avernus, whose exhalations were
Here also was tho prison house oil Typhon, although
crlti; assign him TO Etna But Etna, Vesuvius
and StromDoh are trinity oI volcanoes, evidently
outlets to the OF nre, and any one would DO
for the PRISON house OF god II was here that
Ulysses came you will lnd in tho eleventh book of
the Odyssey. Three centuries before the Christian
era great battle fought al Vesuvus between the
Romans and the Lalins' inc oaaie 10 wmcn pscius
camped with his army OF gadiatcrs ana oohusmen,
in his magnificent but unavailing blow ior freedom.
the other active. We read in Dion Cassus Of an
eruption which not speak OF tho present crater
The great eruptions placed III the years ~, 203
Az 5I2 6s5 ana 993. Tho eruption in 472 seems 10
have been the severest known since the shower OF
ashes that DESTROYED Pompei IL the early eruptons
mention OF lava was in 572 Sometimes the volcano
has done nothing but smoke Tor century or TWO.
About three centuries ago now peak, 440 ieet IN
height, was formed IN twentyIour hours, and there It
Is now before Us, as Monte Nuovo. there was NO
eruption, however, and the hill as placid as one OF
your Orange hills in Now Jersey In The century
there was good deal OF movement, as we have from
the pen OF Sir William Hamilton, the British
l77o, l777 and 177a There are also pictures
later part OF the century, winch must have been ter
rble enough TO suggest tho last day II the artist
painted truly In one OF those eruptions the hquld
lava, mixed with stones and score, rose 10000 icet
AT times Sir William saw fountain OF liquid lrans-
parent fire, casting so bright light that the smallest
miles Of i is there was noshor
in 1898. which DR.. Clarke described--volleys OF I'M.
menso stones. The Doctor went as near the crater
possible and was nearly sulocatcc by The tunes
of sulphur The lava poured down the sides IN
slow, glowing. denseiy lowing stream Thousands Of
stones the air. The clouds over the crater
were as white the purest snow. In week the lava
stopped, aud columns Of light red flame, beautiful 10
the view, illuminated Inc top Millions Of
came explosions and earthquakes shocks louder ID IN
cannon, terrible thunder, with 'noise like the
tramplng OF horses eet." The next eruption was IN
1922, when the crater Tell, reducing tho mountains
height about eight hundred feet. Since 1922 there
have been several eruptons, the mos: important hap
penlng in 1861. Vesuvius Is now double mountain
upon an extended base from thirty to forty miles
Etna. LIS height varies In 1858 II was 4,255 ieci;
but since 1872 1t has slightly diminished. Slrombo
is 3,022 eet. out although In constant motion Tho
nearly all fell back into the crater Etna $50
feet in height, but slopes SO gradually and has
broad base that 1t looks moro like table land than
mountain did not Stromboli, for although
sailed it the mist and rain hid 1t from view
have seen Etna however, aud think 1t tar less I'm.
posing and picturesque than Vesuvius.
THE ASCENT.
In the meantime we IRE going up steadily. The
horses go slower and slower Some of US get out and
short cuts. The few houses that VIC see on the road
side have evidently been built With view to eruD.
tons, Tor the roofs are maze OF heavy stope and
cement General Grant notes that where the lava
and stones have been allowed to rest ana to mnse with
the soil good crops spring up, aye here and there we
note 10urishing hit oil vineyard. Soon, however,
Vineyards disappear, and alter the vineyards the
houses except occasional house OF shelter, ini0
which we arc ali invited TO enter and drink oi the
Tears OF Christ Our convoy OF horscinen, who have
been following Tor mile or two begin to drop oil.
Tho Marquis has been preaching TO them IRON the boa
in various languages upon their folly In wasting tine
and they heed his warnings. There are no beggars.
Ii Is remarked that bcggars always prefer dead
with about az dirty suit Of clothes aud prcuy.a
pair eyes you could oven in squalid. smiling
Naples Well, there rs something IN inc eyes, or it
may be In the boyishness of their possessor, which
quite wins one oil the party, for when the Marquis In
ssts that he shall JON his fellow mendicants in tho
valley below q gracious protection Is thrown over
him, and he followed US up the road think the
patronage must havc pleased him. tor he gathered
handful of wild flowers and presented them, and
fused coin which was offered in return; but the
refusal OF this did not prevent his acceptance Of
two or three others and good dinner included an
hour or two later IN the day.
vEsUvIus As 1T IS.
Still we climb the hill, going steadily up Those OF
the way tcep and the road Is hard. All around
Us Of chaos and death. There, in all forms
and shapes, lie the lava streams that did their
In other days, black aud cold and forbidding You
the path OF each eruption distinctly as tho
wndings OF the stream from the mountain top. We
are now high up on the mountan and beneath us Is
the valley and the bay OF Naples, with Ischia aud
Capri and ON the other HORIZON range OF mountains
Hinged and tipped with snow. In one direction
sec the eruption OF ls72 The black lava stream bo-
dered with green. What forms and shapes what Ian.
tastc, horrible shapes the lire assumed IN The hours OF
yOlI hnv MAJ and trvil A
the early poets THESE Phenomena the stripe and
anger OF the gods Virgil describes Enceadus ranslxod
by Jove anu the mountain thrown upon him. which
snakes ami trsmbles Whenever he turns his weary
sides. This Is the scene, the very scene OF his inn
mortal agony. There are no two forms alike; all ID
black, coid and pltess. II We could only SEQ
living thing lin this mass OF destructioh out all ia
death, all desoaton Here AID thcre, where the rams
have washed the clay, and the BIRDS perhaps may n"vo
carried seed, grass begins 70 grow but the whole
scene IS desolation. thought OF the earlier ages
when the earth was black and void and iancied that
il was lust such an earth as thls when DIVINITY looked
upon II and said, "Lct there DO light" thought of
the end OF all things OF our car!h our fair sweet and
blooming Garth, again mass Of lava rock and ashes,
all life gone out OF II, rolling through space.
OUR PICNIC ON THE MOUNTAIN.
The presence OF phenomenon like this and right
above us the evorseethlng crater IS n ISL solemn
and beautiful sight We all iel repaid Win our Jour-
ney; Tor by this time we had come to the journeys
cnd and our musings upon eternity and chaos did not
forbid thoughts OF luncheon. For the wind was cold
and were hungry. SO whcn our illustrous captain
ntiniated that We might seek place OF refuge and
entertainment light cleaned in the eyes OF the Mar
gus, and he rencd us up at n hosiery called the
Hermitage. This is the last resting pace before We
the ascent OF The crater. Here the roads stop,
and the remainder OF the journey must be mxde on
loot just beyond the hermitage is government iu-
stitution known the Observatory, u point
where information Tor weather reports is
gained. Wo thought when Wc Came INTO
these upper regions that We were In
atmosphere TOO pure for the bcgsars We were con-
graduating ourselves upon this circumstances coming
up tine mountain side, but on descending we mad u
gar or await US. suppose they belonged 10
the hosiery and were simply specializing upon us Ike
our ircnd the baker, wnom We had lett hagging
his loaves lar down in Naples Some o US, tho Gen.
oral certainly, had come this distance meaning TO
CLIMB The crater But II was very cUId, aud We had
delayed departure from the snip so that the day
was well On. so, instead Of climbing the rocks and
looking INTO suiphurus crater, we organized KIND
of picnic the hermitage The house seemed 10 have
been Inquistion OF dunge0n--the rooms were
large the walls were thick, there were such nystcr
ous, narrow passages and chamDe But people VINO
build houses under the rim oil Vesuvous must build
Tor Are aud flame aua showers OF ashes and stones,
The hermitage could stand a
eruption before u became untenable. A slight crack
ug FIRE OF twigs was made the hearth and Drazlor