Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-22
ITEEI,S or TIE DE-

done.
General Walker, superintendent. IF the can
sus, expresses the opinion that thu coDlcg co.
umtr.tiou of the poi ulation will show an TO-
crease Of 10000 0C0 wilbin the les: dtc,de,or
total Of As. 10000
TIE Louisiana Safe convention by vote OF
II to Il las decided to pay the debt 10 full, With
Fer c:It. interest fer five years. per cant.
fer ten YEARS, per cent. thereafttr,or scale the
debt a. - cents on 81, AID pcy per cent.
interest, at the option Of the bondholder
There is probability that ship cana will
be constructed across the penin:us Of Florida
Wlhia the tsw years. Such caoal would
shorten tho d,statcs between North Atlantic
ports and poio's on the Gulf Of Mexico by
abtut thcuslrd mills.
Asa ircraution against any p:s;ible mob
violesca, the U1ited States Sub Treasury 10
New York, where 5000 coo 600 or $500 OOO.-
900 ere constantly stored, is btirg loop holcd
for mu:ketry SD strongly fortified 10 other
Ways.
Tho event CT tho day 10 Roman Catbo'.cis
cles 10 Halifax, n s., has been the consecrca
ton OF he bells of St. Mary's Cathedral, which
vas completed yesterday. Owing to the length
Of the oera moby seven small bells were conse~
Grated privately; the eighth and larges. pub
liciy
Tho examination Of candidates for appoint
meut as second ieutcnanls in The army will &C.
cur in the Eek; few weeks As the candidates
have 70 bear their own expenses. boaris OF
officers will BE- convened in diff rent sections Of
the cjuntry 10 ord.r that tho expers:s # the
applicants maj te as light as possible.
PEEPINa Down A CRATER From Fuebla to
Popocstspo!i, in Mexico, ia not an Uni interesting
| journey. From Pueblo 10 The village of Atlizco
you can travel by stag or diligence. From At
| !izco to the grest mountain you will have to 90
| by horseback, which mes, 8 that your pedal e1.
tremities must dsDgie from the sides ofs patient,
! dminutive, surs footed mule. 1t was beauti.
| full day when party consisting OF 40 American
! artist u MeXicsn gentleman, two ladies aud six
teen lnti.ne, all we'll mounted set out from At
| lzco for tho lofty pinnacle Of the extinct voca-
70 Tho ascent was at first gradual, the mules
| and horses sinking their hoo.s deep in Volconic
said aud mud filled with sharp stones that had.
| during some previous and Unknown eruption been
| vou.ed up from tho bowels OF the mountain.
Tho party assembled the mule road or path 10
| tho Rancho do Zocopalco, said TO be tie highest
| inhabited spot on the globe. Rich grasses grow
out Of the volcanic mud on the sides of the
| mountain and the pslh wound up through tam
| g!ed msss.s ct trees, shrubs and plants, and
| greW more stun!ed, till they ceased altogether
81 sn eey alton of ,544 fset, and at II COZ feet
vcectsiion disappeared. Here the party. jour
Icyed on three miles over stone; and volcanic
| sand, when more than half the Indians and
horses gave out, and the ladies also gave OUT,
having TO be sent bsck.
| At The height of JIG 055 feet tho party came to
| bsssltic rock, upon which the ascent WAS con-
| unued till toward night. wher they reached the
| great crater of Popocstspeti.
1t appeared about three miles in circumfs1-
enco. ard over all brooced fearful darkness.
truly presenting a picture from which Dante
| might have fashioned his Inferno"
Tho cold although hot sun was shining at
| tho fco. Of tho mountain. YVES a. the summit
| Intensely bitter, which added 10 the difficulty
| both from tho skin and lungs, rendered the
situation unp losssnt, If not slightly dashed with
peril. A little within the edge ofthe crater was
| found sort of hut bull! for tie accommodation
of lndisus and Mexicans who have msdes bls.
| iness of descending within the abyss after sui.
| phur. Tho next nc corning the adventures pre-.
| psIcd 10 descend into The crater. A narrow foot
psth led to sort of ledge or shelving Of the
| rocks. where wiGdlsss and pullcys had been
| erected for the lndsn sulphur CATERS, who had
been employed in tho dangerous task of procur-
iug that mineral out Of the bowels Of the crater
| tlensn determined on the descent, and accord.
| ingly took their sests in strong skid or rude
car attached to the rope. The remainder OF tho
party were left on the ledge to operate the wind.
lsfs The conn snd was given, snd the lndians
began letting the American md his fellow tour.
Ist down into the darkness.
After sinking Avo hundred feet into the bowels
of the crater the adventurous landed On another
ledge on the eidcs, much SIS q balloon descending
from the upper air suddenly strikes on come tail
tree top. Having arrived st this half way Sta
ion, it !nis be, the explorers found themselves
Gu Inc edge of q yhwning cavern, by tho Indians
called C ''b1es:hing hole" of tho crater.
From this second Ledge or resting place the
over the yawning darkness beneath them. Still
dangling and Whirling over the abyss, the skid
finally landed on smother ledge or shelving of
the rock. one thousand feet down in the crater,
point beyond which j! Was not deemed adVis.
able 10 60
The sdverturers with ropes around their
waists, crswled into ono or two of the breath.
ing holes" and threw stoles into the vast depths
below, but the projectiles returned no sound
save when they struck against the sides of the
crater, worn smooth by tho Laws that had been
vomted up during e1uptcns in past ages.
It needs rot TO lie told that in due tim the two
explorers were drawn 10 the top of the crater,
where they again encountered the glad light of
day.
DESERTED BY HIS EsooRT.-Therc is no Sc
rious doubt remaioiOg tina: the Prince Imperial
wss deserted. The ccrlespondent of The Times
with General NeWdigate's cllumn, who has
obviously access to the official documents, pub
lishps ljnn,pnant Gareps NUN renrr: tcc1rd.