, 1879-03-23
VESUYIUS.'
A Chicagoan Ascends the Famous
Volcano,
And Tells Of What He Saw and Expe-
rienced in the Undertaking.
The Perils, Sublimtties, and Curiosities
OF the Crater.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
CHICAGO, March 1S.-Belieying that the fol
lowing extract from letter written to tht
Haven English Literature Class BY its Pres
ilept, Mr. j. 4. J. kendig-a wel!-knows
member Of the legal fraternity OF Chicago, now
travelling for pleasure IN Europe,-will be o.
interest to the readers Of The TRIBUNE, I sub
| nit it for publication.
NAPLES,
with population Of 6O0,00O, is the largest, and
commercially the most important, city OF Italy.
In every direction for hundreds of miles about
it, there remains tile evidence OF earthquakes
and volcanoes. The islands are picturesquelg
arranged. Sicily and Capri are the most mcn-
toned. The ibay has the reputation OF being
tile most beautiful In the world. The views
from the lofty peaks, all more or less volcanic,
are the most overwhelmingly beautiful. The
luTid pillars Of fire and snukc from Fesuyius ;
excayated Pompeii and Herculaucum; the snowy
Apcnnincs in the far distance; the shining,
blue bay: the islands, and, beyond them,
the AlcaitcrraneaD,-all colored by the
gorgeous splenLor Of the rising,
midday, and setting sun,-togethcr make up
the magnificent display Of natural beauties aud
phenomena which has Tor thousands Of years af-
forded scope for literary clfusions and chai-
lenged the warmcst admiration.
From the nights Of St. Elmo, across the arc OF
the bay, to the east, rises the top OF
vEsuylus,
and, though seeming Mt u less distance, the
visitor must accomplish fourteen or fifteen
miles to reach it. Whoever says there is no
danger, OF who goes forward In the short jour-
ney to this fiery crater without fear, is too dull
to apprchend the situation. The natives seldom
or never 20 there. An excursiou-party OF twenty
English people were asphyxiatcd recently BY a
little puff Of noxious yapor from one of the
nostrils Of this huge monster. The other
day two persons we're caught and Instantly
burned up.
At first did not think I would attempt the
ascent of the conc, which lies at angle of about
40 degrees; hut, after clambc-ing over the par
tially-excavatcd Herculaneum, the hills and
luva-bcds, valleys Of ashes, sand, and mud, tufa
and puumice. surveying the graves OF a hundred
thousand people, the destruction OF forest and
plain and malt hundred cities and VILLAGES, the
indescrbaDle splendors Of the prospect were
truly enchanting. 1t seemed from the impulse
alike OF the hideous and the beautiful that
concluded to 90 forwarI-Excelsior!
OUR PARTY OF JAN. Is, 1879,
consisted OF two ladies and myself. Tou can
take q horse to the foot of the cone, which in
itself is about 1000 feet hieh,-hight Of
the mountain 1870 feet; but VIC deter
mined to 60 from the Government House
on loot and without guides. Cla.nbcring from
point to point with your Aipcnslock, you
follow short cuts through wilderness of gro
tcsgue horrors, but dimly perceived from the
roau OH lie PLAIN below. Lower down, the flint
like lava Of 1851, with which Naples and her
sister cities are paved, crops out from an over
lying scrubby vegetation; but no idea OF the
yastness flhe overflow, with its accumulated
mass accelerated in the decliyitY to a pitch
enormous and terrific in the momentum, is
gained until the laya-oeds OF 1858 are reached.
Here the eve wanders over q wide pIain, now !
black, now ashe11, like some swarthy tu1nbling |
ocean tossed into huge bi!lows, scooped into |
slippery holows, yawnin:5 in blackness, st1tIened |
by the freezing atmosphere i'll the midst Of its !
Widest rage.
He Who holds the Universe in the hollow Of
His hand, with His finger touched the mountain,
and it became
4 sKETH1HG VORTEX, |
smoking and burning Till its cloud kissed the !
sky; and, again, with the frosty breath OF the |
north wind immoyably fixed the mass IN rock rs !
irm as the granite foundation which undcrlics p!
;hc Sorrh-AMcTican Continent.
There arc contrasts, too. Now and then the |
,ath leads, in the most unexpected way, through |
lcIls delicious in fragrant and cool ycriurc,
nc looi t1eaas the solt loalll oi anGaeht woods;
ne hano Turns aslue ST! sctuo,oak 81 oraneh, you
1elp yontseli forward WIN tne ala ol twisted
LIES 1u0 olAei LIZ o1'@hs n1'5f ~ tuut eou!- |
. - worn nasie in ia ,seira wida dessrt n1,rn1
a1li.s shnnfd M at,cavs rata ali or eSen cha;r
= hn corr;af1 m the enc nnc Amsrican 1ndr
irs ~ rTda ;s snown to have mat;a tho oscart
ran frnn, Ros;n. w;thont assistanco Ia'o,
roacharons sand amt ASHES s1i,lc .tr,.rn A. avarr
ten Tha st;cl. keens vou from tn1i;n~ hoc!!
.orG +hon1f lat mpnth - man ,ras cGtfeJ h,,
ni1;n'r dorn the sIone n Tho cone
As you near tht. ton. Won are
49,, ' 1',',r,r
hAAf-soff ooA'1o WIN "tAs ANU sAfoh-
ou reach the brink OF the burning liquid crater
! biting snow storm. lhe rim Oh which you |
ausc-a11u speedily put on every rag OF clothes
ou have-ls lapllli anu tuoa-stone, out OF the
vld heat changed to cooled and hard footing.
: na4'o @ 10 ~ nu!u.eu uaItct'es, SFeets OF
toi,e - ;ra H;n Ton w;nnin l. tI.sn, ,in . saso
te stranne ca,n oanr ~ H.. ~ Enatsl.;j5a sna
,osr n he vcrv resrrrtf III Tnn tnd Snurs,,f
a,- ~ w ,ha rim # ~. '-,tsr ~ 1e-5 'o
nm eifhcr nockward ~ Torwor,7 W., onu oa,,
.,l-, az and ~ ali Eron, tba r;;,,' ~ -
,ttnm RI thn c-a+ar ,xos ,,n+;I aaaa.1 ~ ttS s0
az. Tho iast flow fi,c' m o0n fant ~ ~
dst ~ lis taref nav o,o :; far,;, ~ .htn' ~ |
,s reachcd now h;rI. ~ i'm fnat ~ ne ~
-. -, a~a ~ ~ .1rses oe. ~. 49,. 49,. Uuy ~