The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-19
Up vesuvius by steam.
New York Sun Letter. |

| P~APo1'
Up vesuvius by steam.
| New York Sun letter.
HOTEL ROYAL DIES ETRANaERs, Ma
PILES, Dec. 8.-The thermometer, which
so far has seldom marked less than IL
degrees centigrade, and more generally
10, fell this noon to 8, while the whole
panorama of the bay was hidden in a
wintry mist. Mount Vesuvius has put
on a beautiful white garment, in which
it has made fine appearance under a
beautiful blue sky, here and there
spotted by clouds Of variegated shades.
The picture is singularly splendid one,
and looking further east, along the
scraggy tops of the mountains Of Castel-
lamare and Sorrento, also covered with
snow, our scenery has for the time being
a Swiss aspect.
Tomorrow these effects Of winter will
have vanished, because the barometer is
rising, and it is therefore almost certain
that on the coming morn Phebus will
reappear in all his glow, and of a certain
ty we shall be glad to salute him. /
know one man who would unhesitatmgly
bargain, at generous terms, for regular
supply of sunshine, and 81 would the men
whom he keeps at work on Vesuvius in
finishing his big job. That man is Mr..
Oblight, the contractor for the Vesuvian
Railroad, which will soon be an accom-
plished fact.
In order to be able to reply to various
inquiries which have recently come to
hand from friends in England and the
United States, l solicited Of Mr.. Oblight
the favor of some details, and he at once
requested Signor DALI Ougaro, Director
of the Works, to furnish me the news.
Weather permitting, the work will be
finished some time in January. But the
probabilities are that the road will not
be opened to the public before the end
of February, because the fogs and snow
storms at this season cause frequent in.
terruptions.
The mechanical conveyance which is
to serve for hoisting tourists from the
base to the top of the cone is car drawn
by two very solid wire cables. These be-
ing put in motion by steam engine sta
toned at the beginning of the inclined
plane, will raise one car while the other
comes down. Each car is to have six
wheels, rolling on three rails, at any point
of which the cars can be stopped firmly,
and it is materially impossible for the
car to get off the track. In fine, the con-
struction presents every guarantee Of
soidity and safety. This system of loco
motion is adopted only for the steep por-
tion of the mountain, and the total length
of the railroad will be about nine hun.
dred metres. This distance will be GOV.
cred in seven minutes, in the easiest and
most enjoyable manner, and it is to be
hoped, for the sake of future visitors, that
this mode of making the ascent will SUI
persede the stick and rope-pulling and
hand-pushing or portantine systems hith-
erto in use by the rough monopolizers of
Vesuvius, the ascent of which has been
the hardest bit of ordinary sightseeing in
all Italy.
To reach the station at the foot Of the
cone, the company has extended thither
the carriage road, a distance of 3,137
metres, and certainly this is splendid
piece Of road, cut through the masses OF
lava left by former eruptions. The
question is now, how long will this road
remain clear? Improvements are, Of
course, being made all along the old road
as far as the observatory. The company
intend to establish a special service Of
carriages between Naples and the Vesu.
Wan terminus, issuing return tickets also
in connection with the tramway to
Resins (Herculaneum), and with the
railway trains Of the Pompeii line. The
point for the station of the company's
conveyances leaving Naples is not yet
chosen. Another station will be estab.
lished at Resina Visitors will, however
have full liberty to reach the cone by
any other means they may choose, and
if moved by peculiar spirit Of in dspen.
dence, they may still sweat out their
energy in toiling up the old pathway,
and bring back bad colds to cure. With
the aid of steam, the so-called Vesuvian
fever, and plenty of Naples and Roman
fever, too, will be done away with.
Those who make the trip from Naples
and back under the company's arrange
ments will be perfectly free from the an
noyances hitherto experienced by every
one who has ventured to make the ascent.
for they will have to deal only with the
company's servants, and thus will no
longer be exposed to contend with the
rapacions though harmless rascals who
call themselves guides.
The fares are not yet established, but
it is certain that the cost of future trips
to the top of Vesuvius will be less than
half the actual ordinary expense.
A day and night service will be ar
ranged, but the number Of trains will be
fixed according to circumstances. Doubt
less certain regularity in starting will
be established to insure order. The de-
parture of the vehicles from Naples will
probably take place every hour, and the
distance, as far as the ascending point,
will be done In about two and q half
hours.
Thus it will be possible to make the
excursion easily in about FIVE hours. tax