The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-10-19
SLEEPING IN A VOLCANO.
4 Very Unpleasant Night N Pc
pocstspetl in Danger Of Being
Crushed and Smothered.

When ali the strsgglers had come
up. q consultation Was held. and II Wa
decided that It vas too late to 90 down
that day. AMI that We must spend thu
nigh, in the crater. Wavin, ;dieu to
tie world. We clam,red down the wal.
81 ice. and found ourselves IA a mar
row strip of warm sand. overlapping
what IL known ~ ne interior lip
From this pom, there is treacl,erous
descent of - teet ~ the point where
the wall Of the crater becomes abrupt
and perpendicular and here IN the
over hanging rock is planted a rickety
old windIa,s on which the sulphur
min .rs ascend aud descend. The
windlas. lie worked ny hand. There
is o" cage or basket at the end "f the.
coil. You are tied in loop at the
epd If The rope. like box Of sulphur.
anil lowered swav over smoking
abvss, the bottom Of which il 3'n feet
brneath you. One by one We were
lowered over the precipicc in this man
ncr. and then commenced most
treacierou> aud difficult descent over
the smokiu: pile Of debris, from the
base oi the precipice, .5'ni ieet down
30 the very bottom of the crater.
where tine only place If safety is to
Ike found. We had hardly common
ced this perilOus descent when a tire
mebious report salutcd our ears. and
a hundred tons Of rockets went crash
ing past us on the lett, and rolled into
the bcitcm OF the chasm. ihis was
q nrle .! salutaiion that We had no;
anticipated. but it 500 II became evil
dent that ability to dodge rocks was
the only guaranty Of safety here.
Owing 10 the alternate action Of heat
and cold, the sides Of the crater have
become completely rotten, and during
the heat Of the day immense quauti-
ties Of rocks are constantly falling.
Toward morning they freeze in again,
and remain quiet for a while. During
the pas, twenty years many men have
been killed on this spot by these ava
lanches If stone. In order to protect
themselves, the sulphur miners have
built little huts in the crevices among
the boulders at the center If the era
ter. Some dying commissions swelled
up . little mound at this point, and
only the large powders from the
highest peaks, ever reach it. There il
still danger on one side. however. from
ordinary stones, and when that start
ling word piedra rings on; through
the chasm, the men come swarming
out OF the mines like flock Of quails.
and hide themselves in weli-known
places Of safety.
On entering the crater, no ones es-
capes the dread malaria Of the spot.
Indian and white men alike GO down
with flying pains in the head. and
feeling at the stomach
which is wore than sea sickness.
Conklin, of eli our party seemed most
affected. He had strength enough to
crawl to one Of the huts and there he
sank down on . mat in an insensible
1t was not long before the
rest Of Us joined him, and then COM
one of the mos; unpleasant
nights / ever spent. Seven of us were
con6neL in q space If about 6x7 feet.
It was impossible foI any man to
stretch himself out at full length. |
Nearly all of us were desthly sick. !
md combined with these di-comforis
Vas the constant fear Of being crushed
BY the falling rocks. All night long
hey fell with fearful reverbera;ing
,choes from the surrounding cliffs. /
We were told that more than usual
xme down, owing to the fact that the |
preceding day had been little warm
n than common. In contrast with |
he booming sound Of these AyiDg
,owlders. came the sucking, surging
'ound of the great respiraierus all
lrcuud us. These breathing holes.
" vapor jets, are six in number.
They are in constant action, and
.b.ow Of immense quantities Of smoke
lud vapor. with now aud then lurid
oogue Of fame. All the heat of the
.rater is not confined to these spots
,owever. Little jets Of steam creep
'ut from every crevice. all the rncks
ire warm. and it is impossible to find
place to lie down where YOU are not
ormepted BY curling Whit: If sulphur
mOks rising from the earth beneath
'ou. Toward midnight. l found it
impossible to endure my cramped po-
itioo in the hut any longer. Every
MUSCLE in my body sched. and as
leep was out Of the question, l gath
rcd up ny blanket and made my way
ut in the open air. A scene Of tho