Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-17

Heavy Gra6e-Character of the Crater
 The Fiery nTass Vvtth1n-The Railroad.
 From the London Daily Newsl
 It is just 10 o'clock when we enter our car riage, the Vesuyius. We are five in each compartment, which can contain six Horn and the signal l-stations, of which there are two or three along the ine a whistle is sounded, and we begin the ascent. The angle of inclination Is at first 40 degrees, in creases to 63 degrees, and has decreased again to 4S degrees when we enter the upper sta- tion, just eight minutes after starting. The outline of the mountain edge runs parallel with our course. Swiftly and smoothly we go up, and as we lean out of the window we forget the mountain, and feel asjf we were in balloon far above the glimmering world below us. Nothing is yet to be seen of the crater or eruption. The mighty shoulder up
 which we are gliding hides it from us; but
 we see it's shadow, and that of the smoke
 projected on the side of the mountain to our left, for the moon is rising above the edge
 on our right. Flaring torches receive us at
 the upper station, 3,540 feet above the level
 of the sea. It is still unfinished and looks
 like mass of scaffolding. This was the most difficult part of the undertaking, for here the very little firm foundation to be
 found anywhere failed entirely-nothing but loose lapilli and ashes. We leave the station, and going up some little wooden steps and through gate in an immense wall of lava, which is of three built to protect the line from possible streams of the glowing matter, we enter the narrow path which has been made in zigzags up to the edge of the crater, about quarter of an hours work It is heavy work, because of the deep loose ashes which form it's pavement but this is nothing
 compared with the fatigue formerly under,
 gone in ascending the mountain. Still, the ladies os the party are very glad to be reliev- e Al,os,. IL pushed and pulled up even that brief space, taking advantage of the dozen guides who are l waiting to be employed. The reports about the despair and il-win of the Vesuvian guides are, think, much exaggerated. As the rail 1 way gains the confidence of the public more and more people will ascend it, and the guides | will earn enough, for it is unwise in the weak | to refuse the aid of their strong arms, and foolhardy in the strong to venture over the l still hot and crumbling lava in the newly. l flled-up crater without the guidance of one accustomed to the place and aware of the
 changes which constantly take place.
 Till now the edge of the crater has inter vened between us and the new eruptive cone, | but as we leave the little pathway and begin
 to cross the jagged lava, glow of red light bursts upon us, and rivets us to the spot. | The new cone, some 15O feet high and per haps five times that number in diameter at it's base, is in @ state of violent eruption Preceded by sound which I scarcely know how to describe-something like a sudden
 blast of wind in the naked branches of win ter forest, or the fall of crested waves on q shingly coast-millions of glowing particles, from the size of cannon ball down to tiny spark, shoot high into the air and fall slowly and gracefully upon the sides of the cone,
 sliding down it with cracking sound, and
 sprinklng it all over with network of fire. The larger masses fell back into the crater, oT if fad for d1,11 +h11J
 on to the gigantic cinder-heap. A few sec onds' interval, during which the column of whirling smoke looks very beautiful it's low CT part glowing in the red light from the era
 ter below, its upper part bluish white in the moonbeams- another fierce s-s-sh, s-s-sh, announces another shower. The
 smaller sparks seem to serpentine in fiery streaks as they rise and fall and in ascend ing, to be fattened at the top. Whether this is really the fact, would be possible if still liquid lava was hurled up against the air or
 whether it was optical illusion, I could
 not make out with the closest attention and
 1t was impossible to approach the cone and
 pick up one of the smaller stones as it cooled
 to see fit was of oblong form and really fattened at one end. All at once there is a stronger eruption, and the glowing masses are hurled to greater distance, one falling not far from us. Our guide fetches it on the end of a stick. It is rapidly cooling and growing black, and like a piece of ragged sponge, so perforated is it with holes
 What use to describe how we staggered about on the torn and crumbling surface of the lava which now fills the once deep crater
 of 1872, until we got to the newest stream
 which issued from the foot of the new cone only three days ago, and was red-hot only few inches beneath the crust on which we stood? The acid and sulphurous fumes issu- ing from cracks all about. and the increasing heat of the lava beneath our feet drove us
 back again. It was not pleasant to think that
 fiery abyss might open under our very feet
 We retreated to the lava blocks at the edge of the old crater, which made pleasant seat and felt comparatively cool, though if you
 stretched your foot into one of the many cracks 1t was found too hot to let it remain there. We sat for long time admiring nature's fireworks, of which one could new CT tire. black and lofty crag rose to our right hand, and above it shone the silver shield of the moon in exquisite contrats to the lurid glare from the volcano.
 Returning to the upper station, we had taste of old times in such descents; for the guides took short cut, instead of following the little path, and ran with us straight down in the ashes, which mode of proceeding, though fatal to ones boots, is productive of a sense of being provided with a seven-leagu- ed pair andssalso of much laughter. As to the new triumph of science and machinery ever being able to extinguish the poetry of the mountain, that is impossible The whole railway, stations, and adjuncts seem a pigmy work on. the mighty bosom of Vesuyius; and formerly, am sure, no one had time or strength during the painful toil of the ascent to admire the steep outline of the mountain, the effect of the moon rising behind it's edge, or the beauty of the landscape below. Now, as ye gently glide down in our tiny carriage. and see beneath us, in well, the lights of the principal station, we have time to observe everything. The most curious effect is pro- dueed by seeing the ascending carriage slip past us, as it were up to heaven, in spite of all the laws of gravity This new is, indeed, very delightful, and no one can spend moonlight night better than in such an unfatiguing ascent of Vesuvius, ready, on arriving at the top, to enjoy the sublime spectacle. How long the tiny rail way will last is another thing. In itself it is as strong and safe one as can be found ; 1 put if ever the volcano again exerts it's whole l