The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-12-08
Vosuvius in q Storm,


which he gives some vivid and interest
ing features of tho trip through Italy, in
whlch he has boon spending his fall va
cation, His ascent Of Vesuvius is given
below. AS the volcano Is represented
as in qulesoent state, the miuor erup-
tions referred to may be considered as
of every day occurrence, and they fur
nish unit for estimating what must be
the enormous violence OF suoh convul-
sions as the; Ischian and Java disasters,
and for the repeti,ions Of which we
might look in 1885, If the predictions
OF the French speculator, Delaney.
were open to serious belief, Mr.. Keeler
says:
From Rome l came to Naples, the
journey by rail lasting all day. For
some time before reaching the oity I
had been looking at a peaceful blue
mnuntnin, and the conviction gradually
dawned upon mo that 1t was Yesuvlils.
Nothing is to be seen Of 1t as I write,
Tor it ls covered by heavy cloud
Something is to be hear d, however, for
at not unirequent Intervals there Is a
roaring and booming sound, which
seems half in thu air and half in the
earth. A most terrifJ ing sound it is,
but the people here take little notice Of
it, although the host, at al unusually
henvy report, points significantly at the
stono arches above. He can not speak
English;but no language could make his
meaning plalner.
L have just returned from hard
climb to the top OF Mt. Vesuvius.
hired guide and horses in Pompeli, and
started out flom that city in the morn
ing. The weather was bad; ram fell
every lew minutes, aud the top OF the
mountain was buried in clouds. We
rode through the most luxuriant Or
chards ami vineyards, the latter heavily
laden with enormous bunches of ripe
grapes. No wonder the foot of the
mountain Is inhabited i'll spite Of the
dangers.
We went at furious gallop through
several small villages, then up over a
field OF finely powdered lava, until the
road became too rough for the horses.
We dismounted and walked for about
half an hour, when we came to stream
OF lava rolling down the mountain. We
could not see the lava actually flowing
except III n few places. where the descent
was tuo steep for a crust to form. This
~
we cllmed tor quarter of mile up on
this stream, over rough blocks aud sur
pentine curves Of lava crusts, where Of
ten few inches below the surface the
atream WAS bright. .ohnrry red, The
guide, Of course, drew somo out WITH a
stick and stamped coin into it. No
tourist ever went away from Yesuvius
without suoh an im0edded coin. After
climbing up, as haye said, we came to
tho upper eud OF this great stream Of
rocks, and in tho middle the lava was
still pouring up from the interior OF the
mountain. We sat down on rock to
watch 1t, and after awhile became con-
scious that We were being lifted up.
Sure enough the lava WAS bursting forth
in q new place, where we were. Worry
slowly the cakes cracked and parted and
the lava was forced out. 1t WIS novel
sensation to bs sitting on top of an erup.
Jion. Was AFRAID 1t might 90 of with
bang. but the guide not, 80 wo stayed
there until the lava was running out.
Several other outlets were formed around
us at the same time.
There ,s railroad up Mt. Vesuvius
which carries passengers up to the level
whore we were-namely, the old crater
or great surrounding rim, but the great
General cone, the hardest of all to cllmb,
~ still ahead. When there Is no erup-
ton of lava. ono might rs we'll remain
in Naples except for the beautiful view
OF the bay aud surr ounding country.
My Advancement with the guide had
been only rs lar rs the old crater; but l
wanted 30 much to 60 TO the top Of that
central cone that we started up the
loose cln,lers. We were perhaps ,hree-
quarters OF the way up when ono Of tho
most ou rageous storms burst upon US.
We took shelter IN q depression Of q
slreum of lava not half cooled off and
raised the guldo's old umbrella. 1t
ruined most violently, and in spite Of
the umbrella we were soon wet through
Then hail was added with thunder and
,1lfhtning. The rain falling on the lava
generated vast clouds Of hot steam, and
our she ter became a perfect steam box
we could not see five feet Streams OF
water pourod down into tho crncKs, and
coming i'll CONTACT with the red.hot rock
made hlsblng and roaring noise which
was quite alarming. 1t certainly was
al internal kind Of place. The storm
gradually passed away and We emerged
from onr steam -bux, only to take refuge
III another few minutes later After
this, however, we were favored with
blue sky, and climbed to the top Of tho
great cone.
A magnificent panorama lay below us
which we stopped for some minutes to
admire. Ahead Of us was still small
cone, perhaps fifty foet high, in the
middle OF IL rough, hot stretch Of ground,
emitting steam and sitting sulphurous
vapors from numerous orllices and
cracks crusted with yellow sulphur. From
this central cone, ut short intervals, vio-
lent explosions throw clouds of dust
and stones into tue air. with BLACK
snloke, wbich hoated off leeward. The
guide said 1t was very dangerous to 60
further, but / was bound to look down
INTO tho very throat OF the monster, aud
as the stones all seemed to full Oh the
.eeward side; we climbed up tho loose,
hot cnIders and reached the very high.
est po.nt.
AT our feet was vast shaft 3, led
with sulphur smoke that We could not
see INTO 1t, and from it every few sec
onds stones, dust and smoke were tiec.
ted high above our heads, but iortun-
ately not falling on them. As We looked
a terrible explosion occurred, filling the
air with debris, and tho guide shouting
| s,(lapan afo al Il ~,