Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-12
preferred not to go beyond he termin.

preferred not to go beyond he termin'
""The top Of the cone is quite large
space; should think as much as three
or four acres. The crater has been some
! what given to shifting its place within
this area. AT present it is rather to one
side oft. Though its edges are consid-
cradle higher than the general surface
of the summit, there is one point a few
| rods away go elevated that one stands up
, on 1t and look over into the vortex
whence issue steam and smoke, and tufts
of lava and Kisses, and puffs, and some
times thunderings. We judged the era
! ter to be about forty feet across. Look
into a furnace chimney when the heat
was on. While the escape Of the steam
and smoke was constant, every few mo.
| ments there " as spiteful puff and
noise SO if something had given way be-
low, and shower of bits of lava that fell
| around the base. These the guides, still
lowering around US like carrion-birds
| around carcass, would run for and drop
penny into them while still plastic,
and when cool put them on the market
for franc each, l should say that the
stream of lava does not come from the
crater at present but from the side of
the cone some hundreds of feet below
it.
"The top of the cone--the area-is
not blackish brown, as are the sides; it
is in al shades from orange red to a
pale lemon. This is owing to deposits
OF sulphur coming not only from the
| crater but from many assures that
open here and there. From these hot
sulphurous gases rise that are extre mely
Irritating to the air passages if breathed.
Some OF these assures were so hot that
l could not hold my hand over them.
The entire summit was overWarm to the
Ieet, and when I had stood looking nto
the vortex the heat underfoot was too
great to be endured long.
I'm one place I found what seemed
to be an independent crater. Though
small, it had set up business on its own
account. It was hole about the size of
half bushel measure an d out of it q
b OF brimstone- laden air was rushing as
if it were rent-role for the internal re-
gions. It's sides looked like the fire box
of Il long-used stove. A large chunk Of
lava thrown into it gave no answer back,
showing that though not large, it was
deep. I spent considerable time in 20.
ing over this assured and SCARED and
phur-covered summit. In many
places nv tread brought hollow sound,
showing that was walking on crust
and admonishlng to gentle footballs.
''There was cool breeze blowing, as
suppose there ways is from the draft
Of the carter and the rising of hot air.
Otherwise the heat would have been
most oppressive and the sulphurous
emanations sitting.
Wishing to get something nearer the
great vortex than had yet been, began
the ascent toward it. The heat was al
most too much for ay feet, but I had
got within a few yards Of it and stood
thinking whether I could venture fur
Their when there was sudden loud re-
port, followed by rush ofsmoke and q
shower Of lava chunks, throwing some
Of them to a distance beyond where !
was standing. My reception had not
been so cordial as to prompt to closer
interview, and ! came away rather pre-
cipitately. The other members Of the
company had gone down to the railroad
station some time before, and with some
chunks of warm lava stones in my hands
that / shall try to get to America, [ left
rather reluctantly one Of the most nota-
BILE spots | can ever hope to see"