Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-19

ten passengers can ride comfortably
in the car. The signal for starting i
given by blowing horn below, which
is answered at the upper station. Thu
signal is repeated, and again answered
before a start is finally made. Their
the signal is given to the engineer
(who is in a room below by a shril
whistle, and up we 60 slowly over the
Funicular road. Telegraph wires rur
to the summit aud there are 2 guard
houses on the way up, at distances
equally divided. As the car is open
both on sides and front, and as We sal
looking outward while riding back
ward it seemed rather frightful
though 10 doubt the machinery was
reasonably safe. The passage occu'
pied twelve minutes only. When we
arrived at the upper station the sum
nit was enveloped in thick clouds
The wind blew gale, making a deci.
dedly uncomfortable state OF affairs,
Upon alighting we were fairly be-
sieged by a crowd of guides aud por-
tiers, who wished either to direct, carry,
push or haul US to the top, which was
BY zigzag path $50 yards above us.
This path is a very good one, though
quite steep, but the railway should 60
at least 100 yards higher ,as they charge
enough-20 francs for the short ride,
to take you to the summit. There
are a number of chairs in waiting.
each having four long shafts or han
dies, by means of which the porters
will carry a person to the mountain
top for an additional sum of 10francs.
The large crater of Vesuvius covers
quite an, area, and people can walk
around within the rim, which We did,
and found it to be quite ffightful
spot. Every little distance were holes
through which the smoke and nexious
vspors gushed up hot and sulphurOus.
The bed of the crater itself is of a
brittle, uncertain kind Of stone, SO
that it crumbled continually as we
walked along. In many places it
to be all sulphur, and the
masses of lava were of vari-
Gus colors aud densities, some being
Of bright yellow; In other places it
was deep red color or a jet black,
varying in all shades between Some
Of the lava was as hard as any ordinary
rock, while in other places it was as
soft as a piece of sun dried clay. The
fumes would at times be
80 strong as to almost take our breath.
This, mixed with the thick cloud that
severed the mountain, made our po-
Iition almost uncomfortable When the
brisk wind blew the clouds away
temporarily we could see the period
,al outburst of thick smoke, fame,
lshes and stone thrown high above
,ur heads, accompanied with deep,
leavy grumhling noise like long COZ
,inued peals of distant thunder. The
immense opening from which this
iearful eruption issues is situated
'ather on one side of the main crater.
The discharges occur every seven to
EN- minutes, and the quantity of stones
brown out at each explosion must be
,ery great, for the air is filled with
lying PIECES that rush out with i'm
nense velocity. A large part OF the
Material thrown up seems to drop
Jack into the opening, but many
pieces would fall at quite a distance,
making it dangerous TO approach too
lear this internal crater. Red hot
tones fell at our feet, some of which
We picked up as soon as they we're
,ool enough, as souvenirs Of our visit
We had to walk very carefully TO
void danger beneath US, as we'll as
IboVe our heads. In one place the
lot and fragile pumics stone crushed
md gave way under Que of my feet,
md | really thought myself In dam
,erous position, for just then burst
# sulphurous vapor escaped, making
impossible to see in any direction.
A. Nj. c.