Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-03-20

we were again courteously informed
that none was to he had, as they were
all busy attending to his stock up on
tie mountain side. There being no
help for it, we started by ourselves for
the crater.
The first descent was quite abrupt,
but the path sooR became less steep
and more circuitous, though none the
less fatiguing, for the last half of the
way down the bank was slippery,
inclined plane. / found il very weari-
some, particularly as we were then ex
posed TO the concentrated heat from
the sides and base of the crater We
found the walking firm and struck off
directly across the center of the lake.
The lava was of inky blackness and
smooth as satin, and lay abou. us in
great coils, like ships hawsers. De
casionally we came upon deep cracks
and cavities of various sizes, partially
covered with thin crust The sur
face, generally, was porous for an inch
or so in depth, as if formed from froth
or lava Great blocks, as perfectly
quarried as if cut by stone-mason,
lay strewn about us in great confusion.
The ascent into the body of the crater
was over q rise of lava broken UP or
eonfusedly piled together. There was
no difficulty in surrounding this, or
indeed, in traversing the crater in any
ERECTION, beyond keeping a sharp
lookout for the numerous chasms into
which the lava, IN cooling, splits up.
We saw but few cones that were &C
tive, beyond a slight smoke or steam,
and all the lakes or minor craters and
canals were black and cold. Hat air
issued from a few crevices, but no
other evidence of fire could be seen.
The ascent WAS very gradual until
within half mile of the lake, where
it became more abrupt and the lava
more broken. However, there was
no danger or trouble beyond little
more care in picking our way. The
chasms were easily jumped over, or,
| if we found one wider and more sus-
picious looking than usual We avoided
it by little detour.
AS we nearea the fountain of this
great black sea, cones appeared drip
ping with sulphur and spouting steam
and fire, and dull roar, as of a lion,
| OIS6to tuT n lC" ulOIC po
and we stood ON the brink of the great
Lake Halemauman. 1t burst upon
our visions with beautiful effect, and
we sat down and reveled in the scene.
1t was not grand, nor terrific, nor
startling; it was beautiful. l was
disappointed. l had looked for fury,
tempest, and frenzy in this lake Of
fre. l found a terrible composure.
The surface of the lake was incrusted
with dull, gray coat, which the red
lava almost instantly assumes on ex-
posture to the air. But was soon
relieved of my disappointment, for
either the wind or its own inner agony
roughened its surface, and the dull
gray coat was cut up into rivers, lakes,
canals, and streams Of liquid lava in
terspersed with jets and fountains, the
whole in continued action. The entire
lake was swelling and boiling with
the intensity of its fires. Crust after
crust of the lava, like huge masses of
ice, would be rent asunder, lifted up,
and then disappear inthe heary caldron
beneath. Every minute changed the
outline. The surface of the lake, as
Stunning new FORMS and new action,
wore the changeable aspect of a
kaleidoscope A low, deep, Kissing
sound fell upon my ears as the wind,
which blew it fr0m US, occasionally
Jailed. Words cannot do justice to
the weird beauty OF the scene. We
were in turns silenced by our deep
admiration or loud in our e1clama-
ton of delight, calling each others
attention to some new action which
would be over almost as soon as it
could be noticed, so rapid were the
changes. AS We were about turning
away from this scene. so remindful of
the many horrors of Dante's dream. a
mighty disturbance began in the
center of the lake. Its surface was
upheaved, and the very mountains
seemed to shake and tremble with the
mighty CONFUSION. Slowly and
deliberately, as if with settled pur-
pose the movement began, and then,
with one tremendous spring, the
fountain shot into the air a column of
blood red lava fully eighty feet in
height. For a few seconds it hung
in mid air, and then, dissoIving, fell
back into the lake, with an awful,
awe-inspiring, fearful sound, and
wallowed slowly to the shore, leaving
the gray sea behind it dashed into a
bloody foam. We turned slowly
away, awed and impressed by this ter
rible evidence of the magnitude of the
works of nature and the
omnipotent Maker of all things.
On our way back to the Vol
canoe house we visited New lake.
which at the time was apparently in
active, the surface being entirely
cooled over. But here aud there the
loud rushing sound of escaping steam
and gas betrayed the latent fires
which boiled and dubbed beneath the
quiet surface. Our many successes in
clambering about from crag to crag
and jumping across innumerable
cracks and openings in the lava en-
| boldened us to such an extent that
we very often periled our lives, But
we were soon checked in our reckless
career by breaking through the thin
crust of an air-hole and falling some
three or four feet-not far, to be sure,
but in few seconds occupied in fall
ing that short distance we lived an age
of suffering and anguish, conjufing
| up DelOfe our SLdfleu HlluuS Iuc VisIOu
Of horrible death IN those Hade like
precincts. AS soon as we had re
covered from our fright we were not
long in scrambling out and vending
our way homeward, but not before we
had procured several choice specimens,
which we obtained by dipping up on
the end of our long Alpine poles small
clumps of red hot lava from the huge
mass of the burning rock that had run
over the side Of one of the lakes only
two days before After moulding the
clumps into the shapes we desired,
we allowed them to cool sufficiently
to carry them in our pockets. After
spending something like four or five
hours in the crater, we arrived at the
hotel completely worn out by our
days adventures.
Arising early next morning, we
hurrieSly devoured car usual rations
and asked for our horses. After wait
ing impatiently for an hour,
we asked why our animals did net
come. and were told they had wander
ed off into the woods and could net be
found. All that day we waited and
the greater part of the next, and still
/ NO harSes At last after a short con-