The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-10
Crater of Vesuyius.

the laboring pile of IVesuvius during the
recent eruption. One of the travellers
writes: 1t was a beautiful, clear, cold,
starry morL 'ng, aud we all felt in the
best of spirits. At last we turned off the
main road and made straight through
narrow lanes for the burning mountain.
1t seemed to be in good working order
the fire fountain playing on the summit,
the streams of lava pouring down its sides
and collecting into five red, glowing cal.
drons. By 4 o'clock we reached little
plateau called the Atrio del Cavallo,
where we all dismounted to make the
further ascent of the mountain on foot, it
being too steep and rugged to take the
horses. After half hours's struggle
among loose ashes we came to slopes of
lava, the appearance of which was not
striking. 1t exactly resembled the
entrails of great monster, literally "the
bowels of the EARTH" Again we passed
through ashes, and in some places, where
the former were very steep and deep,
sort of scorie causeway was laid to assist
the toilsome ascent.
"We were now thankful to reach
halfway house," or rather sort of
'rest.and. be- thankful" sheltered seat
formed of blocks of lava. Again we bent
our steps upward, going zigzag among
scori@ and lava, passing various little
extinct craters until we came to where
the mountain was hot, and where white
sulphurous smoke was rising all about.
We soon saw where we were-at the
fountain. head of the two streams of
burning lava. These we must cross
before we conld make further ascent.
We approached as near the streams of
burning lava as its scorching heat per.
mitted. We saw it issuing from what
looked like huge, black, cast-iron cylin
ders. These were formed of the outer
rim Of lava that had gradually cooled
somewhat and hardened. The burning
mass moved constantly, but not equally.
It seemed to pulsate and throb in its
fowing-to be jerked out of the cylin-
ders.
I think the worst and most dangerous
part of the whole ascent had now to be
made. This was ali almost perpendicular
cone of loose ashes. At every step we
sank to the knees, so our progress was
exceedingly slow. Right below us were
the burning streams of lava, into which
it seemed we were bound to slide. Above
us was the crater, whose thunderings we
could hear and whose tremblings at times
we thought we felt. Breathless and ex.
hausted, we frequently lay down among
the ashes. But at last we gained the
summit, and all our exertions were re-
warded.
Such sight! Tie crater of Vesuvius
A. perfect hell of sulphur, fire and smoke,
cinders and ashes, and red.hot stones; its
flooring of hardened lava everywhere
rent by seams and cracks and yawning
chasms emitting sitting vapors, while in
the midst of it all rose the last-formed
central cone of smoking debris, belching
forth clouds of sulphurous vapor, and at
intervals with loud thunderings, and with
an effort that shook the mountain, throw.
ing, like a mighty fre.fountain, showers
of rock and scoriae high into the air,
Amid the terror of the scene there was
all element of great beauty. The rich
aud varied coloring that everywhere
prevailed was wonderful, from the purest
white up through all shades of yellow
and rich orange to deepest reds, the
deposits of salts and sulphur and iron
and chemical matters. Near the cone
there were two tremendous chasms. TO
the edge of these we could approach.
The guide explained that they opened
week ago, when the present eruption
took place. They we're the reservoirs
from which flowed the two rivers of lava
that were now coming down the noun
tain's sides.
The guide did not wish Us to linger, so
we undid our baskets and set about hav.
ing breakfast. 1t was now 6 O'Clock, and
we thought We had earned this meal after
five hours climb. But our appetites
were not worthy of the occasion little
seemed to satisfy us. There was some
excuse for this, for the thin crust Of lava
on which we sat was hot aud trembling,
and the "crater." so far from being
appeased by our presence, seemed to be
extra irritable, for we had scarcely start
ed breakfast, and were doing admirably,
wien, with noise like thunder, he cast
cloud of smoke over and about US,
Which hastened our bidding him "good-
morning"