Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-19
THE ASCENT OF P0POCATAPETL'
Interesting Data by Scientist from
Personal Observation.

Personal Observation.
Frequent accounts of correspondents
who have assembled Popocatapetl have
been published, but the following from an
article by Carlos Won Gogem, which re-
Gently appeared in Science, contains many
new points of interest. He says:
During the conquest Of Mexico by Cor
tez. some of his followers assembled this
volcano TO obtain sulphur with which to re-
new their exhausted supply of powder.
The ascension of Popocatapetl, as COM
pared with that of other great mountains
of the world, presents no unusual Difficult
ties, and in the course of the present cen
fury. many parties have accomplished it
with entire safety, especially since the at
tention of the commercial world has been
called to the great value OF the sulphur de-
posts there.
The ascent is always undertaken from
the northwest side of the mountain. start
ing from the town of Amecameca, which
lies on the railroad from Mexico to More
los From here horseback ride of three or
four hours brings the traveller to the rancho
Tlamacas, just below the snow-ine, and
from this point the ascent is continued on
foot The party is provided with alpen-
stocks, and sort of primitive sandals
callel guaraches, drawn on over the boots
to prevent slipping. A peon goes ahead
and news steps in the hard-lroZen snow
the others follow in Indian file, pausing
every now and then to rest, as the exertion
in the extremely rarified atmosphere is
very eXhausdng.
After the summit is reached, the view. if
the weather is clear, amply cOmpensates for
all the difficulties of the ascent. At the feet
of the spectator lies spread out like a map
the beautiful plateau OF Anahuac, over 50
miles long, with its four lakes, and more
than 200 cities villages and haciendas, in
Guiding Mexico, the capital, Puebla, Cho-
lula, Atlixco and Tlaxcala, surrounded by
snow-eovered mountains, among which
rise the peaks of IXtaccihuatl, only eight
miles distant, Malinche, and farther toward
the east 0rizaba.
The view Of the interior Of the crater is
always completely obscured by the sulphur
vapor, which constantly rises from e
openings in the bottom, called respirade-
ros Its al first Of greenish color, then
condenses and falls in yellow drops, and
finally forms into beautiful crystals. The
edge of the crater is composed of immense
blocks of porphyry and basalt. To descend
into the crater, one follows a path leading
downwards from the summit among ice
covered rocks, till huge block of basalt is
reached, which serves as a support for the
primitive machine called malacate, which
is used here, as in most of the mines of
Mexico, for the perpendicular descent of
the remaining distance. A strong beam
projects few feet horizontally over the
abyss over pulley in the end runs q long
/ rope with loop in the lower end The
| person wishing TO descend stands in the
loop, holds the rope in one hand, and with
| the other manages a stick, to protect him
| self from injury by swinging against the
rocks. Two poems let the rope run slowly
out over the pulley, and in this way the
descent is accomplished. The rope is over
go feet long, and the descent occupies ten
or fifteen minutes.
The crater has the form of funnel. The