Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-03


worthy capital Of a great nation.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
E.NaEssSE, Capt Engineers.
THE CRATER OF vEsUvIUs.
A He'll Of Sulphur, Fire, CinAers and
Redh0t StOnes-The Adventures and
Reward OF q Party OF Scots who Re-
Gently Climbed the Labortne Noun.
tain.
One of a party Of hardy Scots, who, hearing
that Mount Vesuvius was in q state of ferment,
determined to. ana did; ascend the laboring
pile, wrote from San Reno, on May %, to the
ure, in part ~ follows: Horses and guide were
awaiting US at I q. m. It was q beautiful, clear,
cold, starry morning, and we all felt In the best
OF spirits. We trotted about in any order We
saluted few belated marketmen returning
from Naples, but they were all evidently asleep
in their wagons, and gave us no response. At
last we turned off the main road and made
straight through narrow lanes for the burning
order-the fire fountain playing on the sum-
init, the streams of lava pouring down its sides
and collecting into FIVE red glowing caldrons.
We were here going Indian file-first our guide
mounted on a light Chestnut horse that we
christened Vesuvius then my friend on q rest
whass ssef whose name ns ss,
the lady of the company on MARY Stuart" to
the tail of which a boy, who was to take back
WV MUSES. AiIu ueiu Oh, anu, nall asleep, was
being dragged along. At pm. the tramp of
our martial steeds woke the echoes oftwo sleep
ing hamlets."Bosco tire Case" and '.Bosco
Royal Wood Beyond this our path lay be-
tween fields of vines, and then, the mountain
proper being reached by zigzag paths, among
streams of burning lava. By four O'clock we
reached a little plateau called the Atrio del Ca
vallo, where we all dismounted to make the
further ascent OF the mountain on foot. it being
too steep and rugged to take the horses. This
plateau was nearly on level with the termni
OF the streams of burning lava Skirting the
mountain toward the sea we went to examine
these We were struck with the manner In
which the lava advances. This is not In a thin
wedge-like FORM The surface of this had, to
certain extent cooled and duled: inside il WAS
glowing red. The onward movement of these
streams was caused by the enormous weight of
lava pushing from behind. Its movement was
TINS 10y throps and pulSations. They were also
extended and widened by the lava constantly
eal ny over its sides and face exactly as an en-
bankment is enlarged by material being com
Veyed along its top and tilted over the edge. We
tinued our ascent. go
After y half hours struggle among loose ashes
we came to slopes of lava, the appearance of
which was most striking. It exactly resembled
the entrails of great monster, literally 1.-The
bowels of the EARTH Again We passed through
ashes, and in some places where the former
were very steep and deep, sort OF scOri:e cause
way was laid to assist the toilso1nc ascent We
were now thankful to reach a halfway house,
tered seat formed of blocks of lava Day was
now beginning to dawn, and what Il marvellous
panorama we looked down upon! Away to the
southeast were the AbruZZi mountains, whose
snowy peaks were Just catching and glittering
In the rays Of the rising ran; to the southwest
were the islands Of Capri and Ischia, throwing
off a thin mantle of mist in which they had
passed the night; nearer at hand the lovely con-
tour of the Bay OF Naples, with its smiling viii
Pompei, in the midst OF green fields and
pleasant woods: while, in contrast to all that
fertility aud life and beauty, we had around us
a scene Of utter silence ana desolation. Not a
speck of green, not bird, not an insect; no
Heionly fields on fields of lava and scori &c and
ashes. The silence from time to time was
broken, but IL Was only by the low mutterngs
and growlngs of the mountain, that always
heralded an upheaval o. lava and debris
AGAIN we Lent our steps upward. going zigzag
among scorise, and lava, pas sing various little
extinct craters, until we came to where the
mountain was hot, and where white sulphu-
rons smoke was rising all about. Here another
halt was called, and the guide went off to ex-
piore. He ION returned and babe us follow.
We could not go higher at this point for smoke
and falling stones, and so he struck across the
mountain in the Naples direction. We soon
saw where we were-at the fountain head OF the
two streams OF burning lava. These we must
cross before We could make a further assent.
The guide stepped very cautiously on the black,
cooling crusts OF lava, and we followed. We
were surrounded at times with suphurous
smoke. Our feet felt bisteriny in our boots
The lava creaked and cracked, but we passed
lightly on. A little dog had followed US from
poor creature was having its feet sorely burned,
SO we look IT, mp. and carried 1t. But now we
were safely over and could examine more close
1y the phenomena. We approached near the
streams of burning lava a. its searching heat
permitted. We saw It issuing from what
These were formed OF the outer rim OF lava thaf
bad gradually cooled somewhat and hardened
The burning mass moved constantly. but not
tiowing-to be jerked out OF the cylinders. AS
1t advanced down the mountain 1T grew i'm
width and height, because always cooling and
became less liquid until it ended in the great
piles that we first saw. think he worst and
most dangerous part OF the whole ascent had
now to be made This was an almost berpen-
dlcuiar cone of Loose ashes. At every step we
sank To the knees, so our progress was exceed.
insly slow. Right below us were the burning
were bound to slide. Above us was the
crater, whose thunderings We could hear and
whose tremblings at times we Thought we feIt.
Bleatiless and exhausted. We frequently lay
down, among the ashes But at last we gained
the summit, and al Oar exertions We're reward
ed. Such sight! Tic crater of Vesuvius! A
perfect hell OF sulphur, fire and smoke cinders
and ashes. aud redhot stones: its fl,oring of
hardened lava every where rent by seams and
cracks and yawning chaSnlS emitting sitting
yapors, while in the midst of it all the Last
formed central cone OF smoking debris belchinp
forta clouds OF sulphuroas vapof. and at in
tervals with loud thunderings and with an
effort that shook the mountain, throwing like
mighty fire fountain shower. of rock and scori;e
high into the air. Amid the terror of the scene
there was an element of great beauty. The rich
and varied co!oring that everywhere prevailed
was wonderful, rom 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 APP
proach. The guide explained that they opened
a week ago, when the present eruption took
place They. were the reservoirs from which
flowed the two rivers of lava that were now
coming down the Mountains sides. The guide
did not wish us to iinger, SO We undid our
baskets and set about having breakfast 1t
wias> now u Q clock, and we thought we had
earnedithts mesa after IA five hours' climb But
our appetite> were mot worthy of the occasion;
q little seemed to satisfy US. There was some
excuse this, tor the thin crust of lava ON
which we sat was hot and trembling, and the
Crater SO Tar from being appeased by our
presence, seemed tn be extra, irritable; tor we
had scarcely started breakfast, and were doing
admirably, when, with Il noise like thunder
he cast u cloud of smoke over and about us
which fastened our bidding him "good morn
ing"
The Red Prince at Gravelotte.
Archibald Forbes in London News
On the 18th Of August was fought the battle
of Gravelotte, a less bloody but more moment
,t,.,A$ 81, M.