The Arizona sentinel., 1886-04-24
MT. VESUVIUS.
Its Appearance Immediately After a Slight
 Eruption.

Eruption.
 A bold traveller who had the temerity to ascend Vesuvius just after slight eruptions, and while it was still in 8 state of ferment, thus describes its ap- pearance:
 ''Not speck of green, not a bird, not an insect; no life-only fields on fields of lava and scorie and ashes. The silence from time to time was broken, but it was only by the low mutterings and growlings of the mountain that always heralded an upheaval of lava and debris. Again we bent our steps upward, going zigzag among scoria and lava, passing various little extinct craters, until we came to where the mountain was hot and where white sul- phurous smoke was rising all about. Here another halt was called, and the guide went off to explore. He soon re- turned and bade 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 two streams of burning lava. These we must cross before we could make fur ther ascent. The guide stepped very cautiously on the black, cooling crusts of lava, and we followed. We were surrounded at times by sulphurous smoke. Our feet felt blistered in our boots. The lava creaked and cracked, but we passed lightly on. A little dog had followed us from the hotel; its pite- ous cries attracted us. The poor crea- ture was having its feet sorely burned, so we took it up and carried it. But now we were safely over, and could ex- anime more closely the phenomena. We approached as near the stream of burning lava as its scorching heat per mitted. We saw it issuing from what looked like huge, black, cast-iron cylin-- rim of lava that had gradually cooled somewhat and hardened. The burning mass moved constantly. It seemed to pulsate and throb in its f1owing-to be jerked out of the cylinders. AS it ad- vanced down the mountain it grew in width and height, because always cool ing, and became less liquid, until it end ed in the great piles that we first saw. 1 think the worst and most dangerous part of the whole ascent had now to be made. This was an almost perpendicu- lar conc 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 thunder ings we could hear, and whose trem- blings at times we thought we felt. Breathless and exhausted, we frequently lay down among the ashes. But at last we gained the summit, and all our exer- tions were rewarded. Such sight! The crater of Vesuvius!- A. perfect hell of sul- phur, fire and smoke, cinders and ashes, and red-hot stones; its flooring of hard ened lava was rent by seams and cracks and yawning chasms emitting stif1ing vapors, while in the midst of it all rose the last-formed central cone of smoking debris. belchlng forth clouds of sulphur ous vapOr, and at intervals, with loud and with an effort that shook the mountain, throwing like 8 mighty fire fountain showers of rock and scori@ high into the air. Amid the terror of the scene there was an element of great beauty. The rich and varied coloring that everywhere prevailed was wonderful, from the purest white up through all the shades of yellow and rich orange to deepest reds, the deposits of salts and sulphur, and iron and chemical Chicago Interior.