Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-08

At4 O'CLOCK we LETT him with his tea and tele-
scope and pushed on round the lake over road so
Oad That IL was constantly necessary to walk,
unti at last 1t degenerated into mere path among
Tsubo-oroshi, literally 1.-THE place for putt ags
GOWN the pots" showed the remaining effects OF
panic. The inhabitants had fed, the little shops
were SLID In front Of all the houses, and the place
was silent and fcrlorn as though peStilence had
descended upon It, In the midst of the next half
deserted village an oficfal from InaVashirO our
destination, was waiting for US, hat Id hand. His
eXceuency, Count Ito, president OF the privy
council, had shown me the distinguished courtesy
OF causing an ofiical letter to be sent TO the Ken
reI or governor OF the prefecture, requesting him
TO afford me any assistance or hospitality. Captain
Brnkey, moreover, holds a high place In the estt-
nation OF the japanese government and his pres
enee would in any case have secured for all every
shire at last, at the farther end OF the lake, we
found that accommodations, not palattal perhaps,
| as the village is a small and poor one, but much
the best TO be had, was provided for US at the
house OF Mr.. Matsui GinZaburo, the rich man OF
the place, who kept what we should call at home
impulse was toward a bath, and while appreciat-
| Ing 10 the full Mr.. GinzaOuro's very hOspitabe
Intentions, must say that all the forty smells OF
cologne compressed into one Quintessential abOmi-
| nation, would rank with the perfumes of Araby In
COMPARISON with the paralyzing putrefaction
which penetrated into his family bathroom from
heaven knows where. For my part, after the first
deadly experience, during the three days that we
spent under his roof, / remained unbathed But
the principal thing was that we had arrived and
that we could lie down side by side TO sleep In the
black shadow OF death-deaIing Bandal
THE COOLIES ON SPREE
During the night strange and many-legged in
sects-"as big as young trout, bedad," said our
Irish member-roamed around our beds, and the
morning was marred by the discovery that our
coolies mad taken advantage OF the payment OF a
small sum In advance TO drown their fatigue In
sake and that they were all drunk but two or
three. This meant an extra walk Of five miles for
US To the base OF the mountain by way Of prepara-
struck on iearnns that nad nromS one If
them an additional half-dollar II he took great
care In carrying my cameras. At last, however,
We started, coolies provisions, cameras, ard all,
led by two guides that the local police had
kindly procured for US. The village OF Inawashiro
| is situated at the base OF the volcano opposite
| TO that on which the violence OF the eruption
expended Itself, and, therefore, IL escaped
| injury. 1t was up this uninJured side OF The
mountain that we proposed TO ascend, and for the
frst hve miles our road was smooth and shaded,
leading US through pleasant ascents and between
cultivated ields. Then we struck Oh into the
short green scrub excellent pheasant cover by the
way, and three miles OF this, along narrow track
used by the peasants when cutting fodder for
their horses, brought us 10 the beginning OF the
ascent proper, where we called the first halt and
reunited our scattered party, some OF whom had
t tou, an elevated and las my distinguished
safe transport perched on The top OF huge straw
pack saddle on the back Of half-broken country
stallion. The climb now became really fatiguing;
IL was so steep that an apenstock was almost
necessary, and occasionally hands had to come
10 the rescue OF feet, the path wound In and
out round trees and over torrents and stones;
recent rains had made 1t slippery with mud. ana
all the while tropical sun was beating straight
down upon our heads. For an hour and a half,
TOO, there were no more signs OF a volcano
than there are I'm Kent or the Catskills; then
suddenly our leaders stopped short. We looked
about US; there was smell OF sulphur in the air;
the leaves at our side were coated with impalpabe
grey ashes and there, within few steps, was a
small crater, 20 1eet wide, a conical hole blown
out as though 1OO-pound shell had exploded un-
derground. The first burst had OF course, ex-
ha9sted the slight volcanic energy at this point
and the bottom OF the craterkln was entirely
closed. Curtously enough, too the explosion had
been In lateral direction, trees and shrubs hay
ing been blown away, ana those left half buried in
the mud while a fine tree directly overhead was
not only un1Djured, but not even despatched. 1t
was only small affair, but 1t was our first sight
OF the actual operation OF the volcanic forces OF
nature, the most mysterious and dreadful forces
that man knows, and thrill ran through US as
we stood around the mud hole. Then we resumed
our cllmo and half mile more brought US 10
THE MIDST OF THE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.
In every direction were crater-ike holes Of diff
ferent sizes; the trees had been twisted on and
split and buried and hurled about; i've or six
inches OF sticky grey mud covered everything; we
and then as we still climbed, one Of The party
would struggle back as he found himself sinking
deePer and shout warning p 70 The rest to avoid
GUS water, small lakes some OF them, had been
formed wherever the soil Was fiat enough for
water TO rest and OF all the bright turf and foliage
which had beauIified the spot a few days before
not single blade or square inch Of green was
left II would De impossible-so. at least we
thought then-to Imagine q completer picture
OF utter desOlation than this grey and
sinking wilderness all the more terrible that
served in 1t, just as mutilated CORPSE
Is the more horrible because 1t cannot mask en-
,ireiy the graciousness of the living body Silent
ly and laboriously, painting and perspiring, we
plod upward, watching every heavy step. We are
In single lille, guide leading, and am third in
the line. Surely We cannot get much higher, for
the mountain seems TO END abruptly just above us
The guide Is on the top, the man behind him
struggles up seeking place for his feet; Then
the edge, ne stops short like man shot, and Slow
ly and In awe-stricken tones the words fall from
him TO pass on, and In irresistible excitement and
curiosity We scramble up anyhow.
A TRUNCATED MOUNTAIN.
We found ourselves standing upon the ragged
edge of what was left OF the mountain of Bandai-
san after two-thirds OF it. including of course the
summit, had been literally blown away and spread
over the face OF the country. Or TO employ the
Technology OF geometry, the original cone OF the
TO its axis, and we were standing upon the rat
tened apex OF the resulting cone, IL must he
borne In mind, OF course that we had OF necessity
approached the focus OF the eruption from behind
the volcanic energy having exerted itself lateral.
ly and not vertically. From our very feet a pre-
cipitous mud slope falls away for half a mile or
more till 1t reaches the level; at our right still
below US, rises mud wall mile long also sloninv
down to the level, and behind 1t is evidently the
crater for great clouds and OF steam are pour
ing over IT, beneath US our left is little taDle
land OF mud on which few pools have formed But
before US for five miles in straight line and on
each side nearly as far, Is sea OF concealed mud
broken up Into rpples and waves and great bii
lows, and bearing upon It's bosom, like mOnstrous
ships becalmed upon the fantastic ocean OF some
cyclopean nightmare, q thousand hugh bOulders
weighing hundreds OF tons apiece. The sunlight
Is reflected In weird tints from the pools and
lakes; one larger lake Is all that Is left OF river
buried at blow. Where the mud has been coated
with ashes It Is OF duh grey tint, elsewhere in
spots IL Is dark red. On one side OF this awful
expanse, a couple Of miles away from us
remember always the colossal scale OF the erup-
tion-a stretch OF bright green meadows sparkles
In the sun; on the other a dark pine forest shows
how the sea OF mud had rolled up to It's foot and
actually stopped there almost touching the trunks
OF the trees; and straight In front OF us ve miles
valley, behind which again rose the mountains
range upon range, dark and grand and solemn,
I'LL they pierce the cloudess skies.
THE NvALIDs' GRAVE.
But the little table-and below us on the left
what was that? We knew, but who shall tell it's
tale ? IL marked the site OF the medicinal hot
springs OF Shimo-no-yu, where hamlet OF Invalid
vlsltor, forty or more In number, had been taking
the waters, and now springs and hamlet and visit
ors lie buried under twenty feet OF mud and few
foul puddleS form their only monument and epi.
taph. Eight O'Clock In the morning OF a bright
fresh summer day; the little place busy with the
guests taking their first daily bath; comparing
notes, no DOUBT as inyalds do, OF their respective
progress toward restored health; the awful rumb-
ling OF the earthquake; the explosion followed in
SANITY Dy the darkness OF death as The cloud OF
ashes Nils the air; one scream OF utter terror and
despair ana ere II dies away the fall OF the sea Of