Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-19

FiSlplei Dut ulm seemed 10 gradually over
come their former quality of pulsing glow
ing, then to remove their peculiar globular,
dew-drop like form and tremulousness, and
finally to almost erase them from the frma-
ment. Balbino's practiced eye eompre-
hended all this in material sense, and he
said we had now but little time to wait
But that little time seemed very long. For
tunately no wind was blowing, but it was
| bitterly cold; and the cold seemed to come
in waves each more intense than the preced-
ling one. Intermittent with these were ap-
parent pulsations of warm air bearing an
| odor AS of asafetida. These were the e1hala-
tions of Etna. Though we were now within
few feet of II 900 feet above the sea level, 1
| did not experience that difficulty in breath
ing which many travellers lay great stress
upon, although an actual condition of weak
ness and WEAKNESS was continually con-
tended against.
A STRANGE IMPULSE.
The most marked, blended physical and
mental experience in these extreme attitudes
is, think, an almost uncomfortable impulse
to step off and down to the greatest depths
below, coupled with dim sort of fancy that
one is ready-winged for such descent; and
even steady-headed Balbino had, or pre-
tended to have, any number of authentic
"reminiscences where unfortunate persons,
unable to control similar fatal impulses, had
been dashed to pieces upon the lava rocks
below.
But even while he was relating these, the
density Of the darkness had given way.
Through the murky gray the horizon line OF
the Ionian sea and the sky could be family
traced. We left our little shelter, and found
solid footing in the crust of the crater's edge
where we could cling tightly to the finty
l1ha oh forr,
action of the boiling lava had provided.
Hardly was this done before the stars were
swept from sight, and the entire sky had
changed to dark opaline hue. Then, as
the first faint shimmerings of red quivered
above the sea, as if to sweep the last vestige
of night from the earth's face, came such a
blast of piercing wind as hurled showers of
lava-grit whlstling before it, tore great crusts
of ice and lava from their places and caused
us to cling to each other and the serrated
cone-edge for our very lives. 1t passed as
quickly as it came, roaring across the Bosco
toward Palermo. When we looked again
the eastern sky was afame; the Ionian sea,
dimpled and rippled by the softer breezes OF
lesser altitude, q mass of tremulous purple,
and the crests of the Calabrian mountains
of lower Italy seemed emitting sinuous
stream of liquid fire.
as he lifted me bodily from my feet and
whirled me squarely about so that faced
the west. "This is the momento eminentis-
simo p'
A MAJESTIC SPECTACLE.
And so it was "the supreme moment"
As 1 was wkirled about, the last glimpse
was of the first glories of the grandest sun
rise human eyes can behold. The next in2
slant my eyes rested upon equally as grand
q scene, curious and almost sublime effect
in light and shade; probably one nowhere
else visible upon the globe, owing to the
non-existence elsewhere OF like combined
conditions OF altitude, contour and almost
limitless expanse OF panoramic background.
To make this clear to the reader, 1t must be
remembered that Etna, standing near the
center OF the eastern shore of the island of
Sicily, rises from a base, fully so
miles in diameter, gradually and almost un-
brokenly to the tremendous altitude In its
crater of practically 1000 feet. The first
rays of the rising sun strike horizontally
athwart this, but all is darkness beyond.
Half way across Sicily is thrown shadow
worth years travel to see. Tender mists
of gray and pearl and blue in countless val
leys blend with this mighty sable wing,
transforming it to a purple as exquisite as
the untouched film of the grape To its
almost measureless point, its edges are as
clearly defined as those of velvet fabric
stretched upon a bed OF green, and no ar
lists brush will ever reveal such liquid
streams of rose fading to flushing green, as
leaping and flashing along its lines, startle
and amaze as though one had been granted
a vision of light FOR an instant possessing
the essence of life itself!
From this brief and enhancing spectacle
in n Mt " fn ha far, 10
tion of the majestic cyclorama spread out to
view. Where else can such mighty reach
of vision be found? There is nothing to in
tercept the sight. Three seas the italian,
Ionian and the African, blend with the hor-
izon, save where, on the west, more than 100
miles away, stand the heights behind Paler-
mo, and where, to the northwest, rise the
Apulian Mountains in the narrow strip
forming Southern Italy. With your glass
you can see across the Isles of LaparI to the
eternal fires of Stromboli, the ancients' en-
trance to purgatory; while, over 125 miles
to the south, are discerned the outlines of
Malta, where Calypso enslaved Odysseus,
st. Paul was shipwrecked, and the British
Empire, behind the
MOST TREMENDOUS RANPARTs
Of our time, dominates the Mediterranean
and holds the golden key to all the Orient
Nearer, the glistening roofs of more than
100 cities and villages simmer in the morn
ing sunlight, among the greatest of which
are Aci Reail, Glarre, Messina, Randazzo,
Bronte. Aderno, Paterno, and classic Ca
tania and Syracuse. Nearer still, the vast
rim OF flowers, olive groves and vineyards.
Above this the lesser but still stupendous
circle of green, where stand the massive
oak, chestnut and lick trees. Then, desoIa-
ton, complete, horrid, hateful, unspeak.
able. From ones feet, clearly traced to the
farthest base-edge, lead great burrows of
purple black, where the livid rivers ran, in
terspersed with lesser volcanoes-but specks
from where we Standard awful gulfs miles
in width, hundreds of feet in depth, and so
iudescribably blasted, cursed and lifeless
that even Silence crouches shudderingly in
their formless and hideous depths. This,
the faintest hint of what one sees. No one
can come with the power to reveal even this
beggarly proportion of what is felt.
But here is the crater, and its ragged rim.
1t is sullen, inactive now. Hundreds of
fantastic, craggy, jagged masses stand upon
its smoother lower crust, reaching sprawl
ingly in every direction great lava claws.
Everywhere describing the most curious
angles and curves, run slender seams with
lips of green and yellow, where the sui
phuric breath has left its stain and poison
Shimmering waves of air, with now and
then ghosty thread of steam, rise from
these seams. These with ceaseless,
tremulous vibration which would not take
long to effect genuine sea-sickness,
are all that tell of the internal powers
beneath. Balbino, struggling his shouI-
ders, and remarking, sit is shamming,
like q bad womanl" descended into the
pit, ran about upon the crust, broke
off relics to take away, and punched the
seams savagely with his pike to illustrate
his bravery and contempt. Then, one last
look at so vast and yet SO little portion of