The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-09-10
The Crater of Etna.
From the London Globe.


Etna once more in eruption awakens
temporary interest in this volcano which
subsidies only when the mighty mountain
itself returns to its normal state of smoke
and harmless grumbling. An account of a
journey to the edge of the crater will doubt
less be of interest to many whose eyes are
today turned towards Sicily. The journey
up the mountain is usually made at night,
and accomplished in three stages-driving,
riding and walking-the entire climb oc-
cupying in time about ten hours. Starting
from Catania, carriage can be obtained
to convey the mountaineer throug h the
belts of vine and pine to Nicolosi, where
the vehicle is exchanged for mules-a less
comfortable method of progress as they
wind slowly up a broken path of lava fields,
through groves of chestnut and oak, until
barren waste called ''Deserta' is reached,
and an occasional glimpse is caught of the
Casa Inglese, a resting place and observa-
tory at the foot of the crater. As an oft
told tale purposely scamper over this
portion of the journey and deposit my
readers at the base of the cone.
Leaving the mules at the Casa, the as
cent begins on foot, and though the sum
NIT and end of the upward journey appear
so near, two miles of climbing at an angle
of 10 degrees, knee deep through ashes, in
a cold and rarefed atmosphere, has to be
overcome. In determining on which side
of the mountain to make the ascent, the
direction of the wind, and consequent di-
rection of the smoke, has to be taken into
account; whatever danger exists in making
the ascent lies in the chance of asphyxia.
ton through change of wind diverting
the cloud of sulphur fumes to the side oI
the volcano selected for the climb.
Such a contingency happened to me some
few years ago, obliging the guides and party
to seek safety by lying fiat on their face
and to breathe through handkerchiefs unit
change of wind again took the poisonous
vapors to an easterly and safer quarter.
few minutes before sunrise:the party stood
on the summit of Etna Twelve Thousand
feet below lay Catania slumbering in tn
dawn, and to the westward mighty ma
of some 600 square miles, embracing on
of the most varied and beautiful landscape
in Europe. Away to the north are tn
Lipari Islands, Stromboli standing out con
spicuously among the group. Long blacl
streaks winding from the mountain top t,
the valleys denote the lines taken by tn
lava in different eruptions at various period
in the worlds history, destroying in it
course villages and towns, which are rebuil
again end again on the ashes of past gen
erations, only to await their own inevitable
destruction and to add fresh layer to tn
mortuaries which abound on the sides o
the mountain.
A long crimson line on the horizon o
the Mediterranean tells that the sun i
about to rise, and with feeling of prid
we salute, as the first to greet, the COLDER
orb of day as he shot out of his watery bed
Simultaneously with the rising Of the SUI
was thrown on the morning mist in thu
valley beneath mirage of the mountain
our individual forms being clearly distin
guishable at the summit; but still grandel
and more wonderful sight awaited us, for
within few feet yawned the mouth of the
mighty crater of Etna, boiling and bubblins
below, now roaring and laundering, nov
lulled in its fury, kissing like torrents O
driving rain.
Unearthly shrieks, as from countless hu
man throats, well up from its depths and
are borne away on the wind, The noun
tain sides tremble with continuous vibration
as we lie gazing into the awful abyss, and
feeling comes over us that we are pryins
into the mysteries of Nature, and have nc
right to be there; the mouth of the cratel
looks black as night, but the darkness il
ftfully lighted up by tongues of fame and
sparks shooting from the depths below.
For thousands upon thousands of year.
has this huge chimney of the earth, two
miles in circumstance, poured forth it
volumes of smoke, slowly burning away
the interior of our world, thereby reducing
its density and gravity, and belching forth
what it cannot consume. Will the fire be
come extinguished, and the inherent heat
in the planet disappear, and with it all
vitality, as in the case of the moon, or viii
the flames find fuel to the eud, when, with
crash, population, civilization, and al
creation will collapse in the cauldron2
Great Famines of the Fast.