The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-14
A VISIT TO MOMOTOMBO.
A Volcano Which Is Il Picturesaue
Part of a Semi-Tropical Landscape.

The village of La PaZ, Nicaragua is
situated on the shore of Lake Managua
and is place of small Importance. Here
the line of the Nicaragua railroad is broken
by the lake, making it a terminal point, and
the traveller eastward bound must transfer
his belongings to the little steamer that
will carry him over to the capital on the
opposite side Our business here was to
look at Momotombo. When the writer
sailed from New Orleans three years ago
he determined to make special study of
volcanoes, not from scientific point of
view, but in an artistic sense for they are
not devoid of picturesque features, espe-
cially those situated within the tropics
Momotombo is a giant, standing 1900 feet
in his stockings; he is "rock-ribbed and
ancient" and seemed to me to combine
every quality first class volcano should
possess He is bald-headed and smokes
incessantly after the manner of his tribe.
He stands beside the lake and waves his
white plume mile and a half above the
waters that ripple at his feet
Momotombo is the highest of the Marabios
range, and is one of the greatest purely
summit of Cotopaxi is over 1900 feet high,
but the base, properly speaking, begins at
Pacific. Here we have the whole grand pile
in view at one glance. the shore-line mark
ing the ,d 6egnnng OF the .h ascent wnch ra y
200l feet which rises gradually. for. three
miles is covered with a dense tropical forest
dark, dank and dismal the haunt haunt O. OF ser,
singing insects; The huge trees
are with vines enas na saets
Of orchids. In this lower belt droves Of
monkeys find congeniial home above this
with wide spaces of barren rock or grassy
glades. The trees here are mostly. oak and
herds of wild hogs which claim this region
by right of conquest but which hold their
e..e Gh yg ia and even them fall fre
uuent victims to the fierce appetite of the
mountain lions whose epicurean tastes are
y young porker. At four thousand feet all
traces of vegetation disappear. and the vast
cone rises abruptly, an unbroken mass of
whose mysterious depths have never been
Long years ago. some pious monks thought
to cover themselves with glory and add
lustre to the records Of the holy churcn p, py
fiery old monarch smiled grimly as he
watched these pretentious beings creeping ping
their way step by step, through the all but
impenetrable jungle, now scaling huge walls
Of basaie rock that ne naa eam IN
painfully. but bravely witlfal, burning. with
ego zeal dragging the tb e
i fas s seiow; s'unl around pune and ahssa
snd Rolcanic debris. Here ana there
masses of black igneous rock and blocks of
pum:ce stone broke the otherwise smooth
outline of this mighty ash heap. undis-
mayed by the awful desolation, they boldly
entered this treacherous field of shifting
ashes Twenty-Five miles away the blue
line of the ocean was distinctly visible; be-
low Them spread out like map, with ey-
cry detail accurately penciled, lay the lake
and river. with dozen villages half hidden
among orange groves. far to the southwest
the white walls of the Cathedral of Leon
cleaned family through the blue haze.
The angle of ascent now increased to forty
knees in the yielding surface, raising clouds
of binding dust. From the interior of the
mountain came low, premonitory rum
bling like the below of an angry beast,
low, deep and fearful
1t was Momotombo's warming to these
human insects; it was as if he said, Thus
Far shalt thou come but further But
the voice was unheeded. With a muttered
PRAYER they pressed on defying the giant,
who from his smoky throne had witnessed
years before the dawn Of history. perhaps.
All, to be challenged by these mid
gets. Momotonfbo shook with wrath and
To- the decorators Of his solitude were no
Just what caused the catastrophe can
never be known. but the sup
lie 10 advance they started a side which
soon became an avalanche. sweeping down
venturers a hundred feet deep-not one es-
capped. and later explorers have been I'M
able to find any trace of the Inflated party.
Some idea OF the difficulties TO be en-
countered In making the ascent may be
stretch Of 500 feet is almost Is steep O. q
Nv deep assures, from which clouds OF steam
: and deadly gaseB rt7e continually, - that