The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-10-12

covered it was only about eight feet
long by one foot in width a party
OF Americans, accompanied by guides,
had started up from the pretty little
town Of Tore del Greco one summer
evening in 1856. They were far
enough W the mountain by sunset to
have view Of the superb panorama
Of bay and distant hills and islands.
AS the brilliant rays Of God lantern
were falling behind the little island
OF Capri away OF over the blue stretch
of inland sea, the party campcd on
the grassy plains for supper, washing
down the viands With Lacrima Cristi,
a red wine made of grapes grown on
the lower borders Of the volcano.
Darkness had already fallen when the
band of tourists resumed their way
towards the blazing crater Two
ladies' of the party were carried in
chains swung from the shoulders of
the guides, the route thcnccforth
being too rough for donkcys to climb
Other guides walked about with blazing
torches made from pine branches.
The procession trudged along, the
Americans trying to dispel the solemn
and weird effects Of the scene by
singing rollicking songs. Ever and
anon thundcrous rumble interrupted
the chorus; flare Of unearthly flame
lighted up the scene, making dense
and appalling shadows, and crash of
falling pebbles and lava added to the
grim suggcstivcness Of the ensemble.
A frequent shifting Of the wind forced
down upon the pedestrians dense
curtain of sulphurous smoke, that
would have needed less than a min
ute's continuance to suffocate the
entire party.
While they we're making their way
slowly across the boulder strcwn
ground, lull occurred in the song
that was being sung by those in ad-
vance. During that brief interval of
silence loud, despairing shrek was
heard. 1t came from the rear Of the
little procession. The in-carriers
set their burdens on the ground and
joined by the other guides dashed in
the direction whence the cry had
come. About fifty yards away they
found one of the party. young man
from Baltimore, lying prone on the
ground and grasping desperately at
the rocks, charred twigs, or whatever
was near him. BY the light Of their
torches one guide found that the man
had fallen half way through a crevice
in the earth. Each movement he
made to save himself widened the
aperture. and in less than forty
seconds more he would have fallen
into the gaping hole.
The Vesuvians hauled the poor fell
low from his terrible predicament. It
was many minutes before he recovered
his speech. Then he said that as he
was strolling along he saw what he
thought was long burnt log lying on
the ground. He stepped upon it-or,
rather, meant to. Instead he placed
his foot within the narrow fissure
and the whole weight of his body fell
above the open space. He felt him
self sinking gradually, and was just
losing consciousness when rescued.
The horror of the possibility was
magnified when all the party gathered
about the spot, and one of the guides
let stone drop into the aperture.
Every man and woman ia the party
stood silently intent, straining their
ears to fathom the depth of the hole.
They waited in vain, horror depicted
on every face.
This was the first time the new fs-
sure was discovered by the men who
climb Vesuvius every day Of their
lives. Since then it has distended,
until the wonder now is that the old
crater has not fallen long before this,
the earth above and all around it
being hollow and unsupported.
A night journey up the burning
mountain has its risks, but the solemn
ity Of the scene witnessed far exceeds
the sight presented in the daytime,
and amply repays all hardships. In
the daytime one can ride on the
famous funicular railway, that has
been made the theme Of one of the
most popular of the Neapolitan songs.
1t carries passengers to within few
hundred yards of the crater. The
rest Of the journey must be made on
foot through sea Of sand, that forces
one back at least one stride for every
two taken forward. On the top one
has such view as is perhaps equalled