Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-08-12

Jsly Il, 1919
TO fhe ESstor Of TAs Amsrseans
L il sbouf ons-tkird Of = nile 10 ths
great voEzza@ Of smoke thss : rising from
the yzwnis Abyss zhseh- wAen TIE vol
cano is a bat u tsrnas1 sefiVs. Il lake Of
nolten lava.
Bat before we zrrFvs thsrs oar EziEs
takes u to great crack CO scam In the
lava that serves A. a bos76zry-is8e; ard
- 80 approach be cautions u no. 70 step
ever, or 90 beyond this opssisE, whieh Is
psohz bly, 4heGt tgos wide
Oar guide hzs on band ssxs a stick spzfs
al one ens xhteh be Uses a. tonss for
scsrchfBg postal cards / hand hsm ny
dozsa cards. asd be very sosn aas shesn
eone brown He tss5s n sbss he often
paps c5ru ard roz4ss= eggs hsTe for part iss.
sss c0EH lying O. tks lava he gives Is
an 6e2 Of the degree oi heat b. h9gdiag q
SILK In the crack "a h5ea j. very soon
ssIszs-
We csHGos 20 straight seFoss to the
great cham. bot circle sEound 20 the left,
and sloxly and cxatfczsly creep up to lis
edge protected fron saiphzr fumes ~ a
val Of isvs-roek some eight feet high
that ths guiee built for the purpose
TIA tangesoGs psece Of business, heeause
the saiphzr tunes mag - dEiysa do~n
upon IS any moment By the wind, and
X 30 can tell wbep the bot rock, so falI of
seams, ID going to give ways
Bat sc Fisk il, a. Ee have to, II ~e
~o0ld get he fail yzlHs Of car money
invested. We cane 10 explore, so where
Cur guide Eeass xe are bound 10 follow.
He tEezds on the very lip Of that great
open mouth, and oar HstIs New jersey
Eoman follows him; but approach with
more care and tinteity, FOR | have befoxe
be- IN places that g: my bead swimming,
and sn not ready TO ioppss ever into this
inferno.
CO go to the edge, however, and get a
look down into these awful cepths a. the
wind varies and shifts the smoke. bat am
greatly relieved when we al turn back
from the scene.
Nov we wsIk along on another side Of
the crater; we are inside Of the line y here
80 scorched the postal cards, we come to
q pinnacle rock rising like cone six or
eight feet, at the sFex Of which is a round
hole about ten inches in diameter, / should
Judge.
We climb up the side Of the cone, and
look down the hole. This is one Of
Madame Peie's chimneys, and some time
ago she used the fireplaee beIo~ that con-
meets with il. bot for some reason or Other
no smoke comes from this furnace noE.
As we xzlk on We are obliged 70 step
across great open seams in the warm lava.
and I see, IS examine, that thousands Of
tons Of rock have, sometime in the past,
csEed in, and hang on the side OF the
crater many feet fellow.
There will be another such eaYing in
some cay, and do know that now is not
the time? cannot refrain from admon-
ishing our guide land advising him to
have eare) as to where he leads u.
There ia no danger" ne says; so We try
to be brave.
Now - e have come to q manhnle in the
lava. A ladder drops down into II until il
reaches the bottom OF cave. We follow
our guide down the ladder, and find our
selves in Madame Pele's reception room.
1t has no ventilation except through the
manhole, and is, therefore, veritable
sweat box.
feel that il we stay here long, wen
make good planking for the bows of q
Nova Scotia wood boat. So as cur guide
goes away into part OF this care for
specimens, beyond where cur eyes can
follow, we climb the ladder to the open
air. and await his return.
1t can't be long, aud yet it seems to Be
some considerable time that he is in that
sweating room. Finally he appears with
his hands full of little pieces of stalactites
and stalag mite-, beautiful in their color
ing.
Now We are away for the madamess
kitchen. This is formed by a little oe
preston In the broken. smoking lava, and
might be termed miniature crater. am
greatly astonished, and almost ready 10
kick in the traces as our guide tases Us
! into this place where we find IL difficult 10
| find footing that is not like the top Of a
hot stove.
1t is too hot here, with steam coming
out from under the lids of everyone ot
Madame Pele's stew dishes and Ike Is, SC
10 speak tior the whole place is foil a
ereyices and erscksl, for US to coIif ct spec
linens OF the sulphurous rock with OUT
bare hands, and our guide warns Us
against trying; boaever, be mansgss to
knock OF few pieces and then we a.e
able to retire unfried.
Nov we go to visit the alligator "a for
nation OF the lava that looks like ope)
nd get few scales from his tail; tn ~e
| go Tor our horses.
By the time we arrive at the corral
again, We are thirsty. We mention the
fact, tut have no idea that we can be sup
piled with water here. But we find We
can. Outside toe wall ON the nori h is a
barrel, and there is an arrange ment to
catch rain and I'll the barrel. and from
what l hear and see, I think there need be