Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1906-04-14
How /. 'YESUYIUS
= SHOWED OFF
REV. FRED HILL SEES THE VOL
CANO IN ACTION.
0nciudes His Visit to ltaly--Has a
Stormy Passage to Port Said.
Rides a Camel and Sees the Val.
ley of the Nile,
Continued from first page

we went by electrics to Pugliano, then
urove two miles to another tramway.
Ihis took us up as far as the base of
the cone. The road was built over
ola lava beds which presented a
muitlCudlnous variety of formations.
arriving at the base of the cone, we
were to take the funiculare railway
TO the top. Here we were told that
the wind was blowing in the wrong
direction and that we could not as
cend. so we returned part way and
had lunch. After lunch the wind
seemed to have shifted and we again
tried the ascent. This time we sue
ceeded and soon were within a few
hundred yards of the great crater.
Guldes sWarmed about us and offered
all manner Of assistance. We finally
started off each at the end of a rope.
Inc path lay through several inches
or lava dust, the black sulpher smoke
often blinded our eyes, still we trudged
on. Suddenly piece of of hot lava,
blown hundreds of feet into the air
Whizzed by us and struck within ten
feet of our group. The guide rushed
off and brought the almost red hot
missile to US. The guides were scared
and SO were we, for ever and again
these rocks were belched forth. They
told us that owing to the wind
which blew the smoke toward us now
made it impossible to see when the
rocks would fall, that 1t would be folly
to go farther. This was a great dis |
appointment and yet we wanted to
keep on living! And so as a sop to
our disappointed hopes, they volun- !
teered to take US to the river Of
flowing lava a little distance below
below the crater. So off we pushed. |
We cast an occasional furtive glance |
back at the black threatening top but
hurried on. Finally we stood just
above this great stream of red-hot
lava. The rocks on which we stood
were hot. The stream appeared to
come out of fssure just beneath
where we stood. The river extended
down the side of the mountains in two
streams for two thousand feet. At
night it presented weird sight. We
did not linger long here. It seemed a
foretaste of another world. I think
Daute and Vergil must have visited
volcanics regions when they wrote
their stories of the other world. We
wanted to rush away, think i would
send some people crazy to have to
remain there an hour. But as [ think
of it all now, it was great experienc
and I am glad the old mountain
showed off so we'll for US.
Next day we visited Pompeji which
was destroyed by Vesuvius' sister
mountain near by in 79 A. D. For
hours we wandered about the narrow
streets and among the ruins of old
Roman palaces. Enough remains to
reveal the splendor and luxury in
which these Romans lived. Many
walks still retain the frescoes placed
there over two thousand years ago.
Courts with marble pillars and ruined
fountains and an occasional altar of
the household gods, are visible. The
great circuses or theatres remain al
most intact, so far as the ground plan
is concerned. The narrow streets are
grooved where the heavy carts and
chariots once rumbled along. Ex-
plorers have done the world a great
service in unfolding this famous city
to modern eyes. The explorations
are going on now and daily new
treasurers are found. The magma
ton may here run riot with it's fancies
and pictures and yet not even ap-
proximate the terrible scenes enacted
in this spot centuries ago. Far away
Vesuvius smokes away and seems to
laugh at human endeavor. Some day
he too will let loose the engines of
hell and another catastrophe be re-
corded. No wonder the life in this
vicinity is epitomized in ''let US eat
and drink for tomorrow we die" I
should like to 60 into detail concern
ing our drive from La Cava around by
Amalfi to Sorrento. Here we rode
along just over the sea and watched
the ever changing sea and sky. Here
we passed through Italian villages Z
where much ignorance and poverty
reigns. Every where are houses and s
shops empty and with all glass care 2
fully taken out. We learned that the f
owners were in America and had t
stored the glass for there is heavy K
tax upon it in Italy. AS we drove a
along we encountered two little a
Italian girls who were talking English. a
We were surprised that they did not "
beg. We learned that they now lived o
in America. Had been taught, in Il
A l<aaarr 70