Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-10-10

was on the afternoon of April "a,
when he took his way toward Dr. Mat
teucis observatory. The electric
train was pushing slowly with its
cogged wheels upward to 7ard the OBJ
servatorv station; beyond that point
the road was destroyed The fields
outside of Naples showed one or two
inches of dust, brown, graz. and gray
green, but most Of the vegetable gar
dens had been cleared of it. A little
farther the pines and palms were
heavily loaded with sand, as in a
snowstorm 1t was three inches deep
on the walls. 1t had drifted in places
TO depth of two or three feet. On
nearing the observatory the lava fields
of 1872 and 1898 were found buried
under or inches of sand and dust
which formed a heavy mantle. but not
sufficient to wholly disguise the shaggy
contortions beneath. The whole cone
OF Vesuvius became cleared of clouds
in the course of the afternoon and it
vas seen to be covered with straight
sand slides of whitish-gray color
which occasionally slipped downward
as on the sleeper slopes Of a dune
Pure white steam boiled up slowly
from the crater. In ore instance it
burst out radially over the edge of
the crater. showing a ring on the Dor
der, a dome of cumulus above and
within, and a second still higher outer
ring made of an older rain-cloud
which has been punctured and pushed
up bodily. The effect was like a hat
on the mountains crown. At night
the cone was clear and entirely With
out luminosity. Professor Matteuci
was found on his return from an as
cent in which he had been accom-
panied by DR.. Sjorgren, of Stock
holm, and Mr. Ferret, graduate OF
the Brooklyn Polytechnic They had
been in the clouds, and their faces
were most picturesquely plastered
With blown dust, but they had been
unable to see anything. so dense was
the fog of steam and sand.
The next morning. with a strong
west wind, we started up. The steam
was settling down in the clouds on the
summit from time to time. in altera-
ton with clear spells. The route fol.
lowed the extension Of the tramway to
the place where the lower Funicular
station had been. and then the west
ern profile of the cone was followed
straight up The rails along the foot
OF the cave had been twisted and torn
by landslides. Most of the Old track
and the lower station were buried but
not under lava. No new lava was any
where visible on this side OF the noun
tain. Everywhere was covered with
pebbles, sand, and dust. vesuvius
was never more completely a "cinder
cone in outward appearance than It
is at the present time. The slope Of
the main cone averages about % de-
grees, and the ejecta seem to have
slipped down this slope to form thick
taluses at the bottom Here and there
large angular pieces Of hard rock
have falle-r. up to ieet In diameter.
Climbing the cone was not especi-
ally difficult. though it was very steep
In places. BY making a somewhat
zigzag track and keeping on the rad;alI
elevations rather than in the shallow
troughs, hard pan could be found to
walk upon, Some of this was secured
old hard lava, otherwise it was closely
wedged or plastered fragments. where
as the guIlies were fllad with deep
sand. Il was necessary to be very
cautious to avoid starting rocks down
on those below. The steapness in
creased no to a point near the edge of
less. The edge of the crater itself
the upper rim as seen below: there
are 20 intervening ridges. Therefore
the abruptness of the fall off when
We finally come to II. was startling in
the extreme. The wind had steadily
increased and was pelting our uecks
with singing sand grains which
surged in whirling clouds all about
us. It was impossible to face this
bombardment except during IulTs ir
the gale; hence photography was ac
compHshed under difficulties and he
flying dust was rulnous to cameras.
Only occasionally did the dim sunlight
sift through the mixture Of sand
steam, and cloud. In those lucent IN
teryals, however. we could make ont
an inward slope Of So or more degrees.
covered with hot sand and broken
fragments, terminated about 800 feet
VERTICALLY below by jutting lodges
which appeared to be preclpitous. Be
yond was steam and sulphurous heat
and obscurity. The lodges fumed in
places. No noise could be heard
above the bowling of the wind. The
curvature of the crater edge was r.
regular with embayments. and il
showed much irregularlty IL heieht.
We could not see the opposite side of
the cauldron, but ON the curvature
It was estimated that the crater could
not be less than from one-fourth to
onenalf mile In diameter-unusuallv
larga tor Vesuyius The summit was
1000 feet above the sea by Anerold.
or some $50 feet lower than befo .
the eruption. according to the data
furnished us by the officers OF the on.
servatory. The east.west diameter is
much greater than the north-south.
The depth of the crater is at least $50
feet and no one knows how much
more There is great notch or cav
4yzcr In