The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-09

This was ruefully discovered by several
members OF the party. who. in testing
the temperature. were bliStered about
the face and hands. though none was
burned seriously, and, in fact. none need
have been scalded at all
According to the bare report rendered
the various geological societies thus
Far. the bottom of the crater was stud
Had with massive boulders formed prob
ably during the eruption three years
ago. Substantially these boulders wers
composed OF sulphur and scoriae, SOL
dered together with molten masses,
which, cooling. left thousands OF boul-
ders Weighing several tons each.
Between them and spouting from As
srres OF unknown depth rose the great
volumes of steaIn-steam OF so dry
quality that only in rare instances was
the bed Of the crater dampened- Oc-
casfonalIy. however. il was so heavily
laden with moisture that scalding pools
we're formed, and il was by stepping
i7to these pools that two or three
members OF the expedition got their
feet blistered-
After spending an hour in the crater.
n disturbance more distinct and omi-
nous than any preceding IT warned
tha entire party that discretion might
he the better part OF valor. and hasty
Adjournment to the edge OF the crater
was accomplished. AS though FURIOUS
at the temerity OF puny mortals, no
sooner had the last one In the pro-
cession scrambled up on the rim than
n distinct heaving was noticeable and
nrssantlv. with q spasm OF unusual vio-
lance. great columns OF steam, appar-
.rtlv accompanied by water, II not
other substances. spurtec upward IKE
SO many giant geysers In hundred
places.
said Professor FFovey. than that spec
tacle. everything considered 1t was
as though some unreasonable power
ware struggling down there, impotent
with rage. The whole crater, measur-
ing possibly a quarter or mile or
more around. was clogged with clouds.
writing, seething, tumDlinS IN mon
strous spirals."
After carefully bundllng up their
priceless films and plates. having been
absent from the camp. 1000 feet below,
for nearly four hours, the party de-
scended safely and better able to ap-
preciate this vivid account OF the re-
cent eruption OF Colima written by an
eyewitness OF the remarkable spec
tac1e:
For several weeks the mountain had
shown signs of agitation, until one
morning residents of Colima were able
to see with the aid Of powerful glasses
a distinct movement around the cone
and under the massive cloud which
rose in the shape of a tree or rather
q giant waterspout. 1t appeared that
the crater was over1owing. silently
pouring forth molten streams and
spouting liquid fire hundreds OF feet
into the air. A day and night this
continued, the force and volume of the
discharge increasing hourly, until out
OF the burning mountain gigantic
serpent OF molten stone, crimson at the
core and scaled with saffron belts OF
smoke or cooler constituents, crept
forth and wendell its serpentine way
down the mountain. over the tOrtuous
slopes it felt it's way slowly at first.
then more rapidly. now darting for
ward as though bent on destruction
and now pausing TO slough its rocky
scales. Baffied at some obstacle. the
monster would rear its sloping crest,
then swerve with a crash that re-
sounded for miles and seek another
passage IN its own lurid glare.
Adding to the sublimity OF the spec
tacle a violent rainstOrm burst over the
region, accompanied with deafening
claps Of thunder and a high wind.
which carried the spume Of ashes fully
100 miles inland. the lava meanwhile
crashing down the Ountain in irre-
sistible rivers. spreading desolation
over the once fertile valleys and mes
merizing everything it touched with
ruin.
With periods of cessation this kept
up for thirty-seven days. when the
eruption subsidized. the great umbrella
like cloud lowered and the fires died
down. leaving the core and crater of
mysterious Colima as baffiing a riddle
as when science was darkened with SUI
perstltion-"