The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-03
THRILLING
EXPERIENCE
ON VOLCANO.

DAYS AND NIGHTS OF PERIL;
men BARELY ESCAPE DEATH.
JOSE LOPEZ ARRIVES IN ENG
LAND WITH STORY OF LAST
JOURNEY OF LIEUT.. BOYD AL
ExANDER.
| LONDON, Dec. "a thrillfng
story OF explorers peril for days and
| nights ON volcano, with the earth
opening IN great assures all around
them, and rocks and trees hurting
down the mounfa in side, is told by
the sole companion of the late Lieut.
Boyd Alexander. Jose Lopez, who has
just arrived in this country from the
Lake Chad district.
Lieutenant Alexander, it will be
/
French Sudan early this year, and
the story by Lopez is the frs. per-
sonal account of the explorers last
journey across Africa.
1t vas when they had climbed
10000 feet UP the celebrated KAN
erun peak that Lieutenant Alexander
had the rare experience OF witness
ing ON the spot the great earthquake
and eruption of the mountain, which
lasted with continued severity for
five days. There was sufficient warm
Ing for the ma ives and some Ger
men residents to escape to the coast,
but the British travellers curiosity
tempted him to rema' IN and gather tn
knowledge OF new experience.
How he and his party came alive
out of the inferno was miraculous.
For several days and nights the
shocks were as frequent as every
two minutes, and the mountains
seemed to leap under him like live
thing. Beneath the earth the ire
mors rolled with noise as loud as
thunder and all through the first
night and following day torrentiai
rain p0~~ed down The earth
opened in huge fissures and scraps
and Lodges of rock broke away and
| tore down the mountain side, level
ling the trees in front of them.
The forests and tan grass shook
with deafening, Kissing sound.
while tn. great stems snapped like
matches, and out of the confusion
thousands Of monkeys fled screaming
in terror down the slopes.
Then at last hte crater of the
mountain burst open, belching up
flame ana throwing huge rocks, red
hot into the sky, SO high that they
appeared to dwindle to the size of
peas. These as they fell frequently
met in collision, others ascending and
broke with a noise like exploding
Shells, scattering far and wide hum
dredS of fragm entS that often fell
within a few feet of the explorer and
his men.
When The earthquake had subsidized
observations and photographs were
taken of the crater and the lava
stream before the party continued
its advance To explore the AIanen-
CUBA range. All the way great diff
food, Tor the story had gone abroad
that the quake had been caused by
the white man, who had gone up
and fired his gun down the crater,
who, the natives believe, dwellS
within the mountain.
AT the hi, on the River Benue,
the carriers We're paid off, and Lieu
tenant Alexander proceeded alone,
without an escort through dangerous
county by way of Yolar to Maifoni,
while Jose Lopez went around by
Kano in order to buy caInels for the
long desert journey across the con
tinent 1t was at Yola that Lieuten
ant Alexander fell i'll with an attack
of fever, which was SO severe that.
had it not been for the skill of the
resident doctor, who as a last re-
source plunged his patient in cold
water, there would have been no hop
of his recovery.
The story of his murder at Tama
has already been told, but it is moi
generally known that only d few
weeks before the end. at a village
. called Yoa, to the southwest o
. Abeshr, he had given himself up foI
J dying-this time from blackwater fe
, ve.-but afterwards made a marvel
Gus recovery, owing to Jose's re
| sourcefulness in trying a powerful
treatment as a last chance.
By some it is thought than thu
brave explorer never quite recovere