The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-08-23
At BOTTOM
Of Of VOLCANO
Explorations are Made for
First Time.
Bottom Of vesuvius Resembles
Flowed Fields-.-ls $50
Feet Deep.

Some OF otr daring avtatnns psrfTmpi
start fng hazardous feats. but 1t Is
Knowingly ran a greater risk than did
Professor MalLada. superintendent of
the Mt. vesuvius observatory. and an
assistant the other day when they de-
scenHicd to the bottom of the crater OF
the great vocano. lit was the first
time the depths of vcsuvius were ever
exppre7i The SCIENTISTS took many
va lnibae photographs of avalancI.es AMI
showers of rcd-hot ashes " hioh were
taking place in contiguous parts Of
the crater. His account of the ad-
with the Napcs correspondent of the
New York World:
at is Impossible to convey TO an
other the weird impression made upon
US by the Surroundings. Glhosffiy. fan
tastic Shapes were piled up all nbout
us. The hollow resonance of our
voices were alSc heavy booming. ami
the distant .rumb'trg sounded as If
the cal th WAS gnoanns In physical
agony.
"Tw'ice my companion nearly tainted
from the heat w,iiuh varied from "a 20
IS degrees Oentisrade 600 to COS de-
greas Fahrenheit-water hui at 2l.).
and the emanations Of acids from the
mumanoles Gsmad holes from which
issue yplcanic vaporS threatened to
suffncate uA''
Professor MaNada, who will So
down to postarity as the nristlnator
and successful performer of one of the
most daring feats I'm history. is at
tached to the observatory mafntaansd
on Mt Vesuvius for the scientific study
Of the rgeat volcapOe. The Word cor
respondent was struck by his splendid
physique, his penetratimg eye, and the
signs In his countenance of an iron
will and resolution of chanacter. I'm
this remarkable journey into the
denths OF the earth THE professor was
by Sisnor vanvezza. who
also ds attached to the observatory.
1T was a case Of If at hirst yon
don't succeed try. try asadn,'" Pro-
lessor Malada explained. "Perhars
you know that the Last aruption, IN ,
1905, greatly mocihisd the Internal for
nation of the crater. Before that it
looked like a funnel. It's walls aloplng
Inward a ia moderate argyle TO the
central well. which was of xtah depth J
As to render the bottom Visible from :
any part Of the crater's mouth. Subss- !
luent townships during the erupttAon |
altered the shape to one somewhat ,
cup, the bottom 06 which
was visible at certain houurs of The
hay from the mouth. The interior
$ more or less - honeyoqmhed with |
iumanoles amitttdng abundant Jets Of |
8apor mixed with hNdnodhAoric acid
md sulfuretted hydrogen.
"Wdth my faithful attendant 1,
,eaohed the mouth of the crater at .
clock on Friday morntng. We iirst
made cast a rope DO yards bong.
which, slung around the waast. enabled
As--nartly siding. partly hanging In
he fashion of an Altne cilmber-to
each a depth of 1870 yands in the
'outheast part Of the cone, where,
liter careful observation. l had de-
,ided was the BEST point to make a
descent.
There the lava ridge slopes out
ward from the sides of the cone fully
10 yards. Travelling along that ledge
We reaahed an immense mass of Lava
ock and other matter from the crater
hide In March, 1911. sioping at an
.nsle Of 80 degrees.
I'VE again made fast another cable
20 yards long ena,bIisn US TO reach
urtier the huge bank of volcanic MAJ
err praieHted inward by the same
ands'4de.
"Ahtar two hours Gambling we
'aaahed Ahe botttom of hhe orator,
vhsch resamhled a sisantic pl0wed
teld We remained two hours at tho
'attnm Of the orater. took numerous
AMI hanonsetrtc Obsr-
'atinns. and made a oOaectdon Of min
VA! and other volcanic mahtT from