The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-10-12


Crater the Girls Are Seized With
Irresistible Impulse to Descend
Into Crater itself-DeGribes Scene
as One Never to Be Forgotten
Smoke and Rocks Occasionally
BeIched From Mouth OF Volcano.
Three English girls travelling In
Italy have had the novel experience
of going down into the crater Of We
suvius and then Of ascending the in
ner cone. which Of late has been vio-
lently active. One Of the three. Miss
y. NJ. Woodhouse, In che London
Sphere, relates the trip as follows:
"The day on which two girl friends
and myself decided to ascend Vesu-
vius was a glorlously warm and sunny
one. A gentle breeze was blowing
from the southwest. and we could see
the smoke from the volcano being car
ried inland to the northeast. We had
Intended merely to do the usual climb
up to the edge Of the large mouth OF
the volcano. but when we arrived
there with our guide we were 80
thrilled by the appearance of the in
side Of the crater that we were seized
with an irresistible impulse to descend
into the crater itself and climb the
inner active cone. This latter rises
about $50 feet from the level Of the
crater floor, and from IL red-hot lava
and volumes of thick smoke we're is
suing at intervals
Wonderful Stiffness.
81 asked the guide II we could 60
down. He seemed little doubtful
about ii. BY dint of a little persua-
sion. however, matters were satisfac-
torily arranged What struck me
most as we stood on the edge Of the
crater was the extraordinary stiffness
Of everything; no stir or sound of any
kind except an occasional rumble. the
prelude to an emission of smoke and
stones from the inner cone. The
dense fumes would fill the crater for
time and then gradually dispense.
We started to descend the crater wall,
walking over lava which crumbled I'M
der our feet. There was no path we
had to follow the guide as best we
could. scrambling down the steep de-
scent and getting our shoes filled with
hot ashes.
At last we reached the level floor.
where the going was easier. though
the heat from the earth steadily in
creased, and we could now see the red
hot lava showing between the cracks
on the surface. We were approaching
the inner cone. and every now and
then were enveloped in clouds Of sui
phurous gases which made our eyes
smart and gave us a choking feeling
In our threats.
"Through riffs in the clouds Of
smoke we could see the inner cone
towering above us. from the top Of
which belched forth great volumes Of
smoke accompanied by showers of red
hot lava. II was really terrifying
spectacle, and I realized that a change
| I'm the direction of the wind might
have most unpleasant consequences.
Scene Never to Be Forgotten.
"Never shall forget the scene
which greeted my eyes as | stood upon
! the lip of the inner cone! Just be-
low my feet was a dark and sinister
abyss within which thick masses Of
| yellow vapor surged and rolled. Now
would come a rumbling, increasing to q
roar: the heavy smoke showed signs
OF greater agitation, was finally blown
into the air, and a shower of glowing
lava, with fragments. both large and
small. fell within few yards of US.
II seemed to me the guide himself was
almost frightened.
1--WE returned In a different direc-
ton to the way We had come, crossing
the floor of the main crater with its
rough surface of fantastically shaped
lava, somewhat resembling drled-up
mud swamp. stained in parts by great
yellow patches Of sulphur. To my
establishment, on looking at one of my
friends ! noticed that she no longer
had on the pretty rose colored frOck
with which she had started, but she
now wore dirty green one; only I'M
| der the collar and belt could be found
traces OF the original rose My own
gray frock had not suffered, but my
rope soled tennis shoes which was
wearing had become most uncom-
fortably hot. and I noticed that the
soles themselves were smoking. II In
terested us greatly to read In the
papers that a few weeks after our as
cent vesuvlus became very active. the
inner cone being partially destroyed.
large quantities Of rock being thrown
into the air and the sky In up for q
great distance by the reflection Of the
volcanic fires"