Year: 1875

From the Cleveland Leader


[ succeeded in reaching Oh altitude of
nearly $4,000 feet, and then gave out on
account of previous illness, from which
/ had not fully recovered, and was COM
PEELED to return to a ranch down on the
timber ine." Here awaited the return
of the party, which was composed of Col.
Grasty, of Virginia, and Mr.. Harry Stew
ems, of Cleveland, who had accompanied
me from home.


The gigantic crater is about one mile
in diameter and 4,5OO feet deep, and,
almost incredible to believe, but never
theless true, there is settlement con-
sisting of forty sulphur miners in the
bottom of this awful cavity, their only
mode of ingress and egress from this
internal region being by the means of a
windlass of LOCO feet of rope, by which
they are lowered down to a shelf in the
side of the abyss, the rest of the journey
downward being performed on foot, over
a long and steep descent. The thoughts
of Grasty and Stevens were now turned
to the horrible gulf that yawned before
them, for in 1t they must pass the night,
which would fall in the course Of two or
three hours for it was alike Impossible
to spend it on the mountain top, or to
return down to the climber line" An
Indian employe of the sulphur mine had
preceded them up the volcano, bearing
their letter of Introduction to Senor
Corchado, the superintendent of the
mine, who Immediately repaired to the
summit, where he met them half or three
quarters of an hour after their arrival.
Corchado, s'the Old Man OF the Noun
tain, is singular character. Born at
Tiamacas, he has always lived on the
mountain, OF In his present birthstone
home, where his father lived and died
before h1m. He has been Intimately con-
nected with Propocatapetl, and every
thing associated with the great volcano,
for over half century. He now lives
IT the bottom of the crater, 4, 500 feet
below its rocky rim. To this strange
abode he welcomed Grasty and Stevens
with heartiness and real hospitality.


ENTERING THE VOLCANO.


They zigzagged down the bleared and
blackened rocks about 200 feet, and
came to windlass called .'El Malacate %
From this was suspended cable about
an inch and half in diameter and d
thousand feet long. From this point
they obtained magnificent view of the
crater, whose walls rose in all directions
In frightful wildnessands sublimity. They
at once appreciated its enormous dimen-
sions. Nearly mile below them was
the bottom, almost lost in the darkness
and distance. To illustrate the great
depth, it would be no exaggeration to
say that if you were to take Mount
Vesuvius, which is 4, 500 feet high, and
turn it upside down and stick it into the
crater, it would about fill it.


This gulf presents one of the grandest
sights on earth. and has terrible fasci-
nation for the beholder. The most stolid
are greatly impressed, while the suscep
tible are completely overwhelmed by its
awful sublimity. Grasty and Stevens
| peered over the ledge where stood the
windlass, and saw far, far below them a
level rock that formed the top of long
steep declivity, at the foot of which was
a black spot. This they were told was
the miners house. They were to descend
! to the declivity by the rope, having ac-
! cepted Corchado's invitation to spend
| thenight below. Corchado and Stephens
went first. They were tied to the cable
III such a manner that they sat side by
| side.


| For about the distance of $50 feet the
| ledge from which they made their wild
leap projected out over the precipice,
and consequently they hung free and
dangling in the air. II was only minute
or two, however, before they came to a
place where the cliff bellied out further
than the windlass rock, and they We're
| compelled to kick against its strong front
| to keep clear of it. Immense clouds OF
sulphurous steam and gases rolled sky
ward from beneath this projection
These nauseated Stevens, and set him to
vomiting badly. They were now out OF
sight of the people above them. Stevens
afterward said he felt that he was going
| straight into the jaws of hell. On every
side Of them was gigantic and hideous
ruin of cracked cliffs and blistered crags.
| Beneath them were pools of liquid and
| burning sulphur that trickled in little
rivulets from the gashed and fire marked
walls of the crater. Noxious vapors
hoated through the air-all seemed q
horrible nightmare. They reached the
decllvlty IN safety after a fearful journey
OF ten minutes, and united themselves.
The rope was then pulled up.


THE FUMES OF AvERNUs


The Colonel proceeded to tie himself
on. Through some mistake the rope
that went round his back slipped down
too low. lie dropped from the crag,
still weak from the suffering he had ex-
| perienced in the ascent. Everything
went well until he got to the place where
the precipice bulged out. Here disaster
overlook him. A cloud of gas-laden
vapor enveloped him, and he tainted
away with yet 700 feet to descend Car
chodo and Stevens saw him let go of the
rope, throw his arms out grasping at the
| air, and fall back until his head was
lower than his heels; then spin round
and round, striking the sharp rocks in a
fearful manner. Stevens said it fairly
made his blood run cold, aud he turned
his head from the awful sight. Mean
while Corchado had given the man at
] the windlass sign to lower faster, and