IN THE THROAT OF VESUVIUS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1949, 5 January 1914, Page 5

IN THE THROAT OF VESUVIUS.

iSINEMATOGRAPHER'S - ; DARING'S! ' ||^|iACHIEVE!HENT.I||^ : ||loJr/INTO ; .:A; RAGIN® :3Emri:'THE FILMS IN OLAStI ; plp||;™ACE, ,:ffg |g ||THRILLING * : EXPERIENCE. By.re]oi:rapls-Prcss AssooiatSon-Coprriirht ; |S™?|i~? y^oy " Sun " Special Cable's. 'SV ■';'.' London, January 2.-" -..Mr.j.l<redone!-; ihirlmgham, ropreson- - tativoiol tne Briti,,h Colonial Kinemato* : graph Company,; has returned after a thrilling descent of 1200 ft. into the crater of Vesuvius to obtain a picturo film. He spent several nights in the cratermouth, and succeeded-in avoidiii" tho authorities;" -.'He secured a rope of sufficient ieii"th to .cover-the.- precipitous first portion or. ; .T.lie ■ crater edg-e. Accompanied ■by throe: guides—one being loft in chargeof' the- rope—ho descended a distance or-6XIO feet with, the greatest difficulty, lie had relied on a favourable wind, but it changed, and for twenty minutes ho and his guides were enveloped by suffocating fumes. Tho guides, wanted to retreat, but wero not allowed to do so. - For the next 500 ft. the party descended between two walls of smoke, v/hiio on-ail sides steam from fumarolos, ako lava, exuded, the heat registering from 300 to 400 degrees centrigrado, Theuco the party slipped quickly to tho lower levels. ■''• On reaching a depth of 1000 ft., afr. .llurlingham commenced photographing, amidst continuous noises from bubbling lava. Tiio heat was COO degrees, and the interior of the mountain was like a.'blast furnace in full work. . The fumes turned metals black, and affected the. ■ eyes and throats of the party. - The party next descended to a depth of 1200 feet, whei'o Mr', Btiringliam obtained more pictures. He reached the surface at the cud of four hours, struggling out, with his guides, unharmed. Tho films developed well, though it is impossible to reproduce the marvellous irridescent. scenes witnessed inside tho crater. ■'