ASCENT OF MOUNT VESUVIUS DURING THE ERUPTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 33, 7 February 1879, Page 4

ASCENT OF MOUNT VESUVIUS DURING THE ERUPTION

A correspondent aends the following to the Daily News, under date Naples, Sept. 26:— Of all natural phenomena upon which the eye of man can rest there is none more strikingly -wonderful than that of a volcano in active eruptim. It was with this feeling we left Naples on Tuesday morning last, Sept. 21, to attempt the cscent of the mountain, and to dare, if it were possible, to descend into the crater. We were a party of four, and, as the mountain is now commanding great attention, even here in Italy, a description of our ascent, and what we saw, may be of some interest. Leaving Naples at 7.30 a.m., we proceeded on to Hesina, where a third horse was attached to our carriage, and where we were beset with many guides persistently offering their services, but we declined the whole. "We now began ascending, with the sun in full force upon us. Passing inauy vineyards by the way. and through a district everywhere showing its volcanic origin, we reached the Hermitage, a email and very inferior hostelry, just under tho Observa'ory, established by the Government to watch the operaations of the mountain. Here it was necessary to leave the carriage, and walk or ride on horseback to the foot of the outer cone of Veau?ius. A troop of guides soon Bur rounded us, insisting that we should require two men each to make the ascent— one to go before to pull, and one behind to push, and without which it was impossible for us to succeed in reaching the summit, whilst tbe lady "would require to be carried up in a chaise au porteur by four men. Securing a guide who spoke French a little, and two horses, we declined all other help, and at once proceeded on our way, but attended by the troop of guides. In climbing the mountain we soon noticed that our guide was holding on to the tail of one of the horses, This led us at once to follow his example, and quickly we who were walking had secured a good holdfast at the tails of the horses, and were thus drawn most helpfully to the foot of the outer cone, and without feeling the fatigue of the walk, which we otherwise should have done. As we stood at the foot, and examined the tremendous height of the summit up to which we bad to climb, we felt that possibly before we reached it help would be eßßential, more especially as the ascent in many places was not many degrees out of the perpendicular, but we valorously determined to make the attempt without any help, and with our one guide to lead us. Personally I was complimented with the remark, " It was impossible I could make the ascent ; I was too Btout." We commenced the ascent about twelve o'ciock. The eun bad previously disappeared, and we had a tolerably heavy fall of rain. This continued more or lees during tbe whole of our ascent, and it had the* effect of solidify ing the somewhat loose materials of which the mountain is composed, and °f } & y,[°.S. lfa . Q _dust, and these were very important matters to us in ascending. So persistent was our escort that we were accompanied a considerable distance up the mountain by eight helps ; and at last, finding we were making satisfactory progress without their aid, each one refusing to take even one grasp of the hand at a difficult point, they left us one by one, and when about half way tbe laßt gave up all hope of employment. The material on which we were toiling can scarcely be represented than by saying that if a mountain wereroisod consisting of horse beans and peas fully mixed op with a large quantity of smaller particles, and with a consequent supply, of dusr, it would jost represent it. In some parts it is red, in others black, and in some parts mixed ; here and there a more solid block, bat on the whole the ascent was made of this shifting material, and as the feet were put forward, they slipped with tbe mass back again, sometimes •Imoßt to their previous position. At last, after a tremendous climb of eighty minutes, the submit was reached entirely without help, except now and then from the guide for my daughter or myself. Owing to the rain tbe view from hence was all bat shut out as the mist obscured every distant object; but we were compeDSßted by the abseDce of sun-heat. Now commenced the more intense interest of our visit. As we looked we could see tbe clouds of smoke and sulphurous fumes issuing from the mouth of the cone, bat in order to eee what was worth seeing it w»s essential that we aboald descend into the crater itself. This seemed somewhat attended with danger. Here and there were narrow ledges, on which we mast walk, with a precipice on each side, whilst we could not say what we should encounter of going down. But two helps were waiting, and we took the aid of one, and determined to make the descent, a depth of at least 200 feet. After passing the narrow ledges we found tbe ineide lined with the eame description of material as on tbe outBide (but hot, and steaming with sulphurous fumes), and therefore quickly, easily, and safely reached the bottom, bat not one of as was in any way prepared for what we were now called upon to witness. Tbe actual crater is placed almost in an amphitheatre, three-fourths of which are enclosed, while, one-fourth is open. The enclosing walls rise above tbe bed of the crater from 250 or more feet in eome parts, apparently composed

of sulphur. The diameter, judging by the eye, from one side to the other, ia about 300 yard*, and the whole of this area is filled with lava on fire, but crusted on the surface with a ekia sntne inches deep of Suva that has been chilled. All who have crossed ihe Mer de Glace at Cbaraouni are aware of tbe character of its formation; the deep, intensely blue tints of the crevassps, the huge boulders of ice, the uncertain and irre^ulor character of the blocks, eed someiimes the fantastic shapes assumed. Imagine just the sime forraaliou, hut substituie heat for cold, intense firey red colour for the blue, aud the appearance of (he crater may be realised. The suiface of the lava blocks is black, contorted into myriads of forms, hot, rough, and somewhat brittle, nnd lyiug more or lee9 at one level. Looking between the cracks or down the " crevasses," however, the slowing firva i> few inches below our feet, and in the blocks whereon we were Blending, were seen. When the mouth of the volcano ehowe.l signs of movement ten months since, it was Dot raised much above ihe rest of the bed. Its ten months' ectivity, however, has enabled it to roUe a cone almost in the centre of the crater at least a hundred feet in beijjh', very wide at the base, converging to the summit like a sugarloaf, but with tbe summit of the loaf ; removed. With a pulsation as regular and as marked as that of the pietou of a steamengine in full motion, did (be huge mountain carry on its work, so that now we were able clearly to understand what was meant by " every pulsation of tbe volcano being duly | registered at the observatory." Clouds of smoke and fumes were issuing from the summit of the cone — now densely dark, as if a fresh supply of coal had been heaped on the fire; (hen intensely light, as if the engine was blowing off its steam; then most beautiful and delicately tinted with the tenderest rose-pink, as if an artist were testing bow best to combine iho loveliest tints of his heart; then a pale sßlmon, a little while, and theD, as if fire thouaand torpedoes were simultaneously exploder' the huge mountain seemed to heave and forth from its mouth issue! quantities of molten lava, shct scores of feet high up in the nir — apparently at the mouth all iu one holy, but there separating into millions of pieces, great and email, all plowing with the most intense rei heat lhat oao pos&ihly be seen. With a powerful op?ra-2lass we silently watcheJ th* visible operations of tbe volcano. Each piece as it ascended into the air was pepamte; no piece was partly red and partly black, but was on fire and at redheat throughout ; mo9tly the lava emitted fell back again into the bosom of (he heaving mass, but with every emission quantities, largo or saml), fell on tbe outeide of ihe mouth, and thus we flaw readily how the cone had gradually hut continuously increased in size and height. Every now and the'n a huge mass would drop outside, and ihen would be heard an immonse crash, followed by vast quantities of lava rolling down tho sides of the cone. As we stood watching at intervals there seemed (o be the firing of 10,000 guns of mightier cilibre than Krupp'a, and we soon found that this was tho precursor of a grand display. Up rose, pbssibly 100ft above the cone, an im-

mense moss spreading in the shape of a lady's fan, and presenting one of the most magnißceut sights the eye of man can ever see. And tbis upheaval wag Dot a thing for which we Lad to wait till our patience wa9 exhausted, and to wonder if it would be repeated or not, but it was continuous and incessant, and almost seemed as if every renewed expulsion were grander than its precursor, or as indicating u trial of actual streugtli prior to the great event proposed to be completed. As we descended to the crater the rain had ctased, whilst there it again /ell fora time heavily; then Ihe whole surface seemed " frizzling, and hissing, and steaming," as the iwo bodies came into contact, 'ihe thunder overhead was pealing like the roar of 50 parks of artillery in concert, and the lightning flashing with intense vividness; then tbe rain and thunder acd lightning cessfd, and there was a perfect calm, nothing to he heard beyond the " machinery " of the mountain iu full vigor and <l steam up," ihen the sunlight lightened briefly the whole scene, deepening impressions that lime can never erase. As (he day was drawing on, it at last became necessary to think of returning to .Naples. With much effort and the aid of our helper, we aguin got out of the crater to tbe summit, but our descent was to be by another way fiom that by which we ascended. It was down the side of tbe mountain, at a far more acute angle than that now proposed for the roof of St Albao's Abbey, but; beiog of loose friable materials, similar to those we prevfoueiy described, there was little danger ot rolling to tbe bottom. Stepping out bravely, and making long Btridee, with the foot and leg half way up plunging into the caaea at every step, our American frienJs made tbe descent of the outer cone in nine minutes ; we traversed it more leisurely, and took from twelve to fifteen. Ihe Hermitage was soon reached, and at ence taking carriage we started for the hole!.