The Crater's Mouth

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 159, 5 January 1914, Page 5

The Crater's Mouth

A PERILOUS DESCENT. . E-UUNG PHOTOGRAPHER. PICTURES OF BUBBLING LAVA. By Cable—Press London, January 2. Frederick Burlington, representative of British and Colonial kincmatographers, has returned after a thrilling descent of 1200 feet into the crater of Mt. Vesuvius, to obtain a picture film. He spent several nights on the crater and after a month succeeded in avoiding tlv; authorities and secured a rope oi sufficient length to cover the precipitous first portion of the edge of the crater. He was accompanied by three guides, one of whom was left in charge of the" rope. The party descended five hundred feet with the greatest difficulty. They relied on having a favorable wind, but it changed, and for twenty minutes they were enveloped in suffocating fumes. The guides wanted to retreat, but were not allowed to do so. The next live hundred feet were descended' between two walls of smoke, while on all sides they were surrounded by steam from the fumaroles-. The lava exuded heat and the temperature was from three to four hundred degrees Centigrade. Thence they slipped quickly to the lower levels-. The fumes turned metals black and affected their eyes and throats. Reaching a depth of one thousand feet Burlington commenced photographing amidst continuous noises from the bubbling lava, with a temperature of six I hundred degrees, like that of a blast j funiace'in full work. They next ! ed to 1200 feet, and obtained more pictures. They reached the surface at the end of a four hours' struggle. The films are developing well, though it is impossible to reproduce the marvellous irrideseent scenes witnessed inside the crater.