PHOTOGRAPHING VESUVIUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 7

PHOTOGRAPHING VESUVIUS.

DESCENT INTO THE CRATER.

Times-Sydney Sun Special Cable.

London, January 2. The representative of British and colonial cinematograph firms, Mr. Frederick Burlingham, has returned after a thrilling descent of 1200 ft into the crater of Mount Vesuvius to obtain a picture film. He spent several nights at the crater mouth. Avoiding the authorities, he secured a rope of a sufficient length to cover the precipitous first portion of the crater edge, and, accompanied by three guides, while one was left in charge of the rope, he descended the first 500 ft with the greatest difficulty. He relied on a favourable wind, but it changed, ted for 20 minutes enveloped the party in suffocating fumes. The guides wanted to retreat, but Burlingham would not allow them. The next 500 ft they descended between two walls of smoke, while on all sides there were steam fumaroles, and lava exuded. Thence they slipped quickly to the lower levels. The fumes turned the metal on the camera black, and affected the eyes and throats of the men. Upon reaching a depth of a thousand feet Burlingham commenced photographing, amidst continuous noises and bubbling lava. It was like a blast furnace in full work. They next descended to a depth of 1200 ft, and obtained more pictures. The party reached the surface unharmed at the end of four hours' struggling. The films developed well. Although impossible to be reproduced, marvellous iridiscent scenes were witnessed inside the crater.