In the April 1933 Popular Science issue, explorer Arpad Kirner recounted his descent into the mouth of the flaming Stromboli volcano.
While Kirner offers scientific insights into the peak’s guts—“timing the rhythm of the explosions” and “gathering samples of gases and minerals”—he’s not humble, embellishing his tale with narrative flair distinctive of its era. “Inside a Volcano,” represents a bygone style of exploration and storytelling that made up for its lack of nitty-gritty science with entertainment value.
A steel helmet protected my head from flying rocks. My suit, my shoes, my gloves, were all made of asbestos. Strapped to my back were oxygen tanks that enabled me to breathe amid the fumes. I was realizing a scientific adventure which I had planned for years. For me, this volcano was an old acquaintance. I had studied it many times. I had scaled its slopes, approached its mouth and I knew that, from year to year, the shape of its summit underwent modification. To pick the most favorable spot for my descent, I visited it again. Then I prepared my equipment. All was ready!
As I sank into the pit, I studied the walls of the crater, black, red, yellow, pierced with holes from which sulphurous vapors poured. I saw beneath me immense openings veiled in smoke. When I raised my eyes, I estimated the distance I had descended and asked myself:Suddenly, the descent was over. I landed on a ledge 800 feet below the top of the crater. The rock was extremely hot, but firm. I could stand up.
Three hours passed while I pursued my explorations, timing the rhythm of the explosions, and gathering samples of gases and minerals, studying the unforgettable sights around me and snapping pictures with my camera. No one approaches this slope. Ships that circle the island keep at a safe distance. Nevertheless, Muster and I prepared to make the ascent with motion picture cameras. For the purpose, I had prepared two suits of sheet-steel armor. They would not, of course, protect us from the great blocks of lava, but they would shield us from the small rocks which often fell in showers.
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