378 WASHINGTON AND DAY VOLCANOES OF SOUTHERN ITALY 



ruined funicular station house. Of these the greatest is the Fumarola 

 (lialla (Yellow Fmnarole), so called by Malladra because of the bright 

 yellow and orange coloration of the cliffs in its vicinity. This was in a 

 state of intense activity, great clouds of vapor issuing from it. The tem- 

 perature of this fumarole as measured by Capello in September, 1911, 

 was 138°, while Malladra found 295° in May, 1912, 330° in September, 

 and 347° in October, 1913. 



Since the eruption of 1906 there have been continual slips of material 

 from the crater walls. Especially noteworthy slides of large sections of 

 the southwest scarp took place in March. 1911, and January, 1913, the 

 last hciiig coincident with and apparent!) due to a marked subsidence in 

 the southei'ii part of the crater floor. 



In April, 1913, there took place what was regarded by ]\Iercalli as the 

 beginning of a reawakening of activity at A^esuvius, shown by a decided 

 increase in the number and activity of the fumaroles in the crater floor, 

 especially near the slight subsidence of 1913, and by almost daily slight 

 local earthquake shocks. This culminated during the night of May 9-10 

 in the formation, at the site of the previous subsidence, of a large funnel 

 {Inihuto), estimated to be some loU meters in diameter and about 70 

 deep, from which issued continuously a dense column of white smoke. 

 On the -")tli of July direct connection with the interior Avas established l)y 

 the opening of a "bocca," or mouth, near t!ie lowest point of tlie fuiuiel 

 and just below the steep scarp formed Ity the great subsidence. This 

 orifice was incandescent even in full daylight, and from it issued large 

 puffs of yellowish smoke, accompanied by loud roarings. 



Taking advantage of the acquired relative stability of the long slope 

 formed by the slide of the previous March, Doctor Capello, at that time 

 assistant at the Vesuvius Observatory, made the first descent into the 

 present crater in September, 1911. In May, 1913, Dr. A. Malladra, 

 Director of the Observatory, descended the crater for the first time, and 

 has since then gone doAvn several times, on some occasions accompanied 

 by other scientists. These descents were made from a point on the south- 

 southeast rim near the tourist viewpoint, the slij) of 1913 having ren- 

 dered parts of Capello's route impracticable. One of us (Washington) 

 had the opportunity of accompanying Doctor Malladra in a descent on 

 June 9, 1914, during which observations were made of the conditions then 

 obtaining within the crater. 



It may be mentioned that the intentioii at the outset was not to make 

 the complete descent, Init to discover a favorable locality for the placing 

 of a steel cable for the transport of instruments and specimens into and 

 out of the crater. On this account no thermometers, collecting tubes for 

 gas, protective masks, or instruments were carried, and consequently 



