This railway, the last new project in mountain-climbing, is now finished.
It is 900 metres in length, and will enable tourists to ascend by it to
the very edge of the crater. The line has been constructed with great
care upon a solid pavement, and it is believed to be perfectly secure
from all incursions of lava. The mode of traction is by two steel ropes
put in motion by a steam engine at the foot of the cone. The wheels of
the carriages are so made as to be free from any danger of leaving the
rails, besides which each carriage is furnished with an exceedingly
powerful automatic brake, which, should the rope by any chance break,
will stop the train almost instantaneously. One of the chief
difficulties of the undertaking was the water supply; but that has been
obviated by the formation of two very large reservoirs, one at the
station, the other near the observatory.
—_Railway Times_, 1879.