The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1794-10-07 00:00:00, page 1

American Herald of Liberty.
_____ . ■ • ■' ’ '- ” ‘ ' -r-'. ■ .. . , , , „ . v „ , „ . ... ~ , ........ . .
. ■ ■ -MM—— - _ MMK >IT• j £ t A Z
. Ettraft of a letter from Naples, beginning
June 17, and ending June 21, 1794.
ON Sunday the fifteenth pf
June, I was called to withefs
thegrandeft, the most awful fight,
I ever beheld. —It was about elev
en at night; and the eruption of
mount Verfuvius, f imagine, had
burst forth about twenty minutes
previous to the time of my feeing
in It was on the fide of the moun
tain much below its crater. A few
minutes before the fire and smoke
were visible, a violent (hock of the
earth was fefi, Sufficient to ring thd
htlls in tfie houses, and (hake the
doorsand windows.- When I firft
saw it, it had the appearance of an
immense colamd of fire arising out
of an aperture of the earth of a
wonderful file : the fire was not,
or had not the appearance of be
ing thrown up by jets or coup for
coup? but one continued body or
gerbe. The volume of imoke
greatly exceeded even what could
be expeatd from such a body of
fire? -anthowing to the di region it
cook, we never 101 l fight of the sum
- mic of mount Vefuyius, or of Sem
mina, the opposite mountain, which
heightened the beauty and gran
deur of the feene. The lava broke
out ip many ^places on the sides,
and, it is said from thirty-fix dif
ferent openings these, loon unit
ing in. one greit river of fire, flow
ed with great rapidity towards
Torre del Grseco, a cowh at the
foot of the mountain op the sea
(hore. In its way to this town, it
at one ^imp took a direction that
threatened the town of Portici, but
happily did npt reicH it. The
ilrtanj oLlava was the whole time
a moftvifemendous fight; the
throws from the mountain, the ex
pflofions like thunder, and (hocks
ofthe barth, ^ere repeated at very
imag intervals. At three 1 ven
tmeddter.btd; but at five the fioufe
(hook so much, the windows ind
doors fabled, ahd the bells rang
to xfi4 degree, that I thought it
advifeable to get up again- .
The • feene was how entirely
changid :No Veinvius; nn " fire,
hp fmpke^ po lava to be fen ; the
#h®le .aimofphere was charged
^ich aftiesi and the powder from
i&env hiy art inch thick in the
flrceU • the cxplofiohs awi lhdcks
were less violent, but the lun was
CbfcUred.by the alh^, the gteateft
part of, Monday the fixfenth of
June. To what height the (tones
Or Ihva were ihtown ap, is'not 4c
tufatefy kfiown, but probably a
bout iooq feet: they have been
known inaTormer eFkfeiOft<0 ha vc
been thrown i i,ooofeetir|^hc>
at whitK time Sir
ibn IpMthacM-picked
stoats pf6o pounds in weight at
the diftahce of five* orwtn>wss
E> trail} from London Paper}, to fuf 2J.
ERUPTION Os MOUNT VESUVIUS.
Volume IX.]
* M-r * • • ' ........ 4 Main-Street., Exeter, Hampjhire^ at 6/B per annum.
Miscellany.
f. . .
fourteen thousand; almost all of
whom fled immediately, Without
’ atcemptingjto lecure an^ of their
itffebls^ 1 did not fee more than <
one hundred and fifty perfons,hnd
vety few of these were employed
in laving any thing out of the hou
ses that were beginning to take
fire. Wfiy they fled so fuddenly,'
or at leak did not return earlier
after their firft pahki I cannot ’
; guess : for the progress of the lava
was fa gradual that they certainty
had tifoe to save their effects with
out endangering themfelyes, except
in one instance, higher up the
, mountain, where one house with
{four nuns in it, wds buried before
affrftance could be given.
Thofewho have made obferva-'
trohs On volcanoes; fiy> that this
I istthe greatest ahd moftviolent *
eruption ever known firice the time
‘ of Pliny, A. D. 791 ‘that the ap
ipearahce of this; in many of its
ctfcumftancrs, was similar to the
i one so 1 yfa at which time the
• mountain discharged its foments
? during one day and nighc, then
ceased for ■ the. fame lime, and so.
oh, akernativeiy ion fix days* wwh
exadiy thf fame interfoiflioftsr *
4 : junt i§.
From the continnwcb of the
<wfe, it isimagined Mre lava
most be discharged very foOn ;ac
one of twelve pounds at eight, and
one of two ounces at thirty miles
distance from the mountain.
About ten in rhe morning we
heard that the town of Torre del
Gr^co, eight miles from hence by
water, was entirely confu med,, with
sß,ooo inhabitants : a boat took
us therein two hours,
happily found these reports great- j
ly exaggerated, for only eight per- '
foils were loft, and these either
old, or confined to theit beds by"
sickness, many houses are burlt
and destroyed and more (nuft fuf
fer the fame fate, as the laVa hill
continues to roll . towards the lea,
chough not with rapidity.
The main stream of lava divid
ed near Torre del Gr^co into four
parts: dne having made its way
through the town, reached the sea,
carrying every thing before it: a
second works on through a valley
towards the sea, without doing
much mifehief: a thirds tho’ flow
in its progress, is very mifehieous
in its effects on a different pate of
the town. 1 saw a fourth above
town in a vineyard, presenting a
front of lava 800 feet wide and
100 feet high, which threatens
more mifehef. Imagine then what
mutt have been the mass or river
of lava on the declivity of the
mountain before its firft division.
The rapidity with which it pro
ceeded, varied according co the
greater or lets inclination of the
ground over which it passed : It 1
reached the town, which was at
the distance of eight miles, itj four
hours from the time when it firft
broke out. The inhabitants of
Tone del Graeco are calculated at
TUESDAY, October 7, 1794. '
five years you .have Ibewn your
feiyes worthy of liberty by the fa
z orifices yob have made in irs^cayffe.
The convention do not require of
you hew ficfinces ih the prefer
moment •; they have only tb con
gratulate you upon the abundance
which furrbunds ,you,. and whfch
feature fecmk to have beftowbd in
order tb crown your generous ef
forts ; never was your territory at
any period the feat of such riches.
You have in your fields fubfiftepce
foryourlelVes and for jour brothers,
who fight for yod 6^ your frontier,
and for thofc who Witch over your
liberty in all foe Republic. . The
, law now calls you so the. preserva
tion offo preciobS i djeppuu When
yob were fur refunded by perfidy and
malevolence, feverfe jaws, were,
neceflary tb dverawe jhe Trahors
wfe fpUght to diftraft and fojttCad
the Jk broef <0
them of fubfiftehce.
iwhen the law fias fompved dnd
pbniihed the Cbhip^a^^rid their
; accompfi^s, foe Representatives
'of the Peobte addrcU th^mlelyes
so foVif fepilblicah virtues j
eritrfift to pitre hands foe
luxuriinc W foil a itee Janel
I has ever;ptodd<ed. •; _ f
r ft bfccbiiies iis, wfiep
fotis; ■ d^hiHte fofidbe us by
’ vaiou^ have ifieiidy Wempted to
subjugate us by famine, to tedqce
j them ag^i'foqefoair^hd mmrit*,
I their perfidious efforts by .fecux™
tb durftfWbs all foe .advantages of
i d&rMjea!??
: dfatowii tb*ta6 foafc^
i rtijital iri orderto
Mention with of the
. ADDRESS^ ?
Opibt[Rational. Contention, to the Citizen}
and Commune} of the Republic.
“ /CITIZENS, When the Coun-
Vjt try was declared ih danger,
upon its call, you sent your youth
to the frontiers to defend it; for
this instant the noise is more yidleni
and the ashes thicker than ever.
There has been no eruption where
in the lava has reached the feafiace
1631, at which time the town of
Torre del Grseco was nearly de
stroyed.
. June 19. .
The crater is fallen in—the allies
less tfiick; though the rumbling
like thunder continues, I believe
the danger of another violent (hock
is over. The opening fr om w hence
the lava flowed prior to this erup
tiop, was about a quarter of a
mile in circumference ; it is now
imagrned to fee a mile.
; , June it.
Two other towns have been de
stroyed by a fliower of afhts,' but
all danger is .over here.
Fk^NCS.
XATIOHAI. CONVENTION, JUNE 26.
pafled for this purpose, white it
requires every Citizen to give an
; account of the produce of his har-
Vest, it suggests how that objrA
may bp attained by the dnoft sim
ple means. Who is. he, that whlfe
fiis brothers (bed their blood in
defence.wi# refufe to submit td a
ceofes, whiph tends to fecwe.their
fubfntence ? Who is he wbufe
heart does not desire a measure To
salutary, and who will not,be eager
to concur in it as fqon zs the in
tention of the law (hall be made
known to him ?
u lf there fl ill remains among y oii
any feififla person so insensible rd
the wants of his Country,as not id
comply with ihe. spirit of the law,or
endeavour to elude it, let him be
declared* let the law that moment •
punilh his infidelity, and Jec hii
name, unworthy to be plated a*
mong those Republicans, be in
feibed on the (hameful Im of fu^-
pected persons. But no, citiien^
the law will hot find among yofi
any individuals so bale. It be
longs only to slaves who have no
country, toinfuhte themfeiveSiahd
think only Os their own petty iti
terefts. Here all Republicans are
brothers ; the means and the wanti
of the fafee family are cummdh td
all its memperi, This sacred
maxim is now recognized in til
quarters 6f the Republic i it cfct&
ed in the Hearts of (hole Wofthy
citfensi of thole refpedtable Cqm
\ munes, who without eVen being
required havis Iba red, and ftin
Ibafe, their means of fubfeftencJ
with their brothers in the neighbor
ing departments. Such are tlie
inftaiices which hiftory will colled:
with ehthufiafm ; such is thie he
roism of Republicans which ought
to make despots tremble. Citi
zens, be tranquil, rely on yodr
means of subsistence i in order id
■ difed their deftipation, and alcctC
; tain their extenr, ihe Cphventied
has palled th:s precautionary ide
cfee. The barveft is about rd
commerce I your fields.are cover
ed with abundance. Turn your
eyes towards The country Where
yout brother sfi^htag2i ri ft tyjiri^
j and that these brave foldfesj
their parents and their cbildfoft^
whom yeti have among yb^l
I n%it want the tiferis fef fubhfldh^
hguveft to prepare that fubfiftioee
jlnk it may J^fjfedfly tent W the
j arhbies, to those mratjl .where any
scarcity f$ felt, and tfee^rrm^ wha
ape m L ; wAht. a Ler each of you be
ad .intrepid Taper mtehdUnf, and a
, faithful exebutpf of iiie ta^i
I your ^rj?
on your |»atfibtifiw it repose ibt
• most reader fislfejtedes.’* :
TNFORMATION Am Uf>> btWlWi
the jdM, jhH to kvt
taken place th^tc, a party opposed
the officers from the field, and at highi ptic
[Number 14;