The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-12 00:00:00

VESUVIUS.

The Correspondent of The Times writes from Naples, Sep-
tember 29:

"For the last two or three days, according to Pro-
fessor Palmieri's report the activity of the mountain
has much diminished and the ohmic instruments have
been quieter. At the time of the new moon there was
an increase of activity, as is always the case, and as we
shall witness, no doubt, at the time of full moon; but
the mountain pursues its regular course, except at
those seasons, and some little time must elapse
before what the world calls an eruption will
occur. Of what character it will be it is im-
possible to say precisely, but appearances indicate
that it will be a lava eruption presenting in-
deed a most brilliant spectacle, but unaccom-
panied by those horrors which marked the eruptions
of 1854, 1861, and 1872. I witnessed them all three,
and cannot sympathise with the almost j.)yous expec-
tation of numbers of persons who are looking forward
to another as a kind of festive scene. During that of
1854 our houses rocked and we spent the night in
the streets. A slight increase of the movement
would have brought the houses about our ears, and
this at intervals lasted for two days and two nights.
Those who were killed in the provinces amounted to
many thousands, as I reported to you at the time,
and among the English residents and visitors a sub-
scription was raised, which was distributed in the
Basilicata by an English committee. In 1871 Torre
del Greco was partially destroyed I believe
for the tenth or eleventh time. Yet, though
the whole population fled, all soon returned, re-
built their houses, and are now living at the base of
the mountain as careless and thoughtless of danger as
the animals around them. The eruption of 1872 was
most terrific; darkness was on the face of the land.
Upwards of two hundred persons were destroyed on
the mountain, many of whom were brought
past me as I stood at Regina scorched and skinned
alive. No one who has ever witnessed any such
disaster will look forward to it with any pleasure.
It is an awful spectacle, and even a lava eruption must
awaken sympathy for those who watch the burning
flood destroying their land and their household
goods. It is to be hoped that the eruption which is
now pending will be limited to this, but, as Professor
Palmieri observes it is impossible to say how it
will terminate. The agents are all unseen, but appear-
ances indicate that it will not be of so disastrions a
character as any one of the three I have named. After
a week of about as bad weather al we could have had,
the sky is again of a spotless blue, and a gentle north
wind scarcely crisps the sea. Few foreigners have
come as yet, and there is, as usual, a strong desire to
make capital out of Vesuvius. With the glass at 70
we are congratulated on having such a delicious cool
temperature; and it is delicious after having been
baked with a temperature of 94. A heavy column
rises from the mountain, but for the last two nights I
have not seen even the reflection of the lava on the
sky."

"T 712 GOOD OLD TIMES."-The old times were not
good times, at least for servants. Here is a deed
which, now-a-days would be deemed most brutal and
unmanly, recorded in Pepy's Diary as rather com-
mendable than otherwise :—" December 2,1680. This
morning, observing 15 ome things to be laid up not as
they should be by my girl, I took up a broom and
basted her till she cried exceedingly.