The Express.
London, England, 1858-06-08 00:00:00

ANOTHER GREAT ERUPTION OF

VESUVIUS.

(TROY o OWN 00111NOONDINT.)

NAPLES, MLT 31.

The great topic of conversation amongst all the
residents and visitors here now is the great eruption
of lava from Vesuvius, which astonishes all behold-
en. I send you the following reports, drawn up by
Corsolino, the oldest guide of Vesuvius. The first
is dated the 27th of May:
"On the 21st of this month Vesuvius threw out
'bombe e matte; on the 26th a stream of lava issued
forth, and lasted for three hours; on the 27th, at an
hour after midnight, the crater trembled and burst
in two, forming a new mouth, neer the spot where
a French gentleman was killed some time since.
The lava, however, still °outlined to ran over the
mouth. Many smoke holes have been found, throw-
ing out smoke of various colours. This night we felt
an earthquake, occasioned by the shock of the
mountain.

The report of the 29th of May is as follows:
"On the 27th, at 9 a.m., the crater trembled, and
then split, forming great fissures, five or six feet in
width. It then fell to the bottom. It is impossible
to approach it near on account of the:danger, and
the smoke renders it impossible to make any obser-
vations at the bottom. At the foot of the mountain,
in the direction of the Atrio del Cavallo, five
' craters have been found, which throw out ' bombe e
saette,' and the great current of lava proceeds in the
direction of Ottajano and of the Hermitage. On the
28th, at mid-day, in the direction of Torre del Greco,
a ' month' was formed, whence issued a stream of
lava, which makes gigantic progress, and affords a
wonderful spectacle."
Nothing indeed can be more brilliant than the ap-
Lerof the mountain by night, when it seems
evlnci'n fire light. Unfortunately for the winter
residents, most of them have now left Naples, after
having indulged for many a month the hope of
seeing an eruption. Those, however, who are on the
spot are thronging to Resins, and u there is every
probability of there being a very considerable erup-
tion, many persons will be running down to Naples
to witness wonders of the burning mountain. At
present no apprehension is felt for consequences, but
should the flow of lava continue to advance as it has
done within the last two days, much damage may
be expected. _ _

Ives 1.
I mast add • few details to the report I have
already sent you of the great eruption of 1868.
Vesuvius is now really a mountain of fire. On all
sides flow down streams of lava so wide and rapid
that of night the mountain appears to be clothed
with lire. I can indeed give you but a very imper-
fect idea of this extraordinary spectacle. Whilst
there are four great currents, there are a vast num-
ber of other lava streams, which, like threads, or
the filaments of network, intersect each other, and
unite at various points, forming a mighty flood to
pour down on the devoted land. The first great
stream is that which descends in the direction of
Ott•jano. It isrues from a month in the Atrlo
del Cavallo, not Air from ths bass of the Somme,
led sowing through the tansy, it skirt. the Ran

mitage, which it leaves to the left. Some of the •
ground is calculated in width at about a quarter of
a mile, though I hue heard of a much greater dis-
tance. Round the Hermitage it winds like a ser-
pent, and thoesioi in one solid mess, it marches on
by detaching from itself gigantic pieces which fall
by their own weight. A second stream is not far from
it, and takes almost the same direction. A third
tends towards Pompeii, and a fourth, which is the
moat menacing, is making rapidly toward Resins;
it has entered in the course of the very stream
which destroyed Herculaneum, and the public, who
are ever prone to e or anticipate
evil, calculate that tray g at its present
rate it must arrive at Resins in a few hours. It
has already entered on the road which leads to that
town ; and the police on Sunday night were advising
the people about the Hermitage to be careful lest
their road house by Resin& should be cut off by the
lava. This stream is fed by three mouths, which
have opened at about a quarter of a mile from the
main cone, which is now almost inactive, a few
sparks only struggling through it, just enough to
attest its existenoe. The activity of the three mouths
above described is something wonderful. They puff,
and pump up matter without owing, not all
together though, but one after another, with such
force that the body of matter flows down
at a gigantic pace. Already have many vine-
yards been destroyed, whilst the poor pea-
sants stand by in mute despair, or fill an
oratory by the road side in every attitude of suppli-
cation. Even the trees protest loudly against the
violence of their destroyer. How they his, and
lament, and throw their agitated limbs about, as if
a strong wind were upon them.
On Sunday evening there was an illumination in
honour of the Queen, whose marriage day it was ;
but how paltry and pale the artificial lights of the
city looked, contrasted with the brilliant splendours
of the mountain! Thousands of people were out
there, and almost every country in Europe was re-
presented, judging from the variety of languages
one heard spoken. Strange wandering spirits the
people looked, each man with a torch in his hand ;
and in such an extraordinary scene as that it would
have required no great stretch of imagination to
have fancied them beings of another world. Of
course hotel-keepers and coach proprietors are
making a good harvest, and are praying for
a continuance of the eruption—in their hearts
I mean, as human lips would scarcely dare to im-
prove so great a disaster. Yet it may ward off other
and more terrible disasters. I travelled with a priest
a few days since ; it wu 011 the day after the last
shock of earthquake. He would not believe in that,
but descanted on the great merits of St. Januarius
for having saved Naples from the effects of earth-
quake on the 16th of December but. But now that
the living fire is devouring the fair vineyards on the
sides of Vesuvius I wonder what does the priest
think of the great protector, Bt. Januarius? That
priest is one of a corporation, however, who never
lose faith in so profitable a creed, and the per
will stilton the sincerity of their hearts,
pray and promise the votive offerings on condition of
such protection.
I spoke above of streams of burning lava, and yet
that word gives no adequate idea of the character
of the mans of fire which is coming down. It is not
a fluid stream, it is a gigantic river of
glowing coke, and millions of pieces of it
are all grinding and rolling against one
another ; they make a noise as of shingles on the
beach wished by a stormy sea, only the waves must
be oontintions, for the sound of the fiery flood never
came. Of the dimensions of those streams it is im-
possible to speak with any precision, so easily is the
eye deceived, and especially by night. Of some
streams you only see the crest, and are apt to ima-
gine them smaller than they really are, whilst others
appear so long and wide as to cause an exaggerated
calculation of their proportions. With respect to
their height, too, as you stand before them and re-
treat step by step, the impression is that they may
fall down like a cascade of moulten lead and over-
whelm you ; and yet, so far from doing so, the mass
is never diminished, the continuity of progress is not
stopped, whilst progress is made only by the conti-
nual falling over of the fragments. The effect is
inexpressibly wonderful.