The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-01-12 00:00:00

I'6BU/qt.'s.

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The followlag libirtitthe account of s fat* emplids
of Mount Vesuvius isintraMod from a tierman Parma.—
`• NAPLES, Dac, I.—Although Vesuvius for the last
• thirteen months has never ceased to pour fourth streams
of lava, its activity is now rather increased. The erup-
tion of the 25th of November was much greater than
tur the last two years. It commenced daring a terrible
storm, amid showers of rain, snow, sad hail, accompa-
nied by a hurricane blowing from the south, and violent,
peals of thunder. Ou :be previous day, strong 'apts.'
suites, which excited dismay in the neighbourhood.
were beard in the crater. About four o'clock is the morn-
ing they were strongest, and a smart shock of an earth.
quake, which was felt as far as Naples. accom
them. At the same time there ruse fr• it the mon*
the crater an immense pillar of fire, and a pow
stream of boiling lava rolled down the dark sides cf the
mountain with such velocity, that it traversed &span of
more than a mile in less than an hour; and being al.,
. sided into two streams, arrived before noon at the foot
of the mountain. There it threatened with destruction
Torre del Great, and Torre del l'Annansiata. In the
latter place are singularly situated the manufactory of
gunpowder, and the oak foondery which the kingdom
•:ontaius. Fortunately, the currents of lava grew cold
as they descended ; trey lost themselves in the ravines,
and dill not touch the vineyards of the two neighbouring
communes.
"dl. De liimbernat. Counsellor of the Legation of
Bavaria, has attended to these different eruptions, which
he saw commence on the toth of October, 1014. He
lies observed. that the torrent oflava issued from a rew
fissure, which extended itself fisfit the edge of the crater
to a depth of more than a hundred feet, in a vertical line.
The breadth of the torrent of tire which rushed forth by
this breech exceeded twenty-five fret, but it became a
great deal larger on the declivity of the mountain,
o here it divided itself into two branches; the principal'
fell down a perpendicular precipice, forming, a cascade
,of flame 25 feet high by 20 feet broad. After this 1.11.1
the lava accumulated in the abyss below, upon the lava,
which had been deposited there in past ages ; 1 part of It
passed away by another precipice, and conned a second
cascade, less steep. but more wide than the former. It
was then loot in the gulf beneath for above a quarter of
an hour, but only to burst forth again for the third
time. and to form a cascade of more than 60 fret in
• height, and 30in breadth. The torrent then descended
in a direct line like a river on an inclined plane of about
a quarter of a league, and meeting a Vemytan pyramid,
was again divided ; these subdivisions multiplied to a
great number, and at length were absorbed in the dr-
Elea at the foot of the mountain. Since this eruption,
the velocity and quantity of the lan have diminished,
but op to the 7th of December it continued to run atoll Th
the fissure of the crater; the agitation in the interior
seems to continue the same, if one nisy judge by an un-
ceasing noise there like thunder.
"t A few days before the last eruption, M. De Giniber-
rat carried a barometer to the top of Vesuvius, when
be discovered that its height was lessened- by more than
sixty feet since January, 1019, in consequence of the
frequent fallings of the crater. It appeared to have be-
come still lower since that period, as the brow of the
mountain upon which the barometer was then placed,
sunk two days after into the interior.
" It is very remarkable that, notwithstanding the agi-
tAtion of Vesuvius, the well which M. de Hiusbernat dis-
covered a year ago near the concave of the old crater,
still continues to supply pure and &init.:We water, while
a second well which he has discovered since within 20
yards of the first, furnishes water strongly impregnated
,with caloric acid, the quantity of which varies from one
day to another. in proportion to the activity of the vol.
tano.—(Poris paper)
:• t -
LAW INTE'LLIGENCE.