Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-12-12
Hin. ne s9esxty # tie sssaate.
MOUNT VgSUvIus

Yesterday (says letter. At 10 O'Clock sc
night, fhe eruption Of Yesuyius, of which
the earthquake seemed tobe5the foreruncc.
took place. we were going 10 visit the
Crater, when the cries OF the people, and
avolume Of fame informed US thai the vol.
cano had opened. lie lava precipllased
itself in three seconds from the last peak
Of the mountain, and took a direction to-
wards shs valley situated hetween Tore
del Greco and Tore del i'Annunziata, two
towns on the sea coast beyond Poriici, and
seven or eishsmiles from Naples.
6 We, set Off Immediately TO see this
wonderful and tremendous phenomenon
nearer. Fromahr place ct oar departure,
we saw the Whole course, OF the Lave,
which extenles nearly Two miles from the
Crater. 10 the houses that JOIN the two
towns The sight was the most r,agnif.,
ciently friah;ful that could be seen. con-
templa.ed The cascades of fame pouring
from the top OF the mountain, and shud-
dered at seeing an immense torrent of FIRE
ravage the finest fields, overthrow houses,
and Destroy il . few minutes, the hopes ard
resources of hundred families.
A line. Of Ere marked the profile Of
the mountaiR a cloud of smoke, which
seemed to send forth from time TO time
flashes Of lightning, hung over the scene,
and the moon appeared TO be pale. No
thing can Adequately describe the grandeur
of the scene, or give an accurate idea of
the horror OF i. As we approached the
spot ravaged by this river Of he'll, ruined
inhabitants having Quilted their houses:
deselated families trying TO save their fur
nirure or provisions, lasr aud feeble re.
source an s.aae:se crowd of curious
persons rctreatlng, step by step from tts
advancing lava and testifying, by extraor.
diHary cries, their wcndsr, fear and pity:
the frighttul believing of the mountain,
the frequent explosions which burst from
the bosom OF the torrent, the cracking of
the trees devonred by the flames, the noise
ofthe walls falling, and the lugubriou, sound
Of a bell which the religious Of the Canal,
dulles, isolated on a little bill & surrounded
by two torrents of FIRE, rang in their distress
such are the details of the frightfuI
scene TO which was a witness.
6 The moment we arrived, the lava
was crossing the. great road below Tore
del Greco. To see it better we got in
TO beautiful house on the road side
from the terrace we saw the fire at no
more than PAGES from US: in minute
we descended, and twenty inmates after-
wards there remained Of the house but
three large walls. approached as near
as the beat and flow Of the current would
permit me. | attempted a. different times
to burn the end of my handkerchief in il:
| could only do it by tying it to my cane.
The lava does not run in liquid waves
it resembles an immense quantity of Goals
on FIRE, which an invincible strength had
heaped up and pushed on with violence.
When it met with a wall, il collected to
the height of seven or ten feet, burnsit,
and overthrow it at once, saw some.
walls get red hot like iron, aud melt, If
| may use the expression, into the lava.
In its greatest speed and on a horizoni-
q road, | reckoned thar the torrent ira
yeled at the rate Of 1S inches minute
lis smell resemhlsd tha. of iron red hot.n