New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-14

And here the lava seemed TO be endowed WIN
| con- sciousness and instinct. No sooner uu =. cO
the momentary check than it commenced rising
Ike the water in the lock Of a canal, ana RON o.
ing at its arrival about twelve feet deep spsediiy
rose to about thirty and attacking the pomo.
shaped solid stone roof Of the main building, ana
at the same time running in OF the windows ana
doors, caused a ratification and condensation OF =
! that made the whole concern Sa4asT WIN leiiihc
report. very serious accident nearly occurred
at the time from the ncautious curiosity OF free
born" citizen of the States. When no traces Oh
the farm or Offices were any longer vlsise beinS
covered by smooth surface Of liquid fire, the poor
agriculturist, the proprietor, together with MS
spos0 their children, and some halfadoZen louts'
set up YELL and beat their breasts, and tore tneir
hair in the true Neapolitan fashion. Instead oil
saving 90 much as they could from destruction,
beyond their mere bedding, they did not aaemptto
remove a single thing: thus all the doors and ht-
tings hangers troughs, also about an acre oil cab
bages, carrots, and celery, together with various
gates and farming utensils, were allowed 70 De de-
stroyed. There was ample time to move those
things, but they preferred bowling and calling on
San Gennaro either to do it for them or stop the
torrent OF lava.
A still more interesting and affecting spectacle
was presented about an hour after, by the destruc-
ton of small church, embosomed in this hapess
wood The lava here, as at the farm, had rather
tough Job, from the extreme solidlty OF the edhce
and with a sort of instinct and conscious pride In
its own irresistible power it dashed forward to the
attack. despite the means and chants Of parcel of
Franciscan friars connected with the church, and
of the mute sorrow of the poor cure. The orna-
ments OF the altar, together with the pictures,
statues, and finery of the Virgin and the patron
saints and the parish records, had all been re-
moved; but the incessant entreaties OF the cure
failed TO induce his pensioners to put their shoul
ders to two fine doors, aad lift them oil their hinges
to place Of security, which they could easily have
done. The bells also might have been saved with
little exertion No; the Virgin or the patron saint
would either appear corporealy, that is, vslbly,
and stop the sacrilegous destroyer or the edliice
would resist and go scathess. From time to time
the bells were tolled mournfally, and cure, monks
and Pensioners, chanted the funeral dirge Of the
sacred edifice where most Of them had been bap
tised, and which was associated with all the prom
inent parts of their little secluded lives. The lava
here nsnuated itsefinto the crypt OF the building,
thereby undermining it so that it was literally
temple rent in twain" the two nearly equal pOr-
tons Of which rocked and tottered to their base,
and then ell-belfry, bells and all, into the burning
gulf Several passages OF the Inferno of Dante
were called 10 recollection this night, and the d.
vine poet ably describes what here plpably and
tangibly represented hell though upon earth For
half an hour an intense dark green lame played
over where once stood the doomed edfce, caused
perhaps by the fusion of the bell-meta below. Ia
other parts blue flames of various degrees of inten-
sity and depth of color played and hckered about.
All night parties arrived from Naples, who had
missed the train and the wood was glittering with
torches approaching and receding in the distance
The arrival OF large body of priests mounted on
all the available iackasses and mules in the neigh
borhood for miles round, caused an immense sensa-
ton among the rustios, as there was little doubt
these worthy would soon settle the business
of the ruthless enemy, and put things to rights;
so to it they went, clergy and aity aud on our de-
parture from this scene OF desoation and woe,
the welkin resounded with the exertions of some
hundreds of pairs of lungs Much Of the beauty of
the effect faded on the approach Of daylight, and
when we left, which was at exactly haltpast six
in the morning the lurid glare aud vivid brlliancy
of the lava was sue, eeded by black carbona-
ceous dullness with only here and there a deep
red glow the volume ottawa had also diminished,
and the crater was hushed. Nature seemed 10
have slight intermission OF her pangs, TO be re-
sumed the following evening.
On our return TO Naples, we learned that a
tragedy OF another and a more sanguinary kind |
had been enacting elsewhere during the night /
Hundreds visited the crater itself, aud the noun
tain literally dotted with little bright starke
points, ascending and fitting like wilo' tn sps. |
The effect picturesque in the extreme |
party of American officers of the squadron here,
with Characteristic and national rashness and curl |
osity, approached too near and one of the officers,
a fine, handsome young fellow, received OF |
hot cacsreous matter on the right shoulder, which
stripped the flesh to the bone far as the elbow.
There was no actual fracture, but the hemonhage |
was so violent, and so long time elapsed before |
he received proper medical aid, that he lies with |
little hope of recovery All the Gaenic skill Of the
place is tending him. He is only %, remarkably |
amable and handsome, and quite the pet Of the |
squadron and of the ladies' He holds the position |
of Commodore's naval aid-dccamp, and is a Lien
tenant in rank. Only few nights since we had |
seen him at ball, the gayest OF the gay his fine |
manly form and features making him almost "the !
observed of all Observers" But another accident !
within ten yards OF the same spot and almost at |
the same time terminated fatally. The victim OF 1
his rashness was Polish officer, who received |
mass OF stone OF some tuns weight on the left thigh,
which caused a compound fracture, and there he |
lay and bed to death, his blood running down into
the very crater itself where it boiled, and Kissed,
and steamed. A Neapoitan gentleman, who re-
lated the particulars 20 US. nearly lost his life, in
his exertiOns to bring the body down the side Of /
tie mountain, for at the time the lava and stones
fell in ali directions thick and fast. Another ndi-
vidual native, had the dexter side Of his lower /
Jaw completely removed by stone, which was |
shot obliquely ont OF the crater, while he was
stretching over peering into its fiery depths. The
catalogue Of Commissions, abrasions, AMI LESSONS
that eventful night would nearly fill one Of your
columns The ladies were everywhere in the van /
Of danger and fatigue, and some have not gone off
scot free. The fair sex have great deal more +
courage than we men willing 10 give them /
redit for This is proved here daily by the intre-
pidity small and delicate women show in their +
accents True, il is to crafty curiosity. strong
instinct on dit, in their nature.
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