Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-07-12
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
NArIrs, nrAIr,l J Mlr1l.

4
the Intelgencer there appeared paragraph from
Western paper, giving, on the authority Of trave
| Ter, statement of "a grand project on foot
Naples to extinguish the fires of VEsUyIus, by tn
introduction of the waters Of the neighboring Sc
upon the flaming mass, said to lie some thousan
| feet below the ocean level. need hardly assur
YOU that no such design exists, either on the part
Government or individuals. The idea is as Quixoti
as would be the attempt. II most probably derive
its origin from the inventive brain Of the garrulou
guides, who are accustomed TO amuse strangers, il
the fatiguing ascent of the mountain, with the mos
extraordinary fctons and assertions, exaggerated
in proportion to the credulity of the listener.
To render such project feasible, there shoult
be some reason to believe that the fires of Vesuvu
are concentrated within contracted space. Geolo
gcal speculation and natural facts are at varanc,
with such theory. The eruptions always afec
the surrounding country to distance of fifteen ant
twenty miles The SoJatera, the ancient Forum Fueani
ceases smoke-he thermal waters in Lake Agnano nj
longer bubble up the surfaceand every hot spring in ,h
region Of the Camp Phlege, sixteen miles from Vesuvius
j. agaed its vitality suspended, during the conyulson
The wells dry up, and shocks Of earthquake less
lent admonsh the populations thirty miles distant that th
volcano is in labor, and that eruption is hand These
phenomena all indicate that veuvus only vent for
field Of FIRE and mineral combuson spreading under the
face Of the earth great deph and unknown extent
The wenyx extinct craters and the Saatera
and Monte Nuovo the Campi Phlega proofs that The
earth may seek other issues in this vicinity for its raging fires
than through Vesuyius. Monte Nuovo in 1888, after the
succession Of twenty earthquakes in wentyour hours
amid smoke and the discharge of fiery stones the shores
Of the Lucrne lake, in foyeght hours 70 height Of ou'
hundred and forty feet and there remains to this day.
is composed entirely of volcanic ashes scoa and lava stones
and only now after the lapse Of three centuries, beginning
to weld to cultivation The heat Of the earth around its base
circumference of mile and half, denotes the ap-
proach of hidden fires the surface Naples lies upon
isthmus between the living volcano Of Vesuvus and the
sumberne and silent around the gulf of BaH and
doubt but that beneath the crust upon which the city
fiery food volcanic tracts
Il the general opinion here that Naples would be endan
gered Vesuvus become inactive 1t is the safety
valve Of imprisoned steam and gases in the bowels of the
earh which, deprived Of this mode Of escape, would else
where explode with accumulated fury Since A. d. 79,
when after an unknown interval Of sumber returned to
tive % with the exception Of the earthquake and volcanic
creation d Monte Nuovo, the borders Of Csmpania Felix
have been exempt from destructive subteanean commissions
The silence Of ancient writer's leaves in the dark the
length this period Of lethargy. Sabo thirty years before
the birth Of Christ supposes il TO have been volcano,
from its form and from the matter around its summit in his
time its slopes covered with richly cultivated fields and
vineyards The fact however, that the buried Herculaneu
rests upon lava foundation, the superintendent Resina
does upon the sixty feet separating Of lava between
and its Roman predecessor and that the tracked
streets Of Pompe laid in the substance furnishes
conclusive evidence that at remote and unrecoded epoch
Vesuvius had poured its burning the plains Of
Campania It probably during this repose that
the Of the Camp Phlegsi in full blaze and that
the tufo hills which environ Naples were thrown up
Since A. D. 70, when Hercuaneum and Pompei were
destroyed, forysx epions have occurred first egu-
lar and prolonged intervals but within the two last centuries
rarely taking place than ten years apart It is probe-
acal if Vesuvus has to great degree compensated for
its destructive ravages by the increased productive powers
has given to eso After eighty hundred years. the coun
Try by lava becomes abe again. and yields the most
luxuran crops Of grain, the most prolific vineyards and 6g
and lemon and orange plantations The grapes upon volcanic
soils make the strongest and with care. the best species Of
wine The travellers be passes the railroad from Ma.
pies to Pompe will find The road carried for miles through
deposes Of lava solid and apparently as deeply bedded
in the earth granite either side he will deep quar-
re', from which blocks being for transportation to Ma
ples and he walks the streets of that city and the sur
rounding towns he will be aonshed to know that they, as
this fused MATERIAL vomted from the nexhsusibe ve-
suvian furnace.
is error to suppose that jets of fire to be by
night upon the peak When not in erupon its only sign of
vitality is the smoke rising in light wreaths the dry summer
air, collecting into balloon shape and floating off the blue
ether if the genius of the internal regions issung
from the bowels Of the earth voyage the supernal an
podes After heavy showers Of rain in spring and autumn
in winte the smoke ascends in black massy CO.
umns, envelopins the summit in an impenerabe veil.
The two last epons have broken out the eastern flank
where the country is less hicky populated than the south
side recently visited the spot where the lava
1850 descended In going and returning travelled entirely
around the mountain, passing through Of the most fertile
districts Of country have the vegetation much
advanced and the atmosphere along the base
than out upon the plain In four hours had made half the
circuit and arrived at the village Of Onaano quarters
of mile beyond this point after crossing the lava Of 1885,
we came to that of 1850. It had poured down from the
Ter in food several miles in width, and some thirty feet in
depth, and had suddenly halted upon the plain miles
from Its source, forming precpitous wall Of rock The
beautiful grounds of the Prince of Ottasno as well his
Casino, laid waste, and church and small hamlet COM
petey buried up Strange say, such is the latent Of
lava, that wisP Of straw upon being placed in crevce
Immediately blown into fame by the wind The de-
preston Of the this side great that il ID probable
ano, unless of unusual force should open rent in the
wall towards Tore del Greco when terrible destruction would
occasoned to the subacent towns People build ve and