Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-10-10
New Series, Vol. 6---NO.iJ

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small stream which runs near the town sud-
denly disappeared, and the shepherds on the
mountain were alarmed by loud rumbling moi
ses beneath their feet. The morks of an al-
Joining convent, admonished by these phenom-
ena, escaped from their building amos, at the
moment it was rent in twain.
AT the first shock Melf, which contains ten
thousand inhabitants, was prostraed in tbs
DUST nothing but a few crumbling walls survi-
wing the general ruin. An unknown number
of its inhabitants buried under the falling mass
OF fabrics; up to the present moment seven
hundred dead bodies have been disinterred aud
others are constantly being found more than
two hundred persons lie in an dlacent hosp
tai, suffering under gtievous wounds, while ma.
ny have been dug out alive from the ruins
Amongst others, female infaht year old,
after lying buried for two days, was brought
ont living and unharmed, and restored to its
afflicted mother, widowed by this same caam-
ty.
The neighborng towns of Atella, Roneor,
Barile, and Rapolla, are sufferers by the same
convulsion. Rionero is general wreck, not Il
sound house remaining-more than IA hundred
persons have here pershed and as manv have
been manned or wounded. In Barile, the only
edtce not entirely destroyed is the orphan asy-
Ium, while the discovered dead amount to about
one hundred and fifty. In the commune of
Bari, the towns of Ceraio, Minervno Spnaz.
zoa, Andra and Trani, were all injured more
or less. In Canusa, the ancient Cdposium.
founded by Diomed, and whose walls once er-
closed circuit Of sixteen miles, three hundr.
and seyenty-six houses were thrown down AT
the last reports the shocks around Mount VOL
ture continued, an one-half of the city Of We
nosa, the ancient Venusia, containing six thou
sand inhabitants, and celebrated as the birth.
place Of Horace, was destroyed. The moun-
tain provinces Of the Abruzz and of Calabria
where the earthquake of 1888 DESTROYED three
hundred cities and buried thirty thousand hu
man beings, have thus far escaped.
The recen earthquake commenced with a
sharp conclusion, which was succeeded bv an
urdulatory movement, the first shock being
about sixty seconds in duration. At Melf there
were six shocks, the first at GA p. NJ, the
second at la, the third at 1 A. the fourth at
/ 10 p. d., the fifth at A. NJ, and the sixth at
7 a. NJ. AT my summer residence in the coun-
try, eighty miles from Melf, the house shook to
its foundation, and such was the vibration, tha,
il was difficult 10 descend the staircase. For
ten minutes previous the house dog howed in
most dismal tones, the chickens cackled and
hurried about as if fleeing from some anticipa.
ted danger, and a pair of turkeys rose in the air
and flew around the house, screening as if sei-
zed by secret terrer, while all the dogs in the
neighborhood were in full bay. No damage
was done at La Cava, or at Naples, beyond
slight cracks in old walls.
/ All eyes are now turned upon Vesuvius, as
the safety valve through which the struggling
subterranean fires and steam may find safe
vent: and 1t ls generally supposed that an IT.
ruption is emmncnt although no local signs
are apparent The whole country from Naples
to Reggie and the Straits of Messina, is a VOL
canic region, forming that great viaduct of fire.
which flows from -Etna to Nesuvius. Stron-
boil in the Ipar group. which has been burn
ing for three hundred years before the Chris
tain era down to the present tlme is one ofthe
escape pipes of this field of submarine and
subtcrrunean combustion, but it is inadequate
to those great occasions when the gases o. the
overchargcd earth seek vent; Nesuvius or
E.tna are alone equal to such emergencies.
1t is a curious fact that the apparently ex-
tinct volcanoes often produce the greatest de-
yas,ation. Nesuvlus was silent for an mneln-
oriable period down to A. d., 79, the date OF
the destruction of Ilcrculaneum and Pompei.
After long interval OF slunber, Mount Epo-
meo in lschla burst out A. d. 1901, and cov-
cred the whole island with deluge of lava,
and 4. ID lJ3S. Monte Nuoyo. in the Campi
Plegrae, in thlrty-sX hours rose from the bow
els of the earth to height of four hundred
and forty feet, near the site of an old crater
The Soltaterra, in the same vicinity, continues
to smoke, while the twenty-six craters around
it, specifically Judging, are extinct 1t would
=, be rash prediction, however, to make, that
they will never return to life, SO long as the
; smoke issuing from the Soltaterra indicates the
eXistance Of 4 bed Of living fire around their
foundation. From the formation OF this latter
=, 4
duced. which, whether Just or not. possesses
some plausibility. From forty to fifty feet be-
- low the surface OF the Soltaterra, in sinking
pits for sulphur, boiling water is always found,
which heats the sand up to the surface as any
; one may testify by collecting handful; and 1t
has also the effect with the underlying heat, 10
: boil the water in the alum watts, sunk few feet
, in the EARTH
Steam and smoke nj G constantly issllng from
> the submits of the hills around the crater, as
well as from large cavity at their base, all IN
' dicutng that the earthly strata rests upon a
70 lake of water, beneath whlc is fiery furnace.
This probably is the formation of Nesuvius and
; all other volcanoes, which. i It be the case,
may explain their eruptons by the agency ol
these subterranean waters heated into steam,
and when choked or ovcrcharged from distant
: and communicating sources of combustion,
] uUTSllllH llht Il uplltI anu lulluu>N tNP'pui'S
into the air the superintendent mass and their
g obStructng contents. The ,upposItion derives
some support from the fact that boiling waite.
is always elected in erup,lons.
The loss of life from the earthquake Of the
l4th ult., it is supposed will amount to more
than two thousand five hundred souls. Every
effort is making by the proper authorities TO NIT
. igate the calamity, and the government has al
ready contributed ten thousand ducats to the
relief of the survivors. 1t Is to be hoped that
fresh disasters may not arse, but serious ap-
prchenson will be felt OF the subject until III
:, na or NesuyIus get into action, Truly yours,
y EDWARD JOY MoRRIs.
The following graphic account is extracted
from the Naples correspondence Of the Londor
DAILY News -
e NEAR MELrI, Aug, 25,-I will endcavos to
g give YOU narrative of what have seen in
II my Journey from Naples to the scene Of tho
5 awful events of the llth. When ! rea 2hcd
5 the table land of the Terra di Layoro. learnt
# that the earthquake had been felt there much
I -, Ia. a., =.