The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-23
The Recent Earthquake Ina the Kingdom OF
Naples.
LEGATION OF TIE U. 8. Of AMERICA,
NAPLES, ITALY, August 20, 1851.
TO he Editor. eftae tVa.hington Republic.

continental part OF THIS Kingdom, from the north
sip confines of Calabria to the Roman from
tier, was agitated by several .calamltous shocks
of earthquake. This CONFUSION appears to
have had It's origin in the volcanic region Of
Mount Nolture, about one hundred miles to the
southeast of Naples. 1t is detached and iso-
lated eminence, three thousand feet in eeva-
ton, rising at the point where the Appenine
chain terminates, on the borders Of Basilicala
and Apulia; its slopes and SUBMITS are broken
into numerous craers, of the vitality of which
no record exists, but which yet bear unmstak-
able evidences of eruptiye violence at some re-
mote period.
The city Of Melf, separated from Mount Volture
by deep ravine, is built upon the summit of a
hill, the composition Of which is grey lava, inter
sected by strata of travertne upon layers Of ashes
sand tufa, and decomposed staactites, all denotpg
the site of an extinct or dormant volcano. Previ-
Gus to the first shock small stream which runs
near the town suddenly disappeared, and the
shepherds on the mountain were alarmed by loud
rumbng noises beneath their feet. The monks of
an adjoining convent, admonshed by these pheno-
mena escaped from their building almost at the
moment it was rent in twain. At the first shock,
Melf, which contains ten thousand inhabitants,
was Frustrated in the dust, nothing but few crum-
bling walls surviving the general ruin. An un-
known number Of its inhabitants were buried under
the falling mass OF fabrics; up to the present mo
ment seven hundred dead bodies have been disin-
tered and others are constantly being found !;
more than two hundred persons lie in an adjacent
hospital, suffering under grievous wounds while
many have been dug out alive from the RUNE
7 Amongst others, female infant year old, after
lying buried for two days, was brought out living
and unharmed, and restored to its afflicted mother
widowed by this calamity.
The neighboring towns of Atella, Romero, Ba-
rile, and Rapolla sufferers by the came convul-
sion Romero is general wreck, not a sound
house remaining-more than hundred persons
have here perished, and many have been MAIN
ed or wounded. In Barile, the only edhce not en-
| tirely destroyed is the orphan asylum, while the
discovered dead amount TO about one hundred and
NIFTY. In the commune of Bari, the towns of Cerato
Mlnervino, Spinazzola, Andria, and Trani were ell
injured more or less. In Canosa, tho ancient Ca
nositm, founded by Diomed, and whose walls once
enclosed circuit vi sixteen miles, three hundred
and seventy six houses were thrown down At
the last reports the shocks around Mt Volture
continued, and one half of the city of Venosa the
ancient Venusia. containing six thousand inhabt-
ants, and celebrated as the birthplace of Horace,
was destroyed. The mountain provinces of the
Abruzz and OF Caabria where the earthquake of
1888 destroyed three hundred cities and buried
capped.
| The recent earthquake commenced with sharp
| concussion which was succeeded by an undulato
| ry movement, the first ehock being about sixty
seconds in duration. At Meld there were six
shocks, the first at p p M, the second at 81, the
third at the fourth at 10 p. m, the fifth at a. M
and the sixth att a. m At my summer residence
in the country, eighty miles from Mef, the house
shook to its foundations, and, such was the vibra-
ton, that difficult to descend the staircase
For ten minutes previous the house dog howled in
most dismal tones, the chickens cackled and hur.
ried about as if fleeing from some anticipated dan
ger, and pair Of turkeys rose in the air and flew
around the house screaming as if seized by secret
terror, while all the dogs in the neighborhood were
in full bay. No damage done at La Cava, or
at Naples, beyond slight cracks in old walls.
All eyes are now turned upon Vesuvius, as the
safetyvalve through which the struggling subter-
ranean fires and steam may find safe vent; and il
10 generally supposed that eruption is mmi-
nent although no local signs yet apparent.
The whole country, from Naples to Reggie and
the Straits of Messina, lie a volcanic region form
ing that great viaduct Of fire which flows from
1Etna TO Vesuvus. Stromboli, in the L4pari group,
which has been burning for three hundred years
before the Christian down to the present time
is one of the escape pipes ofthis field of submarine
to those great occasions when the gases of the
charged earth seek vent; Ycsuvius or 1Etna are
alone equal to such emergencies.
1t ia a curious fact that the apparently extinct
volcanoes often produce the greatest devastation.
Vesuvius was silent for immemorial period
down TO A. D. 10, the date of the destruction of
Herculaneum and Pompcii. After long interval
| of slumber, Mount Epomeo in Ischia burst out A.
ID. 1901 and covered the whole island with deluge
OF lava, and A. d. 1888, Monte Nuovo in the Campi
Phlegraei In thirysix hours from the bowelsof
the earth to height of four hundred and forty feet
the site of old crater. The Solfaterra in
the same vicinity, continues to smoke while the
twenty six orators aroundit specifically judging,
| are extinct. 1t would be rash prediction, how
ever to make that they will never return to life so
long as the smoke issuing from the Solfaterra in
dicates the existence of bed of living fire around
their foundations. From the formation of this lat
ter crater theory of volcanic action may be de-
duced, which, whether just or not, possesses some
Piausibility. From forty to fifty feet below the
surface Of the Solfaterra, in sinking pits for sui
phur, boiling water is always found, which heats
the sand up TO the surface, any one may test by
collecting handful; and it also has the effect with
the underlying heat, to boil the water in the alum
watts, sunk few feet in the earth. Steam and
smoke are constantly issuing from the SUBMITS Of
luc as wei as II ON large
cavity at their base, all indicating that the earthly
strata rests upon lake of water, seneath which ia
fiery furnace. This probably is the formation of
Vesuvius and all other volcanoes, which, if it be
the case, may explain their eruptons by the agen-
cy of these subterranean waters heated into steam,
and, when choked or overcharged from distant and
communicating sources Of combination, bursting
like boiler, and furiously exploding into the air
the superintendent mass and their obstructing
contents. This suppositon derives some support
from the fact that boiling water always elected
in eruptions.
The loss Of life from the earthquake OF the l4th
ut., it is supposed, will amount to more than two
thousand five hundred souls. Every effort is max
ing by the proper authorities TO mitigate, the Gala
NIFTY, and the government has already contributed
thousand ducats the relief of the survivors.
1t is to be hoped that fresh disasters may not arise
but serious approximations will be felt the sub
ject until Etna or VeSuvius get into action.