Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-07-14

pers some weeks since, stating, that "grand
project was on foot at Naples" to extinguish the
fires of Vesuvius, by the introduction of the wa
tiers of the neighboring sea upon the flaming
mass, said to lie some thousand feet below the
ocean level. This paragraph has attracted the
attention of our representative at the Neapotan
court and elected from him the following inter-
esting letter, addressed to the editors of the Ma
tiona Intelligencer:
! To render such project feasible, there should be
some reason to believe that the fires of Vesuvius are
concentrated within contracted space Geological
speculation and natural facts at variance with such
theory. The erupons always affect the surrounding
country to distance of fifteen and twenty miles. The
S0fdterra the ancient Forum Vulcan ceases to smoke
the thermal waters in Lake Agnano no longer bub-
BILE up to the surtace-and every hot spring in the
gon, OF the Campi Phlegr8i, sixteen miles from We
suvIus IS agitaed its vitality suspended during the
CONFUSION. The wells dry up, and shocks of earth
quake, more less violent, admonish the populations
thirty miles distant that the volcano is in labor, and
that eruption is at hand.
These phenomena all indicate that Vesuvius is only
vent for vast field OF fire, and mineral combustion,
spreading under the surface 1.-THE earth to great depth
| and 10 an unknown extent The twenty-sx extinct
craters, and the semi-uluant Salfaterra and Monte
| Nuovo, in the Camp Phlegr@, proofs that the
earth seek other issues in this vicinity for its raging
fires than through Vesuvus. Monte Nuovo, in 1888,
after the succession OF twenty earthquakes in twenty
four hours rose amid smoke and the discharge OF fiery
stones the shores OF the Lucrine lake, in foIyeight
hours to height of four hundred and forty feet and
there it remains to this day. It is composed entirely
OF volcanic ashes, scoria, and lava stones and
ly now alter the lapse OF three cenures beginning
yield to cultivation. The heat OF the earth around its
base, circumference OF mile and ns denotes the
near approach OF hidden fires to the surface. Naples
lies upon an lsthmus, between the h7as Volcano OF
Vesuvius and the sumbering and silent aters around
the gulf Baie; and have no doah b. hat beneath
the crust upon which the city, resls IS food con-
Meeting these two opposite volcanic tracts
1t is the genera opinion here that Naples would be
safety of the imprisoned steam and Eases in the
bowels OF the earth, which, deprived of thu mode of
escape would elsewhere explode with accumulated
| Jury. Since A. D. 70, when, after unknown inter-
val of slumber returned to active le with the excep.
ton of the earthquake and volcanic creston Of None
Nuovo, the borders of Campania Felix have been
emp from destructive subterranean CONFUSION. : The
silence Of ancient writers leaves US in the dark as to the
length of this period of ethargy. Strabo, thirty years
before the birth OF Christi suposes to have once been
a volcano, from its form and from the matter around
its summit; in his time its slopes covered with
richly GUILTY. ated fields and vineyards The fact how
ever, that the buried Herculaneum rests upon lava
foundation, the superintendent Resna does upon
the sixty feet separating strata OF lava between and
its Roman predecessor, and that the chariot. wheel
tracked streets of Pompei are laid in the same sub
stance furnishes conclusive evidence that, at
and unrecoded epoch Vesuvus had poured its burning
streams over the plains of Campania. 1t proba-
bly, durpg this OF that ad the he. er.ers OF
hills which environ Naples were thrown up.
Since A. D. 70, when Helcuaneum and Pompsii
destroyed, 1ortY SIX nave occurred; al
first irregular and prolonged intervals but within the
TWO last centuries rarely taken place more than ten
years apart 1t is probematcal if Vesuvius has not
great degree compensated for its destructive rava-
ges by the increased productive powers it has given
the soil After eighty hundred years, the country
overrun by lava becomes tllable again and Yields the
most luxurant crops of grain, the most prolific Vine
yards, and fig and lemon and orange plantations. The
grapes upon volcanic soils makes the strongest and
with care, the best species wine The traveller,
he passes the railroad from Naples to Pompei will
find the road carried for miles through the depostes OF
lava solid and apparently as deeply Embedded in the
earth granite; either side he will see deep quar-
ries, from which blocks being cut for tranpOrta
lion Naples, and he walks the st reefs ofthat c
ty and the surrounding towns, he will be astonshed
know that they well as the sea-walls, breakwa'ers
aud quays said in this once fused material, vomi
ted from the inexaustlbe Vesuvian furnace.
1t is an error to suppose that Jets OF tire are 10 be
seen by night uFon me peak. When not In eruption.
wieahs in the dry summer air, collecting into balloon
shape and floating of in the blue ether, as the gen.
us OF the internal regions were issuing from the bowels
Of the earth on voyage 10 the supernatural antpodeF.
After heavy showers OF rain 10 spring and autumn, or
snow in winter the smoke ascends in black massy co.,
umns enveloping the summit in impenerable veil.
The last eruptons have broken out on the eF ST.
ern flank where the county is less thickly popua ed
than the southern side. recently visited he
SPOT where the lava of 1850 desce nded In going and
returning, travelled entirely around the mountain pass
ing through of the most fertile districts Of county
| have ever seem The vegetation was much more ad
vanced and the atmosphere warmer along The base thu
out upon the plain. In four hours had made half
the circuit and arrived at the village Of Ouaauo; three
quarters OF mile beyond this point, after crossing the
lava of 1889, came 10 that OF 1890. 1t had pouGt
down from the crater in flood several miles in width
and some thirty feet in deph and had suddenly halted
upon the plain, seven miles from its source, forming
precpous wall of rock. The beautiful grounds of the
Prince of Ona ano, as well as his Casino, were LAID
waste, and church and small hamlet completely
buried up Strange to say, such the latent heat OF
lava, that wisp OF straw, upon being placed in
ice, was Immediately blown into flame by the wind
The depression of the cone this side is SO great that
tis probable thatuture erupons will continue to take 10
direction OF Ottaano, unless OF nusua orce shool
open Ientin the wall towards Tore del Greco when
terrible destruction would be stoned to the subj t
towns People build live, and cultivate every where
and about Versuvus. with u,h confidence il the
"great project" of extlnguisling the volcano were
actually accomplished. Should be in this neighbor-
hood when that 'pfodigious" undertaking is beg1' 3,
you may rely upon my reporting PROCESS" ne
6ckleness of Uncle Sam towards his agents abroad Il
no doubt deprive of that pleasure, and | am atrai
my successors ad minimum will not be more fortunate
| than your humble servant. T.. }. M,