The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-28
LECTURE IN WASHING TON.
Before the snitnsoG Ian Institution.


On Monday he addressed a very crowded Audience,
on the remaining volcano, Of which he had prin-
cipaly TO trcat--shot Of Etna which exceeds in
magnitude, majesty, and beauty, all the oshors,
We had almost said combined, that are scattered
over the face Of the globe. On the preceding
evening, he said, his auditory had been occanied
with the consideration Of the volcanic pheno Of
continental Europe especially those Of Vesuyius,
and the ruins caused by she,r eruptys energy. IL
WAS dis purpose this evening, 40 sad 10 pass on to
Sicily, and TO call the attention Of nis auditory more
particularly 10 tho contemplation OF Etna. Ho
then gave q brief account OF his voyage TO Sicily,
and az the islands in the BAY Of Naples. The morn
ing after leaving Naples, no said, they were up
with the E0an islands, and close 10 the volcano OF
Stromboli These islands are ton in number, and
lie between Sicily aud continental Italy. Strom-
boil ID is SAID has ceased its volcanic action
single day-its fires are IN unTemitting assiyity,
the eruptons taking place ut regular intervals,
var ing from three 10 eight minutes but rs tho
vessel passed it in tho day time, the fire was not
yisee, which woRld have been apparent at night,
AND they merely witnessed the emission OF smoke
and steam, at an elevation OF fifteen or sixteen
ndred feet. They passed on, aud discovered
Sicily, with the bern OF Etra towering above the
asjacent mountains. the cone of which is capped
With iava-thsn comes the region Of icethen the
WOODY region, and then that OF . highly fertile
character They passed through the strait, about
two miles in length, and completely lsndlocked, in
which is situated Sylll aud Chary bdis withou. see.
ing anything of the famous Whirlpool so remark
able in classic story, although it was stated that at
q particular turn of tide danger might be appre-
hsuded The party landed at Massoiri, aud dis
tiDctIy traced the regages Of tho earthquake OF
1883, in which poor Caabria was destroyed, and
from fifty TO eighty thousand persons persisted.
They then visited Saolrminia, and thence pro.
ceeaed to Catania, that they might have
better view of Mount Etna At Hartford,
Connecticut, the Professor said, there is in the
possession OF MIR. Cole, sketch Of the moun-
tain, taken from this spot Lava is 80 abundant
here, that all the houses and other structures arc
built of this material, and which must have bsen
discharged at a very early date. The fret object
that attracted attention was IN immense field of
lava, that overfowed in 1869, which is three miles
long and three broad. IL flo we'd on to the walls
Of Catania, which had been constructed to the
Insight Of sixty feet in anticipation Of such
renee. When it had arrived near the walls IL
seemed TO pause, and then mounted up, and with
out touching them, fell over and overHowed the
city, aud thence flowed en- to the sea, where IL
formed n cove, and created q harbor whore none
existed before. The arrest of the progress of the
lava opposite the walls, the Professor attributed
to the gases which were emitted in advance, and
thus Distracted the onward movement The lava
in this place, he said, was not deoompoed although
II frequently deconposes, and becomes fertile SOIL
The psrty now commenced the ascent of Mount
Etna From Catania to its summit the distance is
thirty miles; and the latter is upwards of eleven
thousand feet above the level of the sea. Its cir
cumference at its base is one hundred and eighty
miles, and On its sides seventy to WINS and
villages, containing 1l5,0o0 inhabitants. The
nountais, as has before been observed is divided
into three regons-the fertile, the woody, an the
barren. The cultivated country abounds with all
that is required in civilized life, and extends
through an ascent of from twelve to eighteen
miles The woody or temperate region, extends
IN direct line eight or ten miles, and forms
zone of tho brightest green all round the noun.
tain, exhibiting pleasing contrast to the STOW
and ice above, and many parts are considered as
the most delightful spots upon earth. Around the
main core, are numerous parasitical or subordinate
cones From these diferen substances are thrown
ashes, and sometimes small stones. The Professor
stated that he had mentioned, on q former
evening, that the diameter of the cup of the crater
of Mauna Loa is seven miles in diameter with 4
depth of one thousand feet; but here il q crater
with diameter Of twenty miles, and cup Of up
wards OF three thousand feet deep. Etna, he CON.
tinued, had been often eruptive, and its eruptions
werc recorded from the earliest periods of history
but during the present century they have MOI
taken place oftener than once in four years: the
noise that is made, which resembles the firing Of
artillery, being heard at regular intervals of three
minutes. And, although during one Of the erup.
lions upwards OF fifty thousand people were de.
stroyed yet the Inhabitants dwell on the sides and
at the base Of the noun tain, entirely unap pref hen.
five OF danger The Professor said he might
multiply instances of volcanic phenomena /: bat
after what had been described, i: would only be a
waste OF time he gave minute account of the
afcept and descent Of Mount Etna on the backs of
faithful mules and donkeys, who are left to select
their own path, wsding through ashes, the person
who is mounted having to hold only the maze in
the steep ascent, but who, in descending expert
ences more difficulty and danger. The scene, he
faia, On arriving at the summit, is magni6oentbs.
yond conception and its beauty was enhanced by
the subordinate or, as he termed them, parasitcaI
cones, OF which, 1t is said, there three hundred
at ohe time he counted 6fty. After all that had
been stated, Professor Silman remarked, his
audience could need other proof Of the existence
OF fires in the interior Of the globe, and which may
break out at any time Connect tho circumstence
OF the existence OF these volcanoes with the heat
tnat Is found to exist beneath the surface of the
earth, and there could remain no doubt that in
terhal fires are constantly raging beneath. There
cannot be a greater fallaey than the popular idea
which prevails, that cold water may be obtained
by digging deep, for, at depth Of two miles from
the surface, such is the heat of tho globe At that
point, that water will boil. Still, he said, this
internal heat has nothing to do with the tsmpera-
ture Ct the atmosphere on the surface OF the earth
Inc Professor here stated that, in his Introductory
lecture, PC gave some general definitions Of the
trap and basaltc formation. Of the former OF
these were the Palisades in Now Jersey, on the
North river; tho Giants Caussway in Ireland.
bia river, in Oregon-drawings of which ware ex-
6ipNed' Ire term trap, he explained, was derived
from the Swedish word f0ppa--a stair, which these
strata very much resemble, between each Of which,
On that near the Columbia river, is layer of peS-
bles and debriethe cause of which he did not yorv
satisfactorily account for. He considered it, how.
ever, as submarine mountain of which there arc
doubtless many under the ooean--in fall volcanic
activity; and # they 90 not protrude above it's sur
face, it is because Of the supsrin weight OF
water. Ihe Professor here divergsd to touch upon
Siberia, where there is only three feet of soil over
he'd OF ice, through which well has been sunk
ninety feet; ard it was expected that water woald
be reached at the temperature of 81 deg. On this
thin soil, however, rye viii grow, and even trees
are TO be found After abiding to the circumstance
Of OF ignsous rocks not being always volcanic, the
mEercsptitle transition from compact lava TO
basalt and trap in their varieties and varisus ro ks
ueed IN Architecture and the aIts no concluded By
Illustrating the theory Of internal heat by some sx
peIim.ntsi illustrations. Having satisfactorily
proved the existence Of internal ffes he said the
qsest,on naturally iresea ted ieef--whence il this
heat derived? Werner, owing to his limited Geld
ior observation and study, referred the changes on
tho earth surface, for the most part to water and
attributed the combustion which produces volcanic
action, to the burning Of csal fields But ali the
coal n the World the Professor said would Of sun
ply Mount Etpa. OF the sources OF this internal
heat. however, modern science has informed w.
About sixty years since, Galvsni made the diaco.
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