New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-09

"hoie leng,h. Looking up toward EtnA, whose base
the read encircles the views are oriousy rich and
beautiful. On the other hand is the blue Mediterranean
and the irregular outline of the shore here and there
eendng forth promontores oflava cooled BY the waves
into the most fantastic forIns
Wehad not proceeded hr before new sign called
my attention TO the mountain. Not only was there
perceptble jsr vibration in the earth but a duh,
groaning sound ike the mutterng of distant thunder
began TO be heard. The smoke increased in yolums,
and as we advanced further the eastward and much
nearer TO the great cone perceived that consisted of
two jets issuing from different mouths broad stream
of very dense white smoke still flowed the lip Of
the topmost crater and down the eastern side As its
breadth did not vary and the edges distinctly de-
fined it was doubt the sulphurous vspor rising from
river of molten lava. Perhaps thousand yards be-
low, much stronger column of mingled black and
white smoke gushed up in regular beats or pants from
depression in the mountain side, between two small
extinct cones All this part Of Etns scarrcd with
deep chams and in the bottoms Of those nearest the
opening could the red CLEAN Of fire. The air
perfectly still and yet there was no cloud in the sky
When stopped to change horses at the town of
Aci Resle rst felt the violence of the tremor aud the
awful sternness Of the sound The smoke by this time
seemed to be gathering the side toward Catana, aud
hung in dark about half way down the mountsin
which looked upward to Etna and discussing the
chances Of an eruption. "Ah said old peasant
the Mountain knows how TO make himself respected
When he talks everybody listens" The sound the
most awful that ever met my cara 1t hard, pain
fu mean and then luttering like suppressed sob
and Lad at the time expression Of threatening
and Of agony. II did not come from Etna alone II
had no fixed location it peryaded I'll space was in
the air in the depths of the sea- in the earth under my
feceverywhere in fact End as continued increase
in violence experienced sensation Of positive dis
tress. The people looked anxious and alarmed al
though they said it good thing for all Sicily that
ast year they had been in constant fear from earth
quskes, and that eruption invariably left the island
quiet for several years It is true that during the past
year parts of Sicily and Caaoria have been visited with
severe shocks occasioning much damage to property
Amerchant Of this city informed yesterday that his
whole family had slept for two months ia the vaults Of
his warehouse fearing that their residence might be
shaken down in the night
rs we rode along from Ac Reao to Taormna all the
rafting Of the diligence the rough road could not
drown the awful noise. There a strong smell of
sulphur in the air. and the thick pants Of smoke from
the lower continued to increase in strength The
sun was fierce and hot and the edges of the suphurou
clouds shone with dazzling whiteness- mounted
soldier overlook u.s. and rode beside the diligence talk
with the pOstilOn lie ma Dccn up 10
ard was taking his report to the Governor of the dis
trict The heat of the day and the continued tremor
of the cir lulcd me into II of doze when was sud
denly aroused by cry from the soldier and the stop
ping of the diligence. AT the time there was
terrific peal of sound followed by jar which must
have shaken the whole island We looked up to Etna,
Which was fortunately in full view before An i'm
mense Of sDowwhe smoke had burst up from
the and rising perpendcuary into the air It's
rounded volumes rapidly whrlng one over the other,
yet urged with such impetus that they only rolled out
werd after they had asconded to an immense hight 1t
might have been minute or fve-for was so en-
tranecd by s wonderful spectacle that lost the sense
OF tme--but il seemed instantaneous, (so rapid and
violent the effects Of the eXplosion) when there
stood in the air based the summit of the mountan
n mass Of smoke four or FIVE miles high, and shaped
precisely like the Italian pine tree
Words cannot point the grandeur Of this mighty tree
Itf trunk Of columncd smoke, side Of which was
sivered by the sun, while the other, in shadow, was
urid with red fame rose for more than mile before
it sent out its cloudy boughs Then parting into thou
sand streams each of which again threw out it, branch
ing tufts Of smoke rolling and waving in the air IL
stood in intense relief against the darkbue OF the sky
IT. rounded masses of foliage dazzlngy white on
one side while in the shadowy depths OF the branches
there wac constant play OF brown, yellow and GRIM
ION tirs, revealing TIE central shaft OF IRE II was
Ike that tree celebrated in the scandinavian saga, as
seen by the mother Of Harold uardrada-that tree
whole roots pierced through the earth whose TRUNK
was Of the color Of blood and whose branches ett the
wtermoet corners C the Heavens.
THIS ouburst seemed to have relieved the mountain
for the tremor were les violent though the terri
bic noise still droned in the air, and earth and sea- And
now from the base of the tree three white streams
slowly crept into many separate chasns against the
walls Of which played the fckcrng glow OF the burn
ing lava. The column Of smoke and flame was still
hurled upward and the tree after standing about
minues-a new and awful revelation Of the active forces
of Nature-gradualy rose and spread losts form aud
slowly moved by lgh, wind Che fret that disturbed
the dcad calm of the day. bent the eastward
| We resumed our course The vast belt OF smoke at
last arched the strait here about twenty miles
wide and sank toward the distant Calabrisn shore As
drove under IT, for some mlss Of our way the sun
was totally Obscured and the sky presented the singular
spectacle OF two hcmispheres Of clear blue with broad
| belt of darkness drawn between them There was
hot sul lureou yapor in the air. and showers OF white
sshos fell from time to time We distant abou,
fifteen miles in astrsight nc from the crater bat the
air was clear under the shadow OF the smoke
that could distinctly trace the downward movement Of
! the rivers Of lava
This was the eruption, At last to which all the phe
nomora OF the morning had been only preparatory For
the ri time in ten years the depths of Etna had been
stirred and thanked God for my detention al Malta,
ard the ineular hazard of travel which had brought
me here, his very base 70 witness scene the I'M
presson Of which shall never lose, to my dying day.
Although the eruption may continue and the mountain
pour forth ercer fires and broader tides OF lava can
no, bu, think that the first upheavsl which lets out the
rsoned forces, will not be equaled 10 grandeur
by any later spectacle.
Aner passing Taormins, our road led u under 'ae
hills of the coast and although occasionally caught
slrlpses OF Etna and the reelection OF hres from
The lava which was filing up his savage Tavines tie
smoke last encircled his wat and he was then sh"
on, of SIGHT by the intervening mountains We lost