The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-06-07
From the London News
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

NAPLES, May =, 1855.
Everything in Naples is for the present ex-
tinguished by one great fact--the eruption of
Vesuvius. King, ministers and policeman, in
their several spheres, are all scorched and shri
yelled up into nothingness. am disposed to
think that Neapolitan might now wear a
girdle round his waist, or q beard, or wide
awake, so alLabsorbing is the eruption of We
suviour. We have been expecting and long
ing for it for some time. The wells at Resi-
ma had been dried up. More than once since
1850 the mountain has Numbered and smoked
and in the beginning of the year portion of
the crater fell in. Great numbers of strangers
have therefore, waited till very late in the sea-
son, in the hope Of seeing this extraordinary
spectacle, and have just taken their leave, when
the mountain, as in "despetto,' breaks out
The principal guide, who is called CoMalino,
reported on the morning of the first of May
that he had just assembled the mountain, and
that on arriving at the summit, there were
thousand reports of cannon, and then there
was thrown up discharge of red-hot stone
The rain and mist and smoke, however, all
mingled together, prevented near approach
or nearer observation, and we are therefore
left to our unaided observations
During the whole of yesterday, nothing was
to be seen but smoke and clouds, which envel-
oped not only the mountain but the whole
coast, and then swept away in immense vol
umes toward Capri. In the very centre of
the cloud, however, might be seen an ashy,
sulphurous colored plain, which, by shade
difference in the color, and by the Unmarked
outline, indicated that it was not all smoke,
but that lava was coming down.
AS evening came on the heavens were in
bright glow, and the whole population focked
down to the mole of Santa Lucia to see the
magnificent spectacle. 1t was one of those
underlined scenes which give the imagination
full play. The form of the mountain was in
distinguishable-nothing was to be seen but
clouds, smoke AID fire. Up to the very zenith
the sky was covered with large dubious clouds,
black as ink and fringed with white under
meath and half way down the mountain, every
thing was on fire, while right in the centre Of
it shot up cone of black smoke. Still lower
again, dark clouds covered the base of the
mountain, having. too, as their centre piece
and contrast the river of lava which is run
ming down toward Res;na
A few days since ] was exploring with the
miners, among the ruins which still lie buried
under the modern city. The neighboring
mountain was rumbling and smoking, and re-
ferring the inhabitants, as it were, to the his
tory Of the past, but they took no notice of it,
and I doubt whether they now do so, except
to calculate the amount Of profit it may bring
into them for an eruption of Vcsuvius is to
them as good as fire to the London thieves.
During the whole Of last night there was a
perfect procession of carriages toward Resina.
l contented myself with remaining here for the
first view, but probably shall 60 over tonight
and will send you further details by Saturday s
boat. The scene was rendered still grander
by an eclipse Of the moon, which took place
about two hours after midnight.