The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-08-02
RICHMOND, WAYNE COUNTY, IND. AUGUST 2, 1855,

spreading out to considerable width, and mo-
wing on very slowly with constant cracking
sound, like that of the ice breaking up in a
large river. / could trace its winding course
for miles. by the bright streaks OF fire. until it
at last disappeared in the distan. gloom.
A. later period Of the eruption, l visited
the lower portion OF the mountain, at the
points where the lava reached the valley be-
low. Here, too, the scene was magniticen.
beyond anything had previously conceived
The lava had descended to the plane by way
of deep ravine. up the precipitous banks Of
which l followed guide BY torchlight about
three miles. Some two or three hundred fee.
below me slowly on crept the mass of lava.
for il could scarcely now be called stream
most Of it having darkened TO the color and
appearance of coke. streaked, however, with
narrow stripes OF red hot matter The scene
rv, as we assembled, became wilder and Wild
err After a time we entered narrow. deep
cut. and very steep pass. which shut out ey-
cry thing from our view. Emerging from
this. we came suddenly on one of the most
sublime spectacles this earth can afford. Just
opposite. across deep, dark gulf, the lava
poured down in four distinct and still red hot
streams, over precpIious descent OF eight
hundred or a thousand feet. the sulphurous
clouds drifting from It's surface, and rolling
away up the mountain SIDE
Imapine such a scene in the stiffness and
darkness of night, Ii it had been but noun
tain torrent, glittering in the moonlight and
pouring its brawlng waters into the gloom
below, with succession OF rapids down tha.
dark ravine, to the distant pIala, even then the
effect would have been striking and romantic
i'll the extreme. But conceive the waters of
that torrent suddenly converted into liquid
gold, lightingup with their glare the obscurlty
of night; their several streams awaiting to
form at the bottom OF the abyss, lake of fire;
and YOU NAV form some idea of a scene never
to be fully conceived except by those who
witnessed its awful and sublime reality
Quite different, but very remarkable in char
acter was the scene which soma days after
wards | visited, in the plain below, at the
treme points of the lava stream. Above, on
the mountain, had seen it in its wild sublim
ity; here it appeared in its destructive might.
Inch by inch, foot by foot. and finally mile by
mile the smoking mass ghded on, silently and
irresistibly as death swallowing up every thing
before it. Cultivated fields, orchards, vine
yards, olive groves, houses. roads, were COW
cred up forever from human sight. On and
on it came, showing in front like huge black
ened wall, scanned with veins of FIRE. great
masses of dark lava rolling down in advance.
The people, with pale faces osterror and
wonder, were Clustered BY hundreds In front
of it, watching its progress-and only watch
ing it, orat worst weeping and wringing their
hands; for every one felt that human effort
might well avail to stop the sun in his
course to arrest the progress, or divert tho
course Of that axtornlislt.tinL, scoI.ge. AS ia
ken in connection with any puny efforts Of
man--we were in the presence of Almighty
Power, 1t might spare, or 1t might destroy.
we could but look and submit. Except, per-
haps, the main fall of Niagara, | never wit
messed anything that SO completely embodied
the idea Of irresistible Fate.
The progress of this lava-current, now eight
or ten miles from its source, and gradually
hardening to rock, was slow--usuay some
twenty or thirty feet in half an hour, though
at one time | it move thirty feet in five
minutes. Il separated into two streams One
threatened the village of Cercolo but stopped
short of it about 800 yards. The other flow
ed towards the village of Srntioria, but came
to stand abous half a mile distant from it.
Thus the amount of destruction was less than
was at first anticipated.