Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-05-31
ENINCt STAR.
GRuP:IoN OF YEsUyIUs

\ letter from Naples, dated Nav .
contains the following:
" Everything in Naples is for the nres.
ent extinguished by one great fact-the
eruption of fesuvius. King, ministers
atd policemen, in their severa, spheres
are all scorched and Shrivelled up into
ncthingneS5. I am disposed to think
that Neapolitan might now wear a gir-
die round bis waist, OF a beard, or a
wide awake, so all-absor bing is the erup-
ton of Vesuvlus. We have been ex
pectlDg and longing for it for some time
The wells at Resina had been dried up.
aIore than once since 1850 the mountain
has thundered and smokel, and in the
beginning Of the year a portion Of the
crater fell la. Great numbers of stran-
gers have, therefore, waited till very late
IN the season, In the hope of seeing this
extraordinary spectacle, and have Just
taken their leave when the mountain, as
IN g dispetto" breaks out. The princi-
pal guide, who is called CozzaIino, re-
ported on the morning of the lst of Nav
That ne had just assembled the mountain,
ana tnat on arriving on the summit, there
was thousand reports as of cannon.
ana then was thrown up discharge Of
rcd-ho- stones. The rain and mist. and
smoke, however, all mingled together,
prevented a near approach or nearer OBJ
SerVatIon, and we are, therefore, for the
pre- cnt, left to our unaided observations
During the whole Of yesterday, nothing
was TO be seen but smoke and clouds,
which envelOred net only the mountain
but the whole coast, and then syent
away in immense volumes towards Capri.
In the very centre of the cloud, however.
might be seen an ashy sulphurous COL
ofed plain, which by shade difference
IN The color, and oy the well-marked
outline, indicated that it was not all
smoke, but that lava was coming down.
as evening came On the heavens were
III bright glow, and the whole popula-
ton locked down to TIE mole Of Santa
Lucia, 20 see the magnificent spectacle.
1t vas one of those underlined scenes
which give the Imagination full play
The form of the mountain was irdIstin-
gI'Shah:e, nothing was to be seen but
clouds, smoke and fire. Up to the very
zenith The sky was covered with large
buibcea clouds, black as ink, and fringed
with white; underneath, and half way
down the mountain, every thing was on
fire, whilst right in the centre Of i sho,
up cone of black smoke. still lower
again, dark clouds covered the base Of
the mountain, having too, at their cen're
piece and contrast the liver of lava wkica
IS running down towards Aesina. A fery
days since | was exploring with the
miners among the ruins which still lav
buried under the modern city. The
neighboring mountain was rumbling and
smoking, and referring the inhabitants,
as It were to the history of the past, but
they took no notice Of it, and | doubt
whether they now do SO, except to calcu-
late the amount Of prof: it may bring in
TO them, for an eruption of Vesuvius is to
them as good as fire to the London
thieves. During the whole of last night
there was a perfect procession OF car
riases towards Rasina. The scene was
rendered sill grander by an eclipse Of
the moon, which took place about two
hours and half past midnight"