Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-06-08
Eruption OF Mount vesuvius.

The last European steamer brings us further and
ruler accounts of the eruption of Mount Vesuvus.
writes
p" The lava has now advanced ten miles from it's
source, and is doing terrible damage Last night
went to the scene of most stirring interest after an in
terVal OF two days. How changed the neighborhood
in two days Where | walked on Sunday night was
now sea OF fire. The side road by which | had
come down into the main stream from Pollena and
massa di Somm was now full of blackened COKE
1he houses the border of the village had fallen in
In one thirty poor people lived small chapel was
swallowed up, gentleman's villa, and sad extent
OF vineyard and garden ground. On the other side
OF the great lava bed another stream was branching
OF to San Sebastano. We had hoped to have crossed
IT, and assembled the cascade again. but it was no Ion
ger possible; for as one says, speaking of marshy
country in the winter, the lava out the fire here
nao begun to enter the burial ground of the little
Town, but was diverted from its course by wall
On the opposite side of the stream were the King
and all the royal family. The banks on either side
were thronged with curious and anxious multltudes,
whose faces were Lighted up with the blaze of hun
deds of torches and with the more respendent fame
OF the rapidly descending lava. Since the morning
1t had moved mile twas like a vast river of glow
ing coke. AS it moved on the tens OF thousands of
lamps rolled and tumbed one the other, crack
ling and grinding and grating; and when from the
very face OF ii large lump fell off, the appearance
was that of iron furnace when the iron is being
drawn To make the resemblance more complete. at
such times men darted forward with long poes ken
from the neghboring vineyards, and pulled out great
masses of lava, in which they embedded money for
sale
"There was spot beneath my feet where fall
OF mason work had been built to break the violence
OF the winter floods; 10 this spot all eyes ere direc
ted. The fiery river would fall over it in an hour :;
as yet II was distant from it seventy yards, perhaps
Gradually it rose in height, and swelled out it's vast
proportions, and then vast masses fell off and rolled
forward then it swelIed again as fresh matter came
pressing down behind and ii broke, and on it roll
ed again and again till it had arrived at the very
edge. There was general buzz. and murmur of
voices The royal family stood opposite to me, in
terminged with the crowd, looking on with intense
anxiety. At last it broke, not hurriedly, still with
, certain show of majesty
g At first few small Jumps fell down; then pour
ed over pure liquid of metal like thick treacle,
cnglng sometimes mass 10 mass, from its glutinous
character, and last of all umbed over gigantic Jumps
of scorioe. Then on it moved once more in its SILENT
regular course, swelling up and spreading over the
vineyards on either side The expectation is that
the lava, should the eruption continue, will flow
down to the Ponta NIaddaloni, and into tn sea So
grand and so destructive an eruption has not been
known for many years, and even now we cannot tell
how or when 1t will terminate The mountain is
literally scanned with lava, and many fear violent
explosion as the final scene of the tragedy