The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-07-22

slippery slope of fortune ?'
Naples Correspondence of the London Times.
The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
To the scanty notice which I have
already sent you of the eruption of
Vesuvius, / must before the post leaves,
add the following more acurate details !:
The lava is making considerable
progress in various directions, towards
Ottajano, Pompeii and Resina, at which
place many persons are of opinion that
it must arrive in very short time. The
reports of the guide, which have sent
you, speak of there being only two
streams how many there are it would
be difficult to say, by such network
of the calculation, however, / should
speak of four-one which descends up
on Ottajano; another close to it, and
which issues from some part of the At
trio del Cavallo, and the foot of Somma;
a third, which rolls down Pompeii ;
and fourth, which is rapidly coming
down upon Resina-in fact it has taken
the course of the old stream which
formerly came down upon Herculane-
um. The first and last merits most at
tention. The one which decends at
Ottajano is perhaps about quarter of
mile in width, and after proceeding
through the Attrio del Cavallo, takes a
serpentine direction round the back of
the Hermitage. 1t passes over the
stream of 1850. 1t moves on in one
mighty mass, and its progress is marked
by the detaching of mighty fragments,
which fall down by their own gravita-
ton, apparently not breaking the en-
tirety of the stream, and opening up
fountains ofliving, acorching fire. The
Resina stream is fed by three new open
ings, not in the cone, but at a qnarter
of mile, perhaps, from the base of it,
which puff and pump up continually
the ceaseless stream of fire which is
making rapidly for Resina. The vine
yards are burning up in all directions,
and while some of the peasantry are
looking sadly on others are kneeling
and praying to their saints in a roadside
oratory.
On Monday morning early it had
broken into the road which leads to
Resina, and it was predicted that il
the lava continued to travel at the same
rate it must reach Resina by night
am not, however, of the same opinion.
though there can be no doubt that the
present eruption threatens to be very
considerable one. AS yet it has de-
stroyed no house, but much land, and
if it does not cease, the destruction will
be great. 1t is impossible to do jus
tice to the awful splendor of the spec.
tacle which the mountain presents,
scanned as it is by streams of fire led
from innumerable openings. The old
cone seems, indeed, like the ruined
chimney of a ruined house; it lifts up
its black mass above the lake of fire
below, but scarcely anything proceeds
from it-a few sparks only; while the
fiery marter issues forth from a mum.
ber of newly created mouths in the
valley around and below the cone. Oh
course, thousands of people on foot, OF
in carriages, crowded the roads leading
to the great spectacle, and there was a
regular Bable of languages. Were
to indulge in a report of effects and
impressions, might extend my letter
to most unreasonable length. The
trees almost complained and spoke, as
usual, at the approach of the destroyer
they writhed violently under the action
of scorching heat, and then, falling
over, were buried in the flood. Vines
and the poles on which they rested
burned up like matches, in comparison
with the splendor of the light around
them. Down in Resina there was a
grand illumination in honor of the
name day of the Queen, and at any
other time a wanderer on the mountain
would have gazed on it and called it 6
striking and brilliant scene, but al
those lig hts in honor of Royalty paled
before the awful and grander light,
which He who made the mountain Sc
up. The same contrast was observa
BILE between a thousand torches which
glittered in every direction, and tn,
burning, steady fire, which streamet
down the sides of Vesuvius. The for
mer, like glow-worms, were scarcel,
visible in the greater light which over
powered them. To my next letter
must, however, defer other details
merely adding that the probabilities ar,
that the eruption will continue, ant
that theatre of wonders is open t,
the admiration of any one in England
who will venture on a journey five days
length.
A NEGRO TURNING WHITE.-Th,
Worchester (Md.) Shield says:
| A correspondent at New Town write