Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-06-25
The Great Eruption of Mount vesuvius. ?

Il
The Naples letter of June 5th to the Londor
Meos says Vesuvius is still blazing away, ant
the lava is making steady progress down th'
mountain. The scene is thus graphically de
scribed
The spectacle from Naples is as grasd as /
can be. Vesuyius is girdled with FIRE, and from
this gird.e seem TO drop down jewels of the
utmost brillaney. AT liRes one spot becomes
much more brilliant than the others. and then q
dense cloud rises up; there has been either a
fresh gush of lava or a mass has fallen off from
the blackened exterior. In the intervals be-
tween the streams appear a thousand little
lights, as though they were glow worms
These are the torches which visitors carry with
them, but the journey is now very limited
Swiss guards are on the mountain, and 1t is
impossible to get to the Hermitage, Palmieri,
the Director OF the Observatory, has fled, and
the instruments are removed for destruction is
threatened TO il by the stream at the back which
is flowing into the FossO di Feraone. So high
is it rising that very little more will send il
over the Observatory From ReSina to Pom
pei the mountain makes no sign-ihat Is, 10
mouth has opened in the side | went round it
on Thursday, and people were getting in their
IruTrI uIISi Sis-yi-E----2-s-lIiHes nithin 4 short
distance of the lava which was destroying the
property of their friends, seemingly as secure
as though they lived hundred miles from We
suvius, and Vet a crater may be formed in a
moment 10 any quarter, for the mountain is in
labor. From Pompeii round to 0ttajano there
is more activity; the lava has destroyed some
woods belonging to the prince of that name,
though It has not advanced further. Continuing
the circle, one comes TO what appears from Ma
pies TO be the left extremity of the grdle. Here,
the stream eomng down by theFosso diFavame,
has taken the direction OF the stream Of 1855,
which flowed down toward the villages Of Massa
di SOmma, San SabastiOni and Poliena The
right extremity of the girdle terminates above
Resina, and appears to threaten 1t inevitably,
though efforts were being made TO divert its
course into some Of the deep valleys with which
the mountain is trayersed. Some intelligent in
habitants told me that they apprehended no
danger, as the stream divided itself into SO
many branches, flowing over old lava. 1t has,
however, destroyed much property, and it is a
fearful thought that within an hours distance
an enemy as implaeabe and irresistible as fate is
huuying down-where . caprice or slight
bend in the mountain, or hill of stones, may
determine.
Meanwhile the scene at night reminds one of
a noisy, crowded fair. On Tuesday night, said
one OF the guides, there must nave Oeen fO,OOO
or so, 600 persons up the mountain. Allowing
for exaggeration, or inability to calculate, still
there must have been an immense number of
people who were not composed Of merely curl
Gus strangers, but of all the rag-tag and bob
tail of Naples. As it was the vigil Of Corpus
Christi. a great many went up in all probahil
ity for spree. The official journal of last
night, continuing its reports of Vesuvius, says
that the lava which appeared to stop had burst
the day before yesterday still more strongly in
one direction, destroying some vineyards, and
surrounding house, and in another covering
about 800 PAGES of the new road to the 0bser-
vatory. The stream on the north side following
the lava of 1855 was proceeding toward Cereola
and St GiOrgiO, branch road going through
district of st. Sebastian One Of the streams
in the direction of Resiua advanced ten palms
very rapid vhe. it is considered that the
width Of the stream is $50 palms. After nine
O'Clock p. m. its course quiekened, and was di
rected between the chapel of ST. Vito and the
Nocelle. Last night it was less vivid in this
direction, but on the north side it was very
splendid, and poured down in great force.