Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-04
MOrtester Badly Syn.
Correspondence of the London Times

mt EEupGtOn OF mount Ne6uVluAs
NAPLES, Dec. 10.
returned too late from Tore del Greco to
give you detailed description of the eruption
of Vesuvius by yesterdays post, so, leaving
tor the present all the petty jeaIousies of the
Neapoitans, let me today give you fully the
report of what l saw and heard on the spot.
From Naples little is seen excepting those
grand columns of smoke which rise giganti,
cally into the air, and which, according to as
close measurement as could be made, were
calculated-that from the lower mouths at
10000 feet, and that from the upper crater at
1900 feet in height Our streets are free from
the dust OF the mountain, and though for some
time after the sun rose it appeared to be in
state of eclipse, yet to witness all the wonders
OF the spectacle it is necessary to leave the
capital and visit the site of the disaster.
From the confines of the city to Tore del
Greco one passes between two lines of curl
GUS population who have turned out to see the
crowds that flock down TO Tore del Greco.
The wind blows off the mountain due north
and south, so that, until you get just under
the column, you are not exposed to the shower
of dust which falls thickly and constantly, al
h'Noe OAlhNihS OlCB anu DOl COHuuC-
ing to easy respiration. On arriving at the
devoted little town, l found the place, except
at the station, almost deserted. Every house
was abandoned, and, as proving how rapid was
the flight, melons and other articles still hung
suspended outside the windows. AT the sta
ton there was vast crowd of persons some
OF the last lingering inhabitants, with beds and
other articles OF furniture, anxious to be off;
Others, consisting of the Bersaglieri and Ma
tionas, who remained to guard the place, for
misfortune is no protection against the hordes
of thieves who just at present drive a thriving
trade in the neighborhood
The first thing which strikes the aye is the
backened appearance of every object, the fine
DUST which had fallen in heavy showers, ly-
ing Al inches in depth in the streets and on the
tops of the houses. Some of these were crack
ed horizontally across the flat roofs, and 9TH
ers perpendicularly, but it is not until you turn
off to the left, little beyond the station, that
the full amount OF the damage is to be Witness
ed. From this point, ascending the mountain,
number ofhouses are passed which have been
most materially injured, from four to five hun
dred in all, and rendered to d certain extent
unsafe. AT one time in particular, a handsome
building, too, the proprietor, who had return.
ed for some articles which he had left behind
was breaking the windows to get, entrance by
the doorway being impossible / shall here
insert the report which was sent to me yes.
terday morning by Giovanni Cozzolino, the
principal guide OF the mountain, as it will
explain precisely the site where the mouths
which are now vomiting forth fire, smoke, and
lava, have been formed =
"On the 9Th inst, at about III A. NJ, great
trembling OF the ground was felt at Tore de
Greco which continued at intervals of from
five to ten minutes. The population were in
great alarm, expecting an earthquake. AT
Resina this tIemulous motion was felt,
though not so strongly. about mid day To-
wards o'clock in the afternoon large open
ing was made in the ground above Tore del
Greco, and half mile lower than the era.
ter of IVA, and the first cone was formed I'M
derneath the house of francesca Cruel This
house was thrown into the air, as were four
others in Masseria close by The lava has
arrived ION the morning of the gth) at about
aquarter of an hour S walk above the Monaste.
ry of the Cappucini which has been de-
stroyed,) and is about half mile in breadth.
All the houses in Tore have assures in them,
and the population have fled to Naples. AT
the time that the new cones were formed the
top of the mountain was tranquil, but about
2 o'clock in the morning the grand crater at
the summit burst out with tremendous noise,
throwing stones and ashes TO great height.
Every effort of this kind is accompanied by a
sound as of thunder. One of the guides, called
Gennarino SanninO while attempting to get
piece of the red-hot lava in which TO put a
coin, was killed on the spot by stone which
fell upon his head"
The report is meager, erroneous in some
instances, and some OF the details have been
modified by what has since taken place. The
road and the streets by which you approach
the principal point of interest are in many
places opened and at the place alluded to
hv fha uniIa tho uni6n thara moi Ona mil
but two considerable cones and several smaller
ones; indeed, in many places there are indica-
tons OF the crust of the earth giving way to
the subterranean fires. The principal of these
cones is an ellipse, and both at first sent out a
body of lava which threatened Tore del
Greco with rapid destruction. One of those
happy elevations which SO often change the
course of the current divided it into two
streams flowing down on either side. The
opening of the main crater, too, at 2 A. NJ of
Monday morning, diminished the violence of
the lower stream, and possibly saved the
town.
Last NIGHT the view which presented itself
from my windows was very grand the black
column rose maJestically, and was then car
ried off by the wind far over the sea, while
torked lightning, as it were, and brilliant
lights, such as those of Roman candles, played
about the crater. This morning the volumes
OF smoke are rising anu rOlllng one over an.
other in grand involutions, willie the eastern
sun behind them gives hues which it is diff
cult to describe. Beyond the pail which hangs
over the sea it is impossible to see anything
except when an opening is made by gust OF
wind, and then one sees picture of Sorrento
or Capri hung in the center of deep black
cleud.
l think much property will be destroy ed,
though not many lives, as all have escaped.
What is ruin, however, to many, is prosperity
to others, and there are many here who are
calculating on good season at last,-on full
hotels and much profit.
Dec. 11.-Vesuvius, though still active, has
much diminished in violence-a fact to be re-
GREETED than otherwise, as the probability of
earthquakes increases. Yesterday morning
several violent shocks were felt. and still great
er damage Inflicted on the town and neighbour
hood. am just going over but shall have no
time to report today. Another person has
been killed in the lava, which rose on Mon
day morning to the height of % palms.