Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-23
Vesuvfuas in Action.

Old Vesuvius is again in action. A dis
patch from Naples says that the volcano is
sending up pillar of fire, which has mag
nificent effect as seen from the city. New
craters have been formed, and the usual
point of issue-in latitude 40 49 north and
longitude 1925 east-is also engaged
During the night of Wednesday red hot
stones were elected in large quantities from
the burning mountain.
The surrounding earth is in tremulous
motion for considerable distance; the lava
is pouring forth and running down the
sides of the mountain in volume and with
rapid flow, and the general upheavings
from the volcano give warning of an un-
usually grand eruption, from which very
serious consequences are looked for.
Vesuvius, as all the world knows, is a
volcano OF Southern Italy, on the east
ten miles from the city. Its upper portion
Is divided into two peaks. one of which
towers 3,747 feet above the sea. and the 9TH
er reaches an elevation OF 3,947 feet. The
latter is Vesuvius proper. In A. ID. 79, its
first recorded eruption occurred, when
Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in
the flood of>lava and ashes.
Since then number of eruptionS have
occurred. That of December, 1851, was of
great violence. On Sunday morning, the
9Th, the tremblings of the ground COM
menced and in the afternoon large OPEN
ing was made in the ground about one
quarter the way up the mountain. Other
openings followed, loud explosions were
heard and jets of flame were seen to RISE
On the morning of the 4th. stream of lava
quarter of mile broad was flowing,
crevices opened in the streets of Tore del
Greco (Which had population of % 000),
the walls of the houses and the roots were
torn open. No wonder that the town was
almost deserted! The condition of affairs
81. e. s<l Il, h11~ sI-I Ss a
quarter of mile only up the mountain, the
broad stream of lava was slowly moving
down, in consequence of the accessions con-
tinually made to it from the numerous and
changing craters half mile further up
The semifluid stream was about twen-
ty-five feet in depth, reaching to
the roofs of the houses which it engulfed.
Fine black dust was carried up with the
m tiers elected, and, driven by the north
wind over the bay overhung the whole
surface in dark cloud. 1t covered the
road several inches deep, and on the houses
in Tore del Greco it accumulated to the
depth of41a inches, and its appearance was
very sensible over the ground at Capri and
Salerno. The explosions, like the sound
of heavy artillery, continued till toward
evening, and at night were succeeded by
the most brilliant effects OF electric lights.
forked lightning, and columns of fire and
smoke continually rising from the crater.
The convulsions continued for several days;
d even up to Janus ry /, 1862, the tremb-
lings of the earth had not ceased, and ex-
halations of gas in the streets of Tore del
Greco, near the sea, was so strong as to be
nearly insuferable. The effect of this
eruption has been to materially alter the
shape OF Vesuvius, and it is stated that the
old crater has been deepened and ten new
ones have been produced.
According to Humboldt, the total num-
Der of volcanoes in action upon the globe,
during the last one hundred years, is at
least 225 and the total number extinct and
active not less than 407. These are enumer-
ated by him, but there are doubtless others
which he failed to name, particularly among
the islands of the Phcific.-Ne,0ark ADD.