Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-06-27

Resina the foot of the mountain. Around
Nesuvlus on every side and plainly
visible from the summit are numerous
cities and villages.
To the west about seven miles distant
is Naples, which contains over 400, 900
Inhabitants. From thence along the
shore of the Bay of Naples seven miles
to The base of the mountain on the south
side, is continuous line of buildings
forming the cities of Portici, Resina,
and Tore del Greco, which contains
nearly $4,000 Inhabitants. Resina,
which contains over $4,000 people, is
built o. the lava that covers the ancient
city OF Herculanenm. From a build.
Ing on the main street person may By
candle light descend stairs about sixty
feet and reach the Theatre of that an,
; Client city. 1t was in its day splendid
] editice and said to be capable of holding
5000 persons.
Further on are the ruins of Basilica
containing a portico supported by forty.
two columns. In this were found some
splendid statutes in marble among which
were five of the Balbus family, the
father, son, mother and two daughters
all Of which are now in museums 4;
Naples, The first two are represented
full size on horseback. The pedestal,
on which they stood and the original
inscriptions that gave the names are
still in the Basilica about seventy feet
below the main street of Resina. Tie
statutes are in good state Of pres.
eryation. The lava that covered Her.
culaneum was not melting hot, Other.
wise the marble in these would have
been reduced to quicklime and crumbla1
to dust upon the exposure to the air.
Tore del Greco, city containing
over 2, 900 inha bitants is mile furthe
on and like Resina is built on lava. III
December, 1861, the lava burst forth
from the sides Of Vesuvius in eleven DIFF
ferent places, ran down into this city
filling the streets in many places to the
depth OF ten feet, and laying waste
about half OF it. The lava is now cleared
from most of the streets, but the heights
to which it rose may be seen upon the
walls Of many of the buildings, that
were not completely destroyed by it.
About seven miles farther on is the
site OF the ancient city, Pompeii, which
like Herculaneum was destroyed by an
eruption Of Vesuvius in the year A. D.
10. The exhumed streets and remains
Of buildings are plainly seen from the
summit Of Vessuvius.
Pompeii was south east and HercuIa.
cum south west Of the present crater
Of Vesuvius. The eastern gaps.
between the circular mountain Vessu-
vius and the crescent shaped MI. SIENNA,
opens to the southeast in the direction
OF Pompeii while the other openings is
in the direction Of, and Just above the
ancient city Herculaneum. The form
OF the ancient crater and the situation
OF the mountains on the two sides of it,
suggest why the streams Of mud should
have run in a south east and south
westerly direction and covered the two
cities, seven miles distant from each
other.
Nesuvius Is now inactive. Its crater
varies from twenty-five to one hundred |
feet in depth, being deepest on the outer
edge In the center of the crater is an
irregular shaped cone, the sides of which |
are in places incrusted with sulphur
oxide Of iron &c, that gave various |
shades of yellow, orange, red and brown.
Along the sides and in the deepest por
lions Of the crater jets of steam strong
ly charged with fumes of sulphur are
constantly escaping.
Those who have at furnaces seen piles
Of copper ore "roasted," smelt the
doors that arose from them, and seen
the sulphur run down the sides Of the
Olackened mass, can form a very correct
dea Of the appearance of many portions
Of the crater Of. Vesuvus.
AS looked up along one side Of the
'rater and saw the red ridges of lava, [
was reminded Of the resemblance they
1ore to the rusty piles Of "copperas ore"
hat are seen upon the hill side near Cut
ingsville, Vt. When those piles of ore
we're being leached for copperas they sent
orth sulphurous smoke and steam. not
unlike that now rising from the assures
n the crater Of Vesuvius.
Two thirds Of the surface of Mt. We
uvius is black mass of lava, ranged
n streams, or thrown into irregular
tiles as it ran in a melted state down
he sides of the mountain, and on it not
trace Of vegetation.
This includes the area covered by lava
Il recent eruptions. In places where
he lava has greater age and has crum-
lied, it furnishes good soil, and on it
he olive fig and Oranup trees foprieb |