Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-24
Mount Vesuvfus,
Correspondence of the London Times.
-7Ei '-'a N.pyES November 90


corrasnondence of the London Times.
'- NAPLES, November 20.
The eruption of Vesuvius continues to
absorb all public attention and 10 won.
der for since 1855 we have hao none that
could be compared with it in splendor
or in its disastrous consequences. Seen
from distance it presents those appear
ances which / have already descrlbed-
a mighty mountain of smoke lifted high
into the heavens during the day; pol
tentous confiagrati0n during the night.
Often the magnificent spectacle has been
hidden from US by banks of clouds, Tor
rain, rain, rain is again the order oil tue
day. but the bright reflection which has
lit ,ip the whole atmosphere when dark,
and that mass of revolving circles which
peeps at Intervals through the clouds or
rises far above them, tells us that vulcan
is still at his work. 1t began in some
what modest proportions, as 1t dld last
November, but, unlike that eruption. 1t
has gone on increasing from day to day,
and from hour to hour, until it not mere
1y awakens. the wonder of sight-seers,
but the grave apprensions OF all VINO
have any property near it. The direction
taken by the lava at first was, as usuai,
the Atrio de Cavallo, valley lying be-
tween Vesuvius and its decrepit though
gigantic parent Somma. Flowing past
and just under Vesuvius it is always a
chance whether it descends on Tore del
Greco or Portici, or pours itself into the
deep valleys more to the right, and men
aces the villages and townships which.
from Naples, lie almost at the oack OF
the mountain. On this occasion it has
taken the latter direction, passing near
| &lx. fo,. cd in
10th il arrived at the FOsso della Vetra-
ma. a point which, on the Northwest, is
dominated by one of the extremities oil
Somma, rising about 1900 feet higher
than the Fosso / cannot do better than
give you the report of Professor Palmieri,
at this period of its course. Traversing
the whole of the Fosso VetraDa. and
| throwingitselfinto the delFosso Faraone,
| it followed the road taken by the lava in
1885, menacing with one branch Che
| township of San Giorgio Cremano.-
During the first. twenty-four hours it
ran two kilometres, or upwards of 1000
feet but in the twelve following hours
it travelled only 200 metres, or about 7OC
feet. During this time theImouths which
are formed in a line upon the cone, fire.
quently threw out scOrise, with slight
| detonations, and the upper or larger cone
displayed the majestic phenomenon of a
! large pine, while occasional flashes of
/ lightning were obsered.
| The great body of lava of which i
have spoken, according to the character
of the ground over which it ran, was di-
vided into several streams, and rushed
over the precipice like cascades. Oi
| these three were about thirteen feet in
width, and q fourth fully twenty-five
I feet. Another rolled over into the Fosso
| del Faraone, or rather, dividing itself
one current fell into to, Canale- -di Mario
toward Novella, and rolling on, in six
hours advanced fully forty PAGES. AS il
advanced there were fire quent explosions
and small stones were thrown into. the
air to- the height of one hundred and
twenty feet, but as il rolled on the dis
,astrous effects ofithe eruption became
perceptible.1 ilJa . 'i-a Haoiyr -.t
Right in its direction were cottages
I and wine stores; the inhabitants were
/ in CONSERVATION, for nothing could save
i them. from the fiery food. Their house
hold gods were carried off, and all took
ito flight. 1T is oneof se.sights which
make a,man' regret the slightest feeling
of admiration of what is so fraught witt
i suffering to others; for what can be 81
distressing as to witness, as have dont
on several occasions, the poor speasan
wringing his hands, or standing in NUT,
despair, while the fire consumes his pro
perty, his very faith in gods all passing
away as pictures, and images of Saint
and MadOnnas brought out to save serv,
only to crafty without satiating the de
I vourng element? 1t is impossible t,
describe in sufficiently glowing tn
cascade of fire which fallsinto the Foss
del FaraOne. Imagine this red scorch
ing river, as it courses down from TIL
summit, through the Atrio del Cavallo
the Fosso della Vetrana, and then >pre
cipitating itself into depth of 100 feet
1 witnessed it in 1865, and more won
derful spectacle cannot be seen. Ever.
now and then the surface of this lava, a
it approaches the precipice, become
blackened, but the scOrie are swept OF
1 with the impetus of the course, and dowl
rushes the living, burning lava. ,Alread.
the fire has destroyed from fifty to on,
hundred acres of cultivated ground
San Sebastiano is menaeed with destruc
tion, and the Prefet and the Questo
went over. on Wednesday,. not to max
impotent efforts TO avert the sc0urge, Il
I remember an eminent ecelesiastic die
in 1855, but to make provision for tn
security of the e.inhabitants. The sam'
road leads on to Massa di Somma, which
! was destroyed by lava in 1881, and T.
Madonna del Areo. Let me add tina
at the foot of the cone, and near tn
craters of 1855, three other craters hav
been formed, which have been and still
are very active. Frequent explosions
are heard, and it is calculated that with
in the week the great cone has beer
!, raised fully one hundred feet higher
At present Vesuvius is wrapped in dens
clouds and smoke, which,, on the ap
proach of evening, are being lit up b.
!, the flames beneath. s-l .rrrs -..r-.f.t.tt
Moral Significance of the iRepublical
Triumph--By e. p. WhipPle.