Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-01-25
Mount Veguuius.
ACCOUNT OF THE ERUPTION BY AN AAIERI-
CAN PROFESSOR. ...


CAN PROFESSOR. ...
On the morning of December Sd /
set out from Naples in company
with a friend, for the purpose of as
cending Mt. Vesuvius, which was
then in full eruption. We took hcrg
and a guide nesr. Herculaucum, and fol
lowed the accustomed route up that side
which faces toward the Neapolitan har-
bor While yet not far above the base
of the mountain, we crossed the termina!
heaps of "a large stream of lava, emitted
during the eruption of 1858, but still
black and billowy, as if newly hardened
from fusion Half way up from the base
to the summit is the Hermitage of St.
Salvador. He who looks bach. from this
commanding point toward Naples across
the head of 4 beautiful bay, can enjoy
charming view, his mind be not too Ihuch
preoccupied with the grandeur of the
scene ahead, now beginning to approach
the terrific. Proceeding upward from
the Hermitage we cross laIas of many
different ages, and showing as many DIFF
fercnt stages ofdisintegration, till we fin
ally arrived at that which is only five
days old. There we leave our horses,
and then walk about third of a mile
up the narrow valley or gorge separating
the two SUBMITS of Fesuyius, On our
left, as we still look away from Naples
stand Monte Somma, which is part of an
sneTert volcanic cone supposed to have
been disrupted by the terrible eonyulsion
of the year 20, when Hereulaneum and
Pompeii were buried up by clouds of
ashes and ciHders. On our right is the
modern volcanic Summit, now the high
er of the two it is tie accumulated pro-
duct Of the eruptions Of eighteen centu-
ries-a truncated cone rising 1000 feet
above tidc-water, Into this valley,
where we stand, the lava of the present
eruption is descending i'll three principal
streams-each pursuing its own channel
which it has in part scooped out in the
mountain side, carrying loads of the loose
SCORES along with it: Upon reaching
the valley, the lava has accumulated in
large heaps or embankments, which are
| already incrusted over and black, but
still reeking, cracking, gFoaning, and
now and then starting convulsiveTy for
ward Down the steep declivity the
flow of the stream is rapid but, as seen
by daylight, they exhibit very little OF
the CLEAN of fire. Above the brow OF
the mountain is dense, black, lowering
cloud, rising with fearful puffs, and raining
dark showers Of stones. We have now
gone as far as most travellers venture,
but as the eruption is more remarkable
for its uniform flow of lava than for the
violence of its conyulsions, we conclude
it is safe to approach it nearer; we re-
solved to see Vulcan in his own work
shop. 1t is already sunset; We have still
over thousand feet to climb, up q slope
of so degrees; we take additional guides,
who help us along with leading-strings,
and in three-quarters Of an hour we are
on the summit. What with our changed
position, and what with the change from
day to night, the scene has increased
fearfully in grandeur The streams OF
lava are now all aglow and fiery, light
ing up the whole of the mountain.
Within the central depression of the
main cone, the present eruption has built
UP sort of conical chimhey, through
which at intervals of from nine to ten
seconds, with roar ike that of rush-
ing storm, there is belched forth a prodi-
giOus column of what from appearance
would be described as mixed flame and
smoke. Far ahove this, myriad of red
hot stones shoot simultaneously upward
in slightly diverging lines, and, as they
reach their maximum height, remain pois-
ed a mo;aent, than turn gracefully out
ward as they fall, forming pyrotechnic
fountain in comparison with which the
finest limitations of art are contemplate.
sit down and watch tho phenomena at
leisure. | count the seconds occupied by
the stone in falling, and estimate the
maximum distance as about 1000 feet.
AS they come tumbling down the sides
of the inuer cone they break and scatter,
and sometimes undergo a change OF form
that seems to show they are i'll Lalt
melted condition. Two or three seconds
before each main explosion from the era
ter there is a short plemonitory puff, ac
companied with low rumbling sound
and slight trembling OF the mountain
The air is hot and sulphurous, but not
smoky. What appears to be smoke Is
suing from the crater, is really the raPel
of condensing steam, thickly charged
with ashes and cinders, the source OF the
incessant shower of Lapilli, and the oc-
casional drops cf rain that are falling a,
bovee us. BY watching the lights and
shadows of the picture one may also see
) that what seems to be flame is only a
reflection upon the rising yapor from the
, Glowing lava in the crater. Once oil
) twice, however, l notice true flash Of
| lighting in the cloud overhead, accom-
panied by sharp cracking of thunder
} The streams of lava all issue from the
summit of the mountain, but only one ot
them from the crater: The other have
their sources outside the base Of the new
cumulus thrown up around it. Ono O
these shows tendency to form second
crater, and begins to play at throwing
stones. The third issues from latera
opening on the verge of the Precipice,
with smooth, quiet few like that O
) molten iron from the furnace: We aP
proach it from above, and look down up
on it !; we burn our canes in it, at its We
, ry fountain-head, and an offcious gnld'
carrying, basket goes through the cere
! mony Of roasting eggs in it, While we
fire Thus occupied, the eruption begins tC