National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-02-21
The Eruption Of Vesuvius.

when upon the mountain OH tnat
day in letter to the Tribune:
"The double stream of lava from
the crater WAS pouring its mud. IN.
candesce,it rock into the valley,
and the burning mass, constantly
pushed from behind had already en-
tered the layine we had crossed n
little distance below, moving down.
ward over the distorted lava-beds OF
1853. There was much smoke but
| little fame ut times a roaring. rat
tiing noise was heard, but | noticed
no tremor or oscillation in the earth,
either then or later. At the edge
Of the old lava-which here took on
" the shape of loose stoncs-we left
our horses, aud vert forward OH
foot. There was a trodden path at
first, but it soon disappeared, and our
progress over the rolling and sliding
heaps, which had the sharp giit of
ground glass, was rather painful.
We had already passed the lower
point OF the lava current, and reach
ed it 1T a point where the larger
eruption OF the previous night had
conc '0wn. The heat and smoke
iuc.eas.l with every step; the rat
fling noises were continuous, and
| lines of creeping fire became visible.
There appeared to be two streams,
both moving in the same manner
that ls,only flowing upon the sur.
face OF the old lava, but burrowing
lou, t.t II a. rth
upheaving it, and mixing its mate.
rials with the new mass. The noise
of the flow was thus produced. The
fire was silent and irresistible b t
there was no hiss or sputtering of
the molten elements, but the stream
lifted and threw oft solid masses,
even tons in weight, without tho
least apparent force or check. | had
always imagined a thick, sluggish
stream, with IL tolerably smooth sur.
face. something like the flow from
q smelling furnace-but here wero
moving mounds, rough and shape
less. the chief power of which lay in
their bases, lid len from sight
strange creeping, mining forces
moving forward with horrible,
itileSs certainty i'll their manner OF
lOcomotion. If the scene was less
grand in its features than one would
expect, it was at least diabolically
impressive. II expressed only de-
; struction, and of the most cold.
t blooded, deliberate kind. The main
p, stream had raised IL long ridge some
twenty feet in hight, apparently
cold Oh the surface, until sOmo
squirming movement in advance
shook of the crust in scales. and
showed fangs and throats of intens.
est fire. The font of this ridge was
constantly hurting huge masses,
some OF them red hot, down tho
| gorge. The nearer strean was not
= more than four feet i'll hight, and
5 allowed us to approach near enough
!, to poke its glowing sides with a
stick. All along its edge boys were
l. busy roasting eggs for travellers, or
J. embedding coins i'll the fluid lava,
o which they Snatcled out of the mass
and twisted Oft very much as have
e seen children manage molasses can
$ dy. The heat, even at q hundred
u yards distance, was uncomfortable
:, and | could not stand beside the
II moving lava for NOR" than few
II seconds at Il time. We could dis.
tinctiy sec the new crater, just un.
l. der the summit of the cone. 1t was
!. not in violent action, and an enter.
o prising person might have climbed
to within short distance of it.
o was not strong enough to undertake
o the ascent, nor did feel sure tina,
Z, the fatigue would be repaid. Sucl
in amount of steam and smoke is
/, sued from the opening, and ros,
al from the lava as it overran the low
3 er rim that | doubt whether mucl
il, else could have been seen / was
T. most interested in observing the
,c manner in which the lava showed
ut itself forward and the possibility
Ie OF its cooling in such irregular forms
" was now explained. 1t is not likely
NJ Il mt the present flow will reach th'
Is lower parts of the mountain, as tn
y. old fields over which II must pas
p, will intcrposc greater obstacles I,
he its movement. The smoke OF TIN
OF eruption, however, finding its wa,
through subteranean crevices, al
OF ready issues from all parts OF these
in old fields. and at the present Iatc Ol
t., advance the road TO the Hermitage
* will be cut OF in two or three days
III. more. On descending the monn
mt tains we constantly met parties Ol
he travellers on their way up. There
as were at least fifty in all, u geodly
SO proportion of them Americans.-
he The stock of horses in Rcsina seem
ch ed TO be exhausted, for many o
lis them were mounted on donkeys
he Thougl, late in the day, the incOm
'c. parable weather was their luck as
81. had been ours. In the suburbs q
)d the town we found other partie
- waiting for animals, and, on arrivin
Vi at Cozzolini's Office, own tire
ct. horses were imm6 ly turne
on out to u party whic Ut momel
u arrived from Napies.W
lis Jan. 3. My glass shows mo th'
So. the left hand stream OF lava has 4
'rt sccnded cOnsi lerably since yestc
to. day. The BRANCH, toward Terre d
llt. Greco, has entirely ceased to no
The Hood from the crater is evidci
Nv narrower and more languid thu
Heretofore, which would seem to
4 A. ~ "A lar