Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-02-21
Corresponlence Of lhe Lonlon Tine.

! AhafEAft-h Ns<hAttnthh Among tht
SunerePs.
Correspondents Of the London Times.
NAPLES, Jan. 29.-Vesuvius, which has
puzzled every one by lis capEices, is now
again active and glorious. When ] last
| spoke Of the mountain it was reposing,
and the eruption was supposed by many 10
be on the decline, bat on the 23d instant
| the instruments were much agitated, the
lava began TO pour forth, and two shocks
Of earthquake were felt eyen in Naples.
For two or three DAYS the old road 10 the
| Observatory has been the most favorable
one, az the lava has been pouring down
| over the cone in that direction in three or
four separate streams, wearing the appear
ance Of as many gigantic fingers forever
elengating. IL is calculated that the lava
is elected to the hight of1100 meters above
the level of the sea, 80 that you may easily
conceive how magnificent is the spectacle.
For two days the mountain has been Gov
cred with snow, even to the lip Of the
crater, thus presenting that remarkable as
sociation Of fire and frost which astonished
us some weeks since. Last night the erup-
ton was singularly grand, and as the lava
descended also toward the Plano dele
Ginestre ii seemed as if the entire cone
was covered by streams Of FIRE.
A sad disaster has befallen one Of the
most beautiful quarters of this city. Last
night, about Gas o'clock, there was a land
clip Of that huge tufa mountain which
towers up above the corner Of Santa Lucia,
leading round to the Chiatomone, over
whelming the shops and dwelling houses
which lay below. The report in the city
early this morning was that ffty-iive bodies
had been already disinterred but, as little
truth is TO be placed in statements in mo-
ments Of excitement, | procured the escort
OF a Gnard OF Public Security, and was adj
mitted to the scene OF the disaster Many
who read this will remember how long they
have fingered at several coral and paint
shops just at the turn of Santa Lucia less
agreeable "reminiscences they will have Of
one or tgO wine-shops and irdftorie fre-
quented by the people. Well, all are over.
whelmed, and how many unhappy beings
lie buried beneath is up TO the present
time unknown. In some respects | was re-
minded of the appearance of Tore del
Greco during the earthquake Of 1861.
there were long beams and rafters standing
perpendicularly out of the rubbish chairs,
tables, beds and other articles of household
furniture were mingled with the ruins sec
tions Of houses which clung TO and climbed
up the cliff were apparent, with private
cupboards full of bottles, but the inhab-
itanis and facades, indeed the greater por-
tion Of the houses, lay embedded beneath
the mass of tufa which lay piled high be-
meath, obstructing all communication be.
tween the city and the Riviera di Chiaga
in this direction.
II was most painful to think of the
amount Of suffering that lay buried there
without the possibility of relief for the
work Of excavation was pronounced to be
dangerous. How high the mountain
stands which dominates Santa Lucia / can
not precisely say-eertainly many hundred
feet, and, composed as il is Of very friable
materials, there was full expectation that
even larger masses would fall On the
very summit, and at the extreme edge,
there are barracks; the stone facing Of the
mountain had given way, aud the apparent
probability was that the tufa might yield,
and this vast pile of building topple over.
The work of excavation, therefore was full
Of danger, not merely to those engaged in
il, but TO the crowds who stood around.
Even as | looked, masses Of rock and
building fell, and here and there long lines
of sand, as it we're Of smoke, came trickling
down. There were very few persons EN-
ployed, therefore, in excavating; all that
could be done was 10 preserve order, and
keep of the hosts Of street Arabs, who
every now aud then tried to break through
the Gordon OF soldiers
A commission of engineers aud architects
WAS appointed 10 examine the mountain
and report whether it would be safe 10 re-
move the ruins at the base. Ii was work
Of great danger, for they had TO scramble
over the wrecks of the demolished houses,
at the risk Of being swallowed up by an
other land-fall. Al length il was decided
that nothing could be done until the noun
tain had been propped, and how this can
be done appears TO me to be most puzzling
affair. Some we're of opinion that the best
thing would be 10 explode that part of the
mountain with mine, but this would have
endangered much property near at hand.
At present, therefore, We are quite in the
dark "a to the extent of the disaster, and if
any unfortunate persons are buried they
must remain victims. The houses destroyed
are a lodging.house much frequented by
foreigners, two, il not three, coral-shops,
a shop where engravings were sold, cafe
partially 80, a wine-shop much frequented,
and one or Two small eating houses. be-
lieye that most in the lodging houses es-
capped they had timely warning in certain
houses, made by the breaking away Of the
cliff A family who were in an upper room
were unable to escape, but through the
hra aE ffoY.fofn nf gha lfari
were got down by ropes and ladders. An
American gentleman who was lodging there
was severely wounded, and was sent of to
the Pellegrini. have just visited him, ss
the psor fellow knew only two persons in
Naples, and he tells me he was lying in his
bed when the roof fell in and raiter fell
on his body. Ii broke the bones Of the
pelvis, and he has. moreover, a wound in
the head. Ii ia hoped that those in the
cafe had time 10 escape, as the door is par
TALLY open; as to those in the coFal-shcps,
the Wine-shops and the trdtoris, they musi
| inevitably be lost, and il is feared there
we're many there.
Ii being n cold night, the sentinel at the
entrance TO the Castel d'Nuovo had retired
within his box, aud was thus saved from
any injury. lie reports that at the time
the mountain fell a carriage was passing,
and others sdd an omnibus; il so, they
must be overwhelmed. OF course there is
great excitement in the city, and the disas-
ter is the sole topic Of conversation. His
Royal Highness, the Duke dAosta, who
had been up Nesuvius, on his return in the
evening went down 10 Santa Lucia, and re-
mained tall late hour. This morning
saw him there again, and by his orders, on
the report of the Commission of Engineers,
the works we're Immediately suspended.
There we're present also the Regio Dele
cato, the Questor, and all the civic and
military authorities, while the troops kep;
the ground, together with the police, and
IN fact, we're prepared TO do all the work,
but Il was too perilous TO proceed with
Two bodies Of workmen have already beer
disinterred, and two or three wounded haeS
been taken off TO the hospitals; but fear
that great loss Of life has yet TO be re-
vealrd.
Az 10 the causes Of this terrible affair
there can, think, be lutte doubt that the
principal one is the long-oontinued activity
of Vesuvius For two months and NOR,
we have been rocking in our beds; tn,