The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-02-19
The Eruption Of Vesuvins.

Bayard Taylor paid visit to Mount
Vesuvius on the 7th ultimo, and thus
describes what he saw when upon tho
mountain Oh that day, in letter to the
Tribune:
The double stream OF lava from the
crater was pouring its fluid, incando.
scent rock into the valley. and the burn.
ing mass, constantly pushod from be-
hind had already entered tho ravine we
had crossed little distance below,
moving downward over tho distorted
lava-beds of 1868. There was much
smoke, but little fame; at times roar.
ing. rattling noise was heard, but nol;t
ced no trenor or oscillation in the eaqlh.
either then or later. At the edge of
the old lava, Which, here took the shape
of loose stones, we left our horses a7fa
went forward on foot. There was
troadenpath at first. but it soon disap-.
peared, and our progress over tho roll
ing and sliding heaps, which. had the
sharp grit Of ground glass, was rather
painful Wo had already passed. the
lower point of The lava current and
reached it at a point where the larger
eruption Of the previous night had como
down.
Tho heat and smoke increased with
every step; tho rafting noises wcr,
continuous, ard lines Of creeping fire.
became visible. There appeared tobo'
two streams, both moving the same.
mann"r-that !s, cm!y partly Gowing,
upon the surface of tho old lava, but
bnrrowing undcr It's loose crust, splitting
and upheaving it, and mixing its mate
rails, with the new mass. The noise Of
the flow was thus produced. The fro.
was silent and irresistible there was no
hiss or sputtcring of The molten ele-
ments but tho stream lifted aud threw
or sohd masses, even tons in weight,
without the least apparent force or
check. had always imagined thick,
snGgish'stream, with tolerably smooth
surface something liko the flow from.
smelling snEface-but here were NOV.
ing mounds, rough and shapclcss, tho
chief power of which lay in their bases,
hidden from sIght-slrange creeping,
mining forces, moving forward with
horrible, pitiless certainty in their man.
| ner Of locomotion.
Ii the scene was less grand in its fca.
trTes than one would accept, it was Mt
least diabolically impressive. It cx-
pressed only destruction, and of tho
most cold bloodcd, deliberate kind. Tho
main stream had raised long ridge
some twenty feet i'll hc,ght, apparently
on the surface, until some squirming
| movement in advance shook Off the
crust III scales, and showed fangs and
throats Of intensest fire. The front of
this ridge was constantly hurllng huge
masses, some of them red ho., down
the gorge. The nearer stream was not
more than four feet in height, and al.
lowed us to approach near enough to
poke It's glowing sides with stick All
along its edge boys were roasting; eggs
for travellers, or Unfolding coins in the
fluid lavay which they snatched out of
the mass and twisted OFF very much as
l have seen childfcn manage molasses
candy. The heat, even alta hundred
yards distance, was uncomfortable, and
| could not stand beside the moving
lava for more than few seconds at a
time. We could distinctly sec the new
crater, just under the summit Of tho
eone.,
1t was not violent action, and an
enterprls!ng person might have climbed
to within short distance it. I was
not strong enough to undertake tho
ascent'no did [ feel sure that the IA
tigue would be repaid Such an amount
OF steam and smoke issued from the
opening and rose from the lava. as it
overran the lower rim, that I doubt
whether much else could have been
SEEM l was much interested in obsserv:.
ing the manner in which the lava SHOW
ed itself forward, and the possibility Of
lts cooling IN such irregular forms was
now explained. 1t is not likely that
the present flow will reach, thu
lower parts Of the mountain, as the OLD
fields over which it must pass will inter.,
pose greater Obstacles to It's movement.
The smoke OF the eruption, however
tlndlng its way through subtcrranean
crevees,' already issues from all parts of
these old fields, and, at the present rate
OF advance, the road to. the Hermitage
Will be cut of in two or three days
moro.
On descending the mountains we con-
stantly met parties Of travellers on their
way up. There were at least ffty in
all, gnodly portion Of them Americans.
Thc stock 81 horses in Resna seemed to
be exhausted, for many of them were.
mounted on donkeys. Though late in
the day, the incompatible weather was
their luck, as it had been ours In the
suburbs OF the town we found other
parties waiting for animals and, on ar
riving at Cozzolini's office, our own tir-.
ed horses were Immediately turned over"
to party which that moment had. ar.
rived from Naples. \
January 8.-My glass shows pssMiaAt
the left hand stream OF lava has descend.
cd considerably since yesterday. The
other branch toward Tore del Greco.
has entirely ceased to,Row. The flood
from tho crater is evidently narrower
n Il L.. Il ST. +