National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-10-01
Mount Tesurius.


How of the lava had ceased the last
formed cone began to give out thick
black clouds of smoke,in which bril-
lantly glowing masses of rock were |
occasionally seen. On the first day
of October the marvelously ingen, |
iOus instrument devised by Lamot,
began to indicate a disturbance be-
low the soil, and a displacement of
the surface, and the volcano became
noiser than before. A small cone
opened next, at the side, from the
summit to the base, and the lava
issued forth. covering the former
summit of Vesuvius. 1t was here
for the first time, that the re
nowned director of the Seis obser-
vatory, Palmieri, observed the peri
odic nature of these volcanic erup>
tons. Each day the lava would
cease to flow at certain hours and
begin anew after a short interval
twice day, also, the cone would
make an increased noise, and throw
ont its projeetiles with greater viO-
lence. The correspondence thus
shown between the volcanic ebb and
tide and that of the sea, was still
further illustrated by other changes
in the flow of lava, by certain phe-
nomena occurring at greater inter
walls, which careful observation prov.
ed to take place i'll unfdiling sympa.
| thy with the motions OF the moon.
In November, the mountain be-
came highly excited. The stream
of lava grew to larger dimensions.
1t was not,as is commonly imagined,
glowing, fluid mass, but appeared
like a stone wall, from twenty to
thirty feet high, consisting of vast
blocks of stone, which were partly
black and partly glowing deep red,
and this wall was borne on high by
the liquid, burning lava underneath,
and pushed continually forward by
the immense weight of the frey
mass that issued forth from the cone.
Aided by the slope Of the mountain
side, it advanced yisibly some two
or three feet a minute, threatening
death and destruction to all that
stood in the way. A traveller. Mr..
| BOcrnStlen, gives an animated de.
scription of IA characteristic scene in
its fearful progress. He had ascend.
ed the mountain as far rs the Casa
del pre- te, the priests house, which
was on the point of being over
whclmcd by .he stream of lava, now
nearly four hundred feet wide.
1t stood in the center of noble
vine yard. The furniture, and all
that could be saved. had been car
ried away; the old priest, in round,
about and shorts. with nothing but
his velvet cap to designate him as a
priest, was hard at work, with the
help of few men, to pull up the
stakes. to which the vines were taS-
tened, in order to save them at least
for fuel His black dog was contin-
ually running towards the house,
barking anXiously, and then return.
ing to his master, barking at him
and pulling at him. as if he wished
to warn him against the impending
danger For the terrible wall ol
hidden fire was within foot of the
parsonage. 1t waS empty and de-
serted on Y pet eat was sitting
comfortably on the sill of the upper
: story, to which an outer stalrcas,
: gave access. The priest had JUS
east a last Sorrowful look at hi
house, against the thick stone walls
p of which the lava was slowly rising
r. higher ard higher, and in his heart
was bidding farewell to his home
where he had lived ever since h,
- had been a priest. His eye fell upol
the eat. Save the poor creature
he cried, and one of the men hasten
- cL up the steps but the cat, fright
encd 10y the strange iacc,ran swiftly
into the house, and at the same mo
Il ment the stream of lava, overtop-
ping the house by several feet, fel
70 forward and poured a sea of iiame'
upon the Hat roof The man on th'
steps lcapcd with IA desperate cilor
TO the ground, the priest aud the 10y
ISLANDERS crossed themselves, thick
black clouds of smoke poured furtl
from the windows, and a few mo
ments later the whole stately build
ing had vanished, and a huge mas
{ of glowing blocks of lava was stead
lily flowing over the p Ie,that kncN
y 1t no more.
i At night, the strcau presents
n glorious sight. Dark IN broad day
,. light,it now appears an oc, IN Of fire
slowly advancing with irrcsistibl
= power, and from its waves. as hig
= as tall houses, there fall continual
r. huge glowing blocks with fearil'
=, crash, and roll down the prccipicc
y with terrific thunder; il it itapproacl
cs tree, there is moments della,
and Immediately the lcavcs,dricd b
= the fearful heal, blaze up like tho,
sand lights on u huge Christina
tree; then the trunk flares up in
pillar of fire, and the crown sink
n into the frey sea. From time I
time the glowing mass of lay
stream heavcs and rises; suddenl
Il. a loud explosion is heard, and u
" immense column of bright fire shoot
" high up to the hca,ens--pcnt II
" pnsses have freed themselves an
!, exploded in the frey heat. Or Il
stream falls into u well; the watt
is instantly converted into stca'
. and a white pillar of kissing yap'
AA i.