Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-23
vesuyiu. IN Eruption-A New Orator

A correspondent OF the London Times writes
from Naples under date of Jan. IS:
A few days only have elapsed since you heard
that Vesuvius was emitting flames. Hitherto
they have been little more than a fash in the
pan, out they promise or menace something on
a larger scale, and visitors are gratiied by the
spectacle, such as it is. For upward of year
our mountain has been growing and shaking,
and though there has been no accomplished
fact in this nei EhborhOod, still this agitation
was regarded as the indication of disasters at
some distance. Palmieri inquired of his seis-
mometer, and the instrument interpreted these
movements as signs of earthquakes in the Gala
brias, ROmagna, and elsewhere, and everything
happened as the professor ioretold. Indeed, the
sensitiveness and corr. ctness Of the seismometer
have now been so well tested that the govern
ment has consulted Palmieri as to what parts Of
the kingdom it would be well to place them
in, and by his advice they are to be fixed at
various railway stations in Romagna, Calabria,
and elsewhere.
As yet there is not much to he seen on the
summit of Vesuvius; but at intervals Of a min
ute flames burst ont with greater or lesser viO-
lence, as if propelled by the respirations of a
giant. Some changes have been effected in the
form of the mountain. Near the base of the
cone which was formed in 1868, and of which
Prof Phillips has given good report, a new
mouth has been opened towards the north, at
the summit of VeSuvius, and from this lava has
been elected as far as the sides of the cone, in
the direction of the Atrio del Cavallo. The gem
eral reader may not understand these details,
but those who have studied the history and
form of our mountain will recognize each fea-
ture with interest. Giovanni Cozzolino, the
principal guide, writes TO me as follows, and
surely the man whose meat and drink is Vesu
vius should know all about it,
"On the night of the 18th instant a new crater
was opened about midnight, under the grand
cone toward Somma. 1t sends forth large
column of fire, and from the 10th 10 the 18th Of
January the grand principal cone was filled with
fire to its very edge. Besides this new cone, two
| Others existed previously, which sent out col.
| umns Of stones, but these have relaxed in theiI
| activity, as though willing to divide the labor
with their newly constituted neighbor. Shocks
are frequently felt, and are sufficiently strong to
cause houses in the neighborhood to tremble
but beyond awakening some degrees of trepida.
ton they have produced no other consequences,
the mountains near Naples and as far as the
eve eau see; but over the white mantle one can
trace black line marking the course of the
lava" "This," says Palmieri, sis first phase
of the increase of the present eruption, preceded
as usual by the unfailing indications of the seis-
mograph and of the apparatus of variation"
The professor is of the opinion that this agi-
tation indicates the cessation of the period of
earthquakes which for some months have shaken
Europe, and Italy especially. If so, we may eX =
pect great blow up, and visitors will not be
disappointed in their pes of witnessing mag
nifcent spectacle. Hitherto Palmieri has been
marvellously successful in his predictions; we
have yet to see whether he will be equally so as
regards the future Vesuvius, as far as | can
tell, may be blowing its head off this morning,
for it is covered with such dense clouds, and
such persevering rain is falling, that it is inn
possible to distinguish any object beyond mile,
and such is the weather we have had for two
months; il has been most atrOcious.