Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-17
Foreign Correspondence,
VEsUVIUS..

Foreign Correspondence.
" . vEsUvIUs. '- 0a. ."n
We left Naples about 3 p. m, and ar
rived at the little village of Resina, at the
foot of the mountain, at o'clock took |
some horses and rode up as far as the
bridge path extends, and then wandered
on foot over the old lava and alongside of
the new stream and part way up the Cone.
Vesuvius, in its present form-which,
by the way, changes greatly with differ
ent eruptions-has two peaks. both of
which have craters at present in oper-
alton. The highest one in the form of a
cone, contains the crater from which the
largest eruption is taking place. 1t is
covered with, if not entirely composed of
lava, in coarse, rough fragments, with
ashes and finer cinders sprinkled over the
summit and mixed in with the lava.
When there is no eruption, it Is custom
airy to ascend this cone and look down in
to the crater, but now the latter feat
would, of course, be rendered impossible
by the immense stream of fire, smoke,
stones and lava which are coming out, al
though the accent of the cone is not especi-
ally dangerous. From where we were we
could see very we'll how the material was
being elected, and were safe from the
shower of stones from the crater. From
this main crater stream of molten lava,
white hot, is pouring down the sides of
the mountain, from five to twenty-five or
fifty feet wide; and at the time we were
there it had worked its passage more than
half way down the mountain. The pres
ent eruption bears no comparison in ex-
tent and grandeur with previous ones.
Those streams have spread out hundreds
of acres and flow down upon the plains
below. The present stream is flowing
along over one of the old ones.
The Cone is barren, rough, rocky-com-
posed of lava which has cooled off and
hardened in the shape which it assumed
in the molten form. It is very difficult
to give an idea of the appearance of the
lava. As seen from Naples, covering parts
of the mountain side, it looks like kind
of black coAtiRg upon the side Of the
mountain, or like the patches Off black
swamp muck we have sometimes seen up
on hillside, lying in strips, and sur
rounded by land covered with vegetation.
But as we ascend the mountain we come
rather suddenly upon il, and it looms Up
like huge, monstrous pile of dark brown
mud. The frat impression is that it Is an
immense stream of mud that has flowed
down the mountain, and of such consist
enoy as TO lay it out in large pieces, rath-
er than to spread it out fiat and smooth
nor is it until ont has felt it with his boot
that he is really persuaded that it is hard
like stone. 1t is piled mp in huge blocks
with CHAINS several feet between them,
sometimes broken apart, always having
the rounded shape that any thickly fluid
material will have when poured ont and
allowed to harden. Roads have been cut
and blasted through these immense walls
and expanses of hardened lava heading up
toward the summit.
Near the foot of the Cone proper, on al
ridge which divides two of these immense
streams of lava that have oons from for
mer eruptions, are an Astronomical Obser-
vatory and some other buildings, includ-
ing restaurant and some dens where
troops of Italian guidesy donkeys. boys and
beggars have their habitations. 1t is the
highest habitation on the mountain. on a !
lonely island between two huge, deyas-
tating streams Of lava. Ascending from
here we come on field where all is lava,
and the land is lost Here, within a quar-
ter of mile of the observatory, is thej
molten stream of lava / have referred to, |
coming down the side OF tire cone from the
crater above. Imagine yourself on the
side OF II mountarn, pretty well up, with
only u steep cone 1900 feet high above
you, the latter covered with rough, Jagged
mace like those at Port Henry. belching
out fire and smoke, while a molten mass,
like tho iron as it flows out Of tho furnace,
comes in slow stream down past your
feet, and you have an idea of Vesuvius as
it looks from where we were. The stream
of lava WAS, of course, fearfully hot
scorching when we were near it. braved
the heat, however, went up to il, dipped
some out on my staff, let it cool, and
brought it off as a trophy.
The sight of tie crater, with its fro and
smoke at night, and the river of lava run.
ming down the mountain, WAS impress
sive, and one that never shall forget.
w. o. A.