The Hickman courier., 1872-06-15
VESUVEES.
Fatal Effect OF the Eruption.
[FrOm the Philadelphia Bulletin.

I rom the Philadelphia Bulletin.
A private letter just received from
Naples gives the following account of
some of the incidents of the late terrible
eruption of Vesuvius. The gentleman
referred to as Mr. Sis the son Of
an esteemed lady of foreign birth, for
some years past resident of Philadel
phla. The writer is also a foreigner.
which accounts for the idomatic simplici
ty OF expression, which, however, only
adds force to the sad story of the fatal
results of the volcanic storm.
You have surely heard of the fear
iui eruption of Fesuyius which DESTROYED
some whole villages and ruined many
families Knowing that you felt so
much interested about the eruptions,
aud should have liked so much to see
one Of them while you were in Naples.
l will tell you something about this last
and awful one. Imagine what a great
misfortune we have escaped; my brother
aud Mrs. s. son have nearly been
victims Of the fava. IN the way l am
now going TO tell you. Mr. S, who
has been in Naples abouta week, came to
pay visit to US on Thursday, 25th, and
told Us he was going up to Nesuyius
on the same evening. As we had
seen, even from town, for the last three
or four evenings the eruption getting
every day more beautiful, Mamma allowed
my brother to 60 with him, telling them
both to take care about themselves.
They promised they would be back at
mldnIgh', and vent away to join other
young men. When they had reached q
place near the observatory, where thev
could not 90 further without danger.
they found the views SO splendid, and
they were so tired besides, that one OF
them proposed to take a rest aud stay
there till day ybreak. Mr.. S-then
said he could not, because he had prom
lsed my mother to bring her son back
to her safe and we'll at midnight. His
advice was followed, and they came back
at about three o'clock in the morning.
Early in the morning all my brother ;
friends who knew about his having gone
to Fesuyius came to ask if he had come
back. Two hours after they left it, on
the very same place where they had
proposed to stay till day break, a new
crater broke out, and the lava heat killed
all tbs poor people who stood in the
neighborhoOd. How thankful We are to
God that he preserved my brother from
such awful death and also Mrs.-son;
so it has been quite interesting for both
of them to have been there on that night
and seen one of the most important
eruptious. Eight fellow students OF my
brother, one Of them quite an intimate
friend of his. also went up and never
came back; they were buried by the
lava so they could not even find theil
bones, and another family lost 4 son anC
4 daughter, and the other son came
back all burnt and covered with wound:
10 most pitiful state.
They had gone with little party
which Is all dead Only one Of the la
dies could be saved, but some how, afte
As sssghsd SsSles, he pat dc f,s Ss9 , sg
of those who had gone for mere curiosi
~ died. Then we have had during ia,
eruption and after it, for nearly d week
continual thuuder-like noise, whicl
became so strong sometimes that it mad,
the ground move like the earthquake
The thing which was most disaereeablt
to Us was 4 rather stroug rain OF ashes
which began the 28th aud lasted three OF
four days, sometimes getting so thick
that one could not see anything al a hun
dred feet distant Gu those days Maple:
looked quite sad aud desolate, so that wt
could have perfect idea of what mus
have beeu the end of Pompeii; besides
all the town was filled by those poor in
habiiants of the destroyed villages who
had left their houses burning and came
to ask for roof aud bread"