Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-05-30
Incidents of the Late Eruption of
VeSuyiuS.

feSuvluS.
The correspondent of the London
Telegraph, dating Naples, April 26,
writes: For several nights before the
new craters burst, the mountain was SO
enchanting in its robe of flame that
Naples could not think of going to bed.
When darkness fell on the night the
great cone seemed suddenly to festoon
itself with wreaths of fire. From its
summit three craters were playing
simultaneously. 1t was past three o'clock
before [ could turn my back on Vesu-
vius. The next night the cone did not
fulfill our eager anticipations Two of
the three craters failed to take part in
the spectacle, but the third belched and
flashed and smoked with triple energy.
On the third night the fire had further
diminished in brilliance, but those who
were not absorbed could discern indica-
tons of an increase of volcanic energy.
All through this ill-fated night premo-
nitions of catastrophe followed hard
upon each other. What did happen
was an incident unprecedented in the
treacherous history of Vesuvius. AS the
day was dawning a fearful horror &C.
Cured on the side of the mountain next
the city. OF late years access to Vesu-
vius has been greatly facilitated by
short railway which skirts the bay and
connects Naples with Castelamare,
town at the opposite corner. Resina,
fayorite point for making the ascent
from, enjoys the most exciting distinc-
ton of lying in the line of the great
current of lava. Thousands of visitors
have assembled the hill nightly from
Resina, driving up as far as the observa
last years lava. On Friday morning
many such excursion parties were as
sembled directly under the cone They
had begun to disperse with the first
indications of sunrise, but hundreds
still fingered. Without single move
ment to warn them, the earth opened
under foot, and the dead lava, which
they had been treading on as curiosity,
turned again to molten fire. Those who
were not engulfed in the chasm as it
burst forth, attempted to flee for their
lives. Happily the fleet and sure of
foot were many. They reached safety;
but woe to whoever fell by the way.
The earth they fell on was already at
furnace heat, and fresh waves of lava
overlook them ere they could rise again.
A few were miraculously delivered by
noble efforts on the part of strong
nerved men. [ have been told by a
friend who was at the very edge of the
chasm when it burst open, that the
effect on the imagination was as though
the whole mountain had begun to move
from It's base. A carriage, which hap
pened to be inside this circle, was burnt
up in an instant, as if it had been
spirited away. Shortly before the erup-
ton lady was seen in it, but of her
nothing whatever has been heard since
Throughout Friday CONSERVATION reign
ed in Naples. The booming of the
underground artillery sounded as close
as If 1t were beneath our feet. The flow
OF lava had increased, and two enor-
nous streams were rolling toward the
sea as If they would sweep away half a
dozen villages in their course. Win
dows ratified, and the strongest houses
trembled to their foundation. The
smoke rising from the crater was min
gled with volumes of sulphurous vapor
and blackened by ashes it carried in its
furious ascent. There was far more
danger in scori@ than in lava, scattering
themselves wherever the prevailing
winds carried them, which was happily
not in the direction of Naples. They
became firebrands for the destruction
of houses, vineyards. forests, and every
form of combustible property. On Fri
day night Naples was degree lower in
the descent toward AFFECT terror. The
Bourse had been closed all day No one
attempted to think of anything out the
awful noises under foot and the confa-
grafton, which was spreading among the
villages lying at the mercy Of the vol
cano. Poor San Sebastiano was nearly
reduced to ashes, and its twelve hun
dred inhabitants had to seek refuge
nearer the coast, whittier the lava and
ashes were fast following them"