The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-20
THE MOUTH OF HELL.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE RECENT
ERUPTION OF TESUYIUS.

GhAFdIC ACCOONI OF THE hECGNl
ERUPTION OF TESUYIUS.
Early Stages OF the DIsturbanoe-The
Third Ntght-Destruction OF Life
Scenes Among the Neapolltans-The
Last Alarm.
The following letter from the Hon. B. Odell
Duncan, OF Nswberry, now United States
consul at Naples, giving his impressions Of the
recent eruption at Vesuvius, will be read with
interest:
UNITED STATES CONSULATE,
NAPLES, April 2S, 1872.
TO THE Editor OF THE NEWS.
I send you paper with some account of
the terrible eruption Of Vesuviue, of which
,ou will huve heard 80 much before you re-
ceive this. would write you Some account
of It. only am TOO busy just now, ano know
YOU will See notice enough OF It's horrors
in the papers. It will take rank as one OIL
The most violent eruptions for centuries. The
damage done is tremendous, and when we
consider that the greatest violence did not
last more than eighteen or twenty hours, We
are Mortified at what would have Deen the de-
structIou had 1t continued as s usual, two,
three or four days. The scene during Friday
and Friday night, 26th Instant, was grand
horrible beyoud conception, much less de-
scrlption. Think OF mountain over four
thousand feet high, like one sol d mass OF
lava-of the Immense volumes oil stnoke forced
up In direct line to more than i've times the
height OF the mountain, OF Immense red-hot
stones, large enough to be distinctly visible
from our windows, twelve and fifteen miles
distant. thrown 10 the height OF one 10 two
thousand feet; OF continuous roar like that
of heavy thunder; and you may form faint
Idea OF what was the grandeur of the scene.
Within the brief space Of eighteen hours the
lava ran further Lhau at any eruption this Gen.
Lury, or than any probably since 1851. There
has probably BEEN no eruption more sudden
or violent in Its first outbreak, and never was
lhe lava known 10 fJw so rapidly. We could
watch It's movement distinctly from our house
The cause OF the great loss or life was that
the mountain had been very brilliant
the night of the Oath though not al.rn-
Ing, and this had attracted hundreds up the
mountain In the expectation OF seeing from
nearer similar show the night Of the Is b.
Towards o'clock In the morning the terrible
explosion took place, without moIDeuts
warming. Ere-wituesses say the whoe eide OF
the cone seemed TO opeu, and many were
overwhelmed with the mass Of stones aud red
hot lava or scalded TO death with the boiling
water thrown out. The number of The deaf
cannot yet be known. Many are missing who
may probably yet return. think not over
thirty are known to ba dead. think no
American has been lost, fora wonder, as there
were many up the mountain early That night.
B. 0. DUNCAN.
A correspondent of the London Telegraph,
writing from Naples on the 26th OF April,
says:
Our volcanic neighbor has not only been un-
usually bolsterous thus time, but 1t has excelled
ilsrlf in treachery. The overwhelming OF
Herculaneum. If not myth, may have been
sensational in Its day, but In tragic horror 1t
rending scenes which we have been Obliged
to witness during The past week. Before the
storm there was calm-an exquisite calm
for which The destroyer decked himself In his
most transcendant beauty. For several nights
befure the new cralers burst, the mountain
was 80 enchanting In It's robe Of flame that Ma
plies could MT thlbk o.. going to bed. Hour
all of ns fingered In the streets, or by the
shore Of the bay, drinking In the glory Of
yEsUyrAN TRANSPORTATION.
urge ge8 81 HERsss Hlssafsaa ever 4FsEHfd datAR
ness fell on the night Of rne 23i, the great
cone seemed suddenly 10 festoUn Itself with
wrealhs of fire. From Its summit. three oraters
were playing simultaneously. Continuous
clouds OF lumini0us smoke ascendtd IN the
starlt sky. On their wings they bore solid
masses OF scUra, which, after rising 10 con-
siderable distance, either fell back Into the
crater or were thrown over The slide OF The
cone inio the streams Of lava winch were
flowing down the mountain. The moon, as II
Iralous OF Its terrestrial rival, shOne With such
Dr,lliancy a. only southern heavens are favor
ed with. The three craters emulsiPd it 10 the
seddiness of their illumination. From hour
to hour the scene maintained an unchan9inS
grandeur, until toward sunrise, when 1t eflacrd
itself almost as abruptly as it had appeared. IL
was past three O'clock before / could turn my
back on VesuvIus. and wend NY way home
ward, thinking dlstrus fully of the probable
SEQUEL. Next night the cone did not fulfil our
eager anticlpalions. Two Of the three craters
failed 10 take part In the salamandrne spec.
tacle, but the third beched and flashed and
smoked with triple energy. The scorie
which 1t ejectrd were p'culiarly Interesting
and varied 10 shape. Some looked like stones
Of vast size; others Were star-shaped, and
Others, as tney assembled, exploded into mil.
lions of iery fragments. The discharge OF
lava, which on the fist night had been hardly
noticeable, now assumed u prominent part In
the drama. IL was vUmited forth with such
energy as 10 carry itabove the lips of the cone
and throw it sumo dl.tance down the slope.
There It quickly divided Itself Into two
streams, aud made Its way In one direction
toward the Observatory, and In another iuto
the old Atro del Cdvallo, which, by aid Of the
reinforcement, resumed lts msnaclng course
toward 0ttOjano.
THE THIRD NIGHT.
On the third night the spectacle had further
dImnisned In briliiancp, but those who were
not absorbed In spectacular enjoyment could
discern Indications of increased volcanic en-.
ergy. The immense tongues OF flame, though
they had lost some OF their dazzling bright
and scora were also carried to greater
height. The former was elected In larger
volume, which ultimately showed Its Increase
ln The accelerated flow OF the lavasEreams.
The snbterranean thunder, which early In the
week had made itself heard but dimIy, like
The sound OF heavy artillery at many miles
distance, now grew more audible. and ap-
peured 10 be approaching nearer the city. All
through this l.I-fated night the premnnlttons OF
O catastrophe followed hard upon each other.
Yet of what did happen no one could nave
the slight est warning. IL was an incident I'M
precedtnted in tile trpacher0lls. caprlclous MS
tory OF Vesuvlus. The sympathetic sky was
full of omens. Its crystal earness had dr.
parted, ami in place of II flercy clouds were
driving across the heavens. From thousand
tinted rffllgence they declined into dullness,
then into heavy, threatening darkness. Moon
and STARS paled their lights ere they were
yelled BY tho hazs which overspread the SKY.
But the surface of Lhe bay continued smooth
and glassy, unruff1ed by even aslmmer breeze.
AS tue shadows of smoke and flame CAST upon
IL from the mountain became more sombre, It
nartnnk uf their effected Gloom. Otherwise,