Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-06-27
THE ERUPTION or vEsUvIUS.
Was it q Public Blessinx :.

THE ERUPTION or vEsUvIuS. r.
=. Was 1T q Public BlessinR4
A correspondent OF the London
Times makes out a strong claim IN sup
port of the theory that the upton of
Mount Vesuvius saved tile peninsula Of
Italy from a still greater calamity.
Writing from Naples, under date Of
May Is, he says:
During the last month, the whole OF
Italy seems to have been in q state of
violent volcanic agitation, and the cleo:
trio plionomena gathered and reported
by Professor Densa AZ having been OF
served in various parts of Italy sre
worth nothing. He says lion the
26th of April, when: Vesuyius displayed
the greatest activity, o considerably
strong shock of earthquake was felt at
Mondoxi. The movement, which first
appeared to be perpendicular, then be-
came undulatory from southwest to
northeast, the whole lasting from tpur
to six minutes. At the same hour an
earthquake was felt at Pinefol6, Cuneo
and; Rarga:' Z ,:,,.H: Soc: :,r: IL; =
Professor Domenico Cont, director
of the new meteorological station now
being organized in Cosenzy writes, on
the 9th Of April, that the shocks OF
earthquake recommenceds there with
greater vigor,a and became again fie-
,quent and perceptible. Moreover, Sig
nor Scotto, Lachianca,, Professor of
Astronomy in the Royal Yechnic and
Marine Institute Of Messina; ann0unnoes
that at IL o'clock in the morning of the
Oath OF April the inhabitants Of Can
:tapla were surprised by hollow sub
terranean rumbling, which, being re-
peated at frequent intervals towards
Etna. termined ct .'oneG o'clock p.
Y: Al three o'clock larger guam.
tity Of smoke began to rise from the
mouth of that crater, which, in. the
evening, was illuminated from the very
bottom. Dense and black columns Of
smoke continued to rise on the follow
ing day, and through all the night Of
the 26th of April when the dreadful
catastrophe Of Vesuvius happened.
For several evenings later; new phen-
omena of auroral lights were observed
in Genoa, Volpeglino and, Messina. On
the 10Th of April another shower ct
very light sand, but of little conse-
quence, fell at Messina and Syracuse,
as we have learned from Signor Lachi..
anca, and from the director of the OBJ
servatory at Syracuse:
Lastly, many very splendid luminous
meteors have been observed of late in
Piedmont, among which were two very
brilliant 6 b0lidi," on the evening Of
the oath of April the first having BEEN
seen at quarter before 9 at Montalieri
and Mondovi; the second at 20 min
utespast 10 at Volpeglino, near Tor
tona. Prof. Serpieri, too, telegraphed
from Urbino on the 9Th Of May:
Great invasion of dry mist; color
slightly blue; Apennines covered.
In addition to this we hear from ali
quarters that there have been grave
meteorological oscillations throughout
Italy. At Rome and in the north and
south of Italy the temperature fell
considerably, while in Naples the cold
for, some hours, was as intense asi lat
any time in the winter. From Boloqna
we hear that snow has fallen on the
mountains in abundance as also at
Bisbino, near Come, and on some of
the mountains around Lecco, while
Monte Generroro was covered with
snow. 80 ~ =. ;, :;
At Gattinari and other places in
Piedmont there has been q heavy and
continuous fall Of snow. It is added
that in Rome, about the 18th and 1ith
inst, it was a. cold as in the depth bf
winter, but it soon yielded to the bril-
liant sun Of Italy: Many scientific
men are Of opinion that this great in
consistency in the weather may be at.
tributed, among other causes, to the
electro magnetic phenomena Of the re-
cent eruption of Vesuvius.
As regards Naples, I may observe
that the eruption was followed, as il
usual, by week Of continuous stormy
weather. Thunder and lightning were
frequent and violent, and rain fell in:
great abundance, bringing down large
quantities of ashes deposited on the
mountain, thus extending the damage
already done. In the plains, however,
somewhat removed from the mountain,
the ram did good by washing of the
dust which had fallen on the young
vegetation: s': ! it,"
Inc cagaStfOphe OF the eruption has,
indeed, been: terrible;S but every pic
ture has two sides, and We have reason
to be grateful, perhaps, that, we have
been saved from &. most destructive
earthquake. The reports which.I have
given You above show that the whole of
Italy was one vast volcano in labor,
and had it not been for the relief it
found through the crater Of Vesuvius,
God only knows how much moro tre-
mendous the evil might have been.
t.. on & former .c, occasions. ao when NsPies
has been waving from side to side like
q pendulum, people have thronged 1anx-
iously to get q view Of Vesuvius, and
among the number. The first jet OF
smoke was, as it were, the signal of cal.
vation,; for though. the eruption might
cost some lives, it preserved hundreds
perhaps thousands, Of others.