Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-16

A correspondent OF the London Telegraph.
dating Naples, April &c, writes:
"For several nights before the new craiers
burst the mountain was so enchanting in its
robe of flame that Naples could not think of
going to bed. Hour after hour, until the return
of daylight one and all of us fingered in the
streets, or by the shore Of the bay. drinking in
the glory of Nesuvian TRANSPORTATION. Few
who witnessed it will ever forget the first of
| these nocturnal displays. When darkness fell
on the night of the sd, the great cone seemed
suddenly TO feStoOn itself with wreathS of fire.
From its summit three craters were playing
simultaneously. Continuous clouds OF luminous
smoke assembled in the Star-lit sky. On their
| wings they bore solid masses of ScoTi@, which,
after rising 10 considerable distance, either fell
back into the crater or were thrown over the
| side of the cone into the streams of lava
| which were flowing down the mountain. The
moon, as il Jealous Of a terrestrial rival, shone
| with such hrliancy as only southern heavens
| are favored with. The three craterS 'emuated
| il IN the steadness of their illumination. From
. hour TO hour the scene maintained an I'M
| changing grandeur utiltoward sunrise, when il
effaced itself almost as abruptly as it had APP
peared.
at was past O'Clock before could turn nv
back on Vesuvius aud went my way homeward,
thinking distrustfully Of the probable sequel.
Next night the cone did not fulfil our eager an
ticpatonS. Two of the three craterS failed to
take part in the salamandrine spectacle but
triple energy.
"0n the third night the spectacle had further
diminished in briliance, but those who were
not absorbed in spectacular enjoyment could
discern Indications of Increased volcanic energy
All through this Inflated night the premonitions
of catastrophe followed hard upon each other.
Yet Of what did happen no one could have had
the slightest warning, 1t was an incident un-
precedented in the treacher0us, eapricious his
tory of Vesuvias. Fg sFsa
Ac dor- r+aS ri ~.
CURED on the side of the mountain next the
city. Oflate years access to Vesuvius has been
greatly facilitated by the short railway winch
skirts the bay and connects Naples with Castel-
amare, town at the opposite corner. Resna,
a fayOrite point for making the ascent from,
enjoys the most exciting distinction of lying in
the line of great current of lava. Thousands
of visitors have ascended the hill nightly from
ReSina, driving up as far as to the observa-
tory, and then walking TO the bed of last
years lava. On Friday morning many such
excursion parties were assembled directly under
the cone
"They had begun to dispense with the first in
dicatiOns of sunrise, but hundreds still fingered
on the spot. Without a single movement to
warn them the earth opened under foot and the
dead lava which they had been treadiug upon
as a 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 feet and sure of foot were many.
They reached safety; but woe to whoever fell
by the wayl The earth they fell on was already
at furnace-heat, and fresh waves of lava over
took them ere they could rise again. A few
were miracuously delivered by noble efforts on
the part Of the strong-neryed men in the com
pany. have been told by 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 its
basis. carriage which happened to be inside
this circle was burnt up in an instant, as if it
had been spirited away. Shortly before the
eruption lady was seen in il, but of her moth
ing whatever has been heard since.
Throughout Friday CONSERVATION reigned in
Naples. The first touch of peril had prepared
all minds to expect the worst. VeSuviuS gave
in various ways sufficient occasion for increased
alarm. The booming and the rumbng of the
underground artillery sounded as close as il it
were beneath our feet. The flow of lava had in
creased and two enormous streams were rolling
towards the sea as if they would sweep away
half dozen villages in their course. Windows
ratified, and the strongest houses trembled TO
their foundations. The smoke rising from the
crater was now mingled with volumes of sui
phurOuS vapOr, and 5lackened by the ashes it
carried in its furious ascent. There was far
more danger in the scoriR than in the lava for
they were confined to no channel. Scattering
themselves wherever the prevailing winds car
ried them-which was, happily, not in the direc-
ton of Napes-they became tire-brands for the
destr notion of houses, vineyards, forests, and
every form of combustble property.
"0n Friday night Naples was a degree lower
in its descent toward abiect terror. The bourse
had been closed all day. No one attempted TO
think of anything but the awful noises under
foot and the cOnfagratiOn which was spreading
among the villages lying at the mercy of the
volcano. Poor San Sebastiano was nearly re-
duced to aShes and its twelve hundred inhabi-
tants had to seek refuge nearer the coast
whittier the lava and the ashes were fast follow
ing them"