Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-05-30
Graphic Description of the Last Erup-
tiOn of Vesuyius.

The correspondent of the London Tele-
graph wites: "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 wreathes of fire. From the summit
1t was past nine o'clock before | could
turn my back on Vesuvius. The next
night the cone did not fulfill cur 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 bril-
lance, but those who were not absorbed
could discern Indications of an increase
of volcanic energy. All through this i'll
fated night premonitions of catastrophe
followed hard upon each other. What
did happen was an incident unprecedent-
ed in the treacherous history of Vesuvius
As the day was dawning a fearful horror
occurred 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, a town
at the opposite corner. Resina, fovorite
point for making the ascent from
enjoys the most exciting distinction of
lying in the line of the great current of
lava. Thousands of visitors have ascend
ed the hill nightly from Resina, driving up
as far as the observatory, and then walk
| ing to the bed of last years lava. On
Friday morning many such excursion
parties were assembled directly under the
cone. They had begun to disperse with
the first indications of sunrise, but hun
dreds still fingered. Without single
movement to warn them, the earth open
ed under foot, and the dead lava, which
they had been treaGing on as curiosity,
turned again into 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 eff
forts on the part of strong-nerved men,
l have been told by friend who was at
the very edge of the chasm when it hurst
open, that the effect ON the Imagination
was as though the whole mountain had
begun to move from its base A carriage,
which happened to be inside this circle,
| was DurnG up Ii an instant, as II IL
had been spirited away. Shortly be
fore the eruption lady was seen in it,
but of her nothing whatever has been
heard since Throughout Friday con
sternation reigned in Naples. The boom
ing of the underground artillery sounded
as close as if it were beneath o1r feet
The flow of lava had increased, and two
enormous streams were rolling toward
the sea as if they would sweep away hall
dozen villages in their course. Windows
ratified, and the strongest houses trembleC
to their foundations. The smoke risins
from the crater was mingled with volume.
of sulphurOus vapor and blackened by
ashes it carried in its furious ascent
There was far more danger in scorie thai
in lava, scattering themselves whereve
the prevailing winds carried them, whicl
was happily not in the direction of Ma
pies. They became firebrands for the de
struction of houses, vineyards, forests
and every form of combustible property
On Friday night Naples was a degret
lower in the descent toward abject terror
The Bourse had been closed all day. NJ
one attempted to think of anything bu
the awful noises under foot and the con
f1agratiOn, which was spreading among
the villages lying at the mercy of the vol
cano. Poor San Sebastiano was nearly
reduced to ashes, and its 200 inhabitant
had to seek refuge nearer the coast
whittier the lava and ashes were fast fol
lowing them.