Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-11-04
For the Spectator.
MOUNT VESUVIUS!
Something of its History, the Ascent. the Crater,
My Impressions, &C., &C.
IRON NOTES ABROAD

IRON NOTES Abroad
the Christian era began, but how long 1T had ex-
isted previously as burning mountain" we
do not know We think it quite evident and
more than probable that it possessed volcanic
existence before the beginning of our Era. This
deduction we arrive at through simple process of
reasoning, viz: In the early part of the first
century, several cities, near its base, were de.
stroyed by earthquakes, and we all know that
these are the natural cOncOmltants OF volcanic
countries, and it is scarcely questionable mat
ter but that old Vesuvius had been volcano,
and an active one, hundreds OF years before An
no Domini. For, in addition to the earthquake
that occurred in the first century, near 1t the cit
les of Stabia Retina, Herculaneum and Pom
pei Gas have before told you,) were destroyed
by an immense eruption of its burning contents.
So we are inclined to think that this great earth
quake, and the grand and terrible eruption we
have named, had been preceded by other devas-
tations of similar character before the Chrls-
tian Era and of which we have no record. Ihls
question may be one of some doubt and conJec-
ture, and it may also appear matter OF mere
surmise to many minds and with many persons
who do not feel any degree of interest IN the SUBJ
iect It is only because we have assumed the self
imposed task of the historian, in q brief way, OF
this volcano. that we felt at liberty to state our
impressions of its existence as far back as posi-
ble 1t is with its great age that 1t becomes
theme of so much wonder so much interest and
so marvellous in its immense capacity to continue
burning for ages and ages, without exnausting
the material that furnishes the Iue Ior us never
dying fires.
Mount Vesuvius is between six and seven
miles from Naples and three miles from the
shores Of the Bay so Its eo highest point called
rises gradually from the wide plain of the Cam
pagna having base 25 to 30 miles in circuit
Near the top is a table about five miles in diam
etre, bounded by red craggy ridge and having
M onte Somma on the north ,and Punta del Salo,
the present cone, on the south. Between these
is an old crater, called Atrio del Cavallo. Vesu-
vius is surrounded with fertile fields, up to near
the top, which is barren, and ter mnates In heaps
of cinders It's base is covered with white towns,
villages, vineyards and groves Of fig trees which,
in spite of repeated warnings, are still inhabited
and cultivated, on account OF the extraordinary
richness of the soil. On the Naples side are
Portico Resna, lover Herculaneum) Tore del
Greco, (half ruined in 1862 Further off are
Tore dell Annunziata and Pompei, above which
are Bosso Reale and Bosco Ire Case (nearly de-
stroyed in 1922 and '50) ct ordinary times, all
that is seen is thin column of vapour from the
cone; which at night is lit up by the fire below,
or by sudden jets of fame. When it begins to
be active, an immense column of smoke rises up
and stretches across the sky; or perhaps, d
bright stream of red lava flows down the cone
las vivid and brilliant as the coils of a fiery
serpent" which, as it cools, turns to din
gy red All this is reflected over the Bay
with extraordinary effect. The greatest erup-
ton that is known and recorded OF Vesuvl-
century which overwhelmed Pompei, Hercula-
neum and Stable with ashes, cinders, lava &C..
and occasioned the death of Pliny thu Elder,
author of the Natural History" as related by
ESCAPED with his life His uncle was in COM
mand of the Roman feet at Msenum, but being
an ardent mote-taker and persevering anteTuleao-
err of everything uncommon or curious and also
a stout man he went too near the mountain at
Stable and was suffocated by the flames His
BODY was found three days after, unhurt, like
one asleep.
During one of its great eruptions, the fame
was reckoned to be (as my iandlady told me)
two miles high, and stones as big as hogsheads
we're sent up 2, 600 feet above the sea, and fine
ashes carried as far as Constantinople.
Among the minerals thrown up at various
times (of which full collection is In the Muse
UNI at Naples) are augite, felspar, leucite mica,
IRON meionite, crystalline, limestone, &c.
I cannot now enumerate the numerous erup-
lions that have occurred from time to time that
history tells us about. but the last o1e, which
took place in April 1872, and which is fresh in
YOUR minds from the graphic accounts that the
newspapers of the country gave you was a most
imposing and terrible spectacle one that will new
er be forgotten by those who saw 1t. The cele-
brated description, so we'll and so deliberately
written and which we read with so much avidity
in our youth, were reproduced in all their truth
full grandeur. The mountain, after this erup-
ton was considerably changed In shape the al
ley separating Vesuvlus from Somma, called
Atrio del Cavallo, and the other separating the
astronomical observatory, are nearly filled up
with lava. I remember seeing In one direction
great heaps and ridges of lava that had flowed
during this eruption and helped to make travel
in that section lmpractlca0le.
Vesuvius has long and interesting history with
it's smouldering hidden fires that at various in
tervals of time have burst out and flowed down
its rugged sides, carrying terror and destruction
in its burning track, and even when 1t was appa-
rently quiet TO all external appearances and only
the usual volume of smoke ascending from its
unknown depths, far down In that turbulent
restless BOSOM rolled and surged unceasing y
that vast and terrible fire that the ages Of all
centuries that may be in the future will never
ouench. The throes and commissions of its
own interior feeding and feasting upon
its vitals have not decreased or diminished
them. so that they still remain as indestructible
as the heart of Prometheus, ever consuming,
vet never destroyed. And despite all the theo-
ries and premises founded and established by
men of science and research, this volcano re-
mains to day to most men as great and lnexpl-
cable mystery as ever it was in all the past.
1t was on the morning of July 2lst, 1873, that
I arose quite early, and after fully equlplng my
self wrote note and left 1T on my table In my
hotel at Naples stating in this note that had
LETT so early in order to have full day before
me to ''do up'' Mount Vesuvius. In the note
also requested the Proprietress, who was an
English lady, to take care OF my effects until my
return or if any accident prevented my getting
back to forward them to my London address
Having taken this precautionary measure, sal
lied forth, and after walking rapidly through
the ouiet streets OF the beautiful old city, in the
course of an hour reached the starting point of
the ascent of that famous old volcano. 1t Is not
probable and | think 1t possible, that this
feature of my European trip will ever be forgot
ten by myself, and while l knew how terribly
fatiguing it would be- thought 1t too classical
an excursion for stranger to omit. Our party
rested for awhile at the town of Resina, (the an
Gent Retina) This place is at the base of Vesu-
vius and is one of the starting points for the as
cent 1t has population of between IL, GOO and
and ID 900. and stands over the buried Roman
city of Herculaneum. The usual route is from
this city to the Hermitage, which is two thirds
of the way up So after we had taken our lunch
and drunk several bottles of the "Lacryma
wine" which judges pronounce to be the finest
in the world we then concluded bargaining with
the guides Ga set of the most finished rascals, J
who in addition to their services also furnished
the horses One of these guides spoke some
English and acted as the mouthpiece for the rest
He delivered US a budget Of general advice and
Instructions and then mounted our small
tough animals and began the ascent TO the cone
each one of our party being accompanied by two
guides, one of these leading the horse by the
bride and the other swinging on by the tail. In
this manner we logged on for over an hour, our
horses climbing like cats over the roug hest coun-
| try among fields of ashes and lava and the Wild
est and most singular scenery that could be i'm
agined and as we neared the cone the picture of
desolaton was complete. For miles around us
| there was nothing but ashes and lava, above,
below to the right hand and to the left all
black, bare and desolate; extensive and impress
| siye enough to be grand, even sublime in its
desolation and only relieved by old lava streams
| of reddish and iron-grey color, and sometimes
bright yellow marking the presence of color