, 1874-04-11

CHEAT DEPTH or THE PIT.
As tho time approaches for an ERUPTION, the
crater fills up; aud it is deepest just after one.
There is q very MARROW margin, or lip, between
the outer edge OF tho conc md the crater. In
some places it WAS 9 rod rlde ut Others, scarcely
= yard, barely room to walk safely along tho
crest, single flo. AS nearly as could Judge in
walking about half round this narrow rim the
distance across the chaau WIS not to exceed a.
few hundred feet. The noxious fumes and
dense cloud prevented such an exploration as I
was anxious to make By cutting OF the view and
sitting the breath. The depth Of the chasm at
shib time is perhaps 800 to 1000 feet; 30 tho
The descent Of the cone was quickly and easily
made, down tho soft, yielding ashes or sand
the ladies Of the party running races with tho
gentlemen to sec who could reach tho bnse first,
A fat feliow-that is, stout, portly, obese
travcier-Waa striding down the incline as We
were laborlouBly climbing up, when he tripped
aud rolled down \ considerable distance, like
hogshead, amidst tho uproarious laughter OF tho
carriers. who finally stopped his gyratory mo-
ton. How they ever got him to the top OF the
mountain must remain mystery.
What appears ut a distance cloud Of smoke
Issuing from the crater of Vcsuyius is simply
the
vAroR OF WATER
lmpregnated Will. the fumes of sulphur No
smoke such as that produced BY tho combustion
OF any carbon-substanccB ever Issues from the
Alo%44kdtA. 1ut 6teul1uE StuoHe HI ElHdEH
steam or aqueous vapoE, more or less dark as it
happens to be charged with ashes. When this
vapor condenses in the atmosphere, it de-
sccnds in tho form Of rain; and, il much
mixed with ashes, it fails in paste or muddy
shower. During great oruptions. when onor-
nous quantities Of ashes are ejected with thick
clouds Of vapor, they fall in torrents OF mud and
water. This is exactly Whist happened j. 800
years ago. when Ponpeii, Herculaneurn, Stabi;p,
and several other towns we're destroyed by that
awful eruption Of A. D. 70. The tremendous
heat in the bowels OF the mountain, coming in
contact with 3 great body Of water from tho
Aledltcrranean Sea, which had percolsted
through the assures Of the stratidod lime
stone and other rocks. with the internal
fires, Instantly acting on it like furpace-heat,
OF millions OF cubic feet Of water into high steam
by tho subterranoan f-es produced tho phc
nomena OF exploding steam on = vast scale.
Tho sudden and resistless expansion Of water in
to 1.700 times its original bulk tore
great rents and fssures in the sides Of the
exit, flowed heavy streams of fluid lava; and
from the crater itself, being tho highest part Of
the mountain, md acting like chimney, issued
forth vast clouds OF steam mixed with sulphur
showers OF stones, which were flung out BY the
explosions OF the water into steam. The fire
that Is seed above the orator during m eruption
IS NOT FLAIIE,
but iR the reflection OF the molten layA within
the crater upon the clouds Of aqueous rapor aud
ashes suspended over it. The lighting which is
eeen darting from the edges OF the black cloud
is produced by the electricity which ia produced
By the rapid condemnation of vnpor into wator,
aud Of water into steam, under tho effect OF the
hest radiated from the crater.
Previous to the great eruption OF 4. D. 49,
which destroyed Pompeii, there had been
paesiye period extending back beyond recorded
history. The Greeka had settled around the
Bay Of Naples 1000 years before that event, and
their early writer's had never heard Of an erup-
ton OF Vesuvius. But the anciont geoeraphers
recognized tho volcanic character Of the noun
tain from it's similarity Of form to Etna. Tho
present cone was not created previous to the
great eruption OF A. D. 73- Tho mountain was
top miles in diameter, among the hollows Of
which grew the wild vino and tho pine-trees.
There WAS no crater in those DAYS. During tho
early civil wars OF Rome, contending factions
built fogtresses over where tho crater sub8e-
quontly appeared. Suddenly: ono dny, Fob. S,
great earthquake around tho base OF
Vesuvit1s. which convulsed the whole noighbor-
hood, and tumbled down many of the buildings
in Pompeii and in other towns in the vicinity.
after 30 many centuries OF dorm2ace. WAS fol-
lowed bE number Of other shocks during tho
next sixteen years, until tie day Of
THE MEMORABLE ERUPTION
go graphically described by the younger Pliny in
his letters to TactEs. Tho place where he was
during the catastrophe WAC at 31senun, small
port on the bay fox miles from Naples, and
abont IA or Is from tho mountain in q
northwest direction. while Poznpcii lay on the
plain near the se.a-shore. or miles to tho
southeast OF Vesuyius, in which direction tho
wind seems to have blown, IS tho grcatest fall
OF ashcs. rain and mud was on that side OF the
mountain. Bat the ashes fell in immense
quantities ail around the bav aad plain, for dis
MI
after several shocks OF earthquake in quick sue
resson, which did NOT much alarm people, because
there had lately been experienced many shocla,
"a black and dreadful cloud bursting forth with
Igneous. 6erpentlDo yapor, darted out a long
train of fire. resembling flashes OF lightning but
rose high in the heavens, and quickly spread out
in every direction, rolling like torrent in vast,
frghtful folds, until it overspread the whole bay
and surrounding country shutting out the Light
and heavy showox Of mud and asher rained
upon US, which We were Obliged to shake of.
otherwise We should have been crushed and |
buried in heap" He then described the Light
1inSs. the slocke. and tho terror among tho
people" some lifting their hands to the
gods in supplication some wishing to die from
he very fear OF DYING; but tho greater part"
among whom was Pliny himself, Imagined that |
he laRt eternal night was como which was 70
destroy the gods and the world together" |
-luaHY, LONaIld ofc41AuE, IL billu1uluE u 1lHut |
appeared, and the darkness was dispersed by |
iegrees. like cloud Of smoke tho real day re-
uIncd but the sun itself appeared very family. t
md like when eclipse is going of. After day |
light WAS fairly restored the whole country in |
very direction was thickly covered oror with |
yhite ashes, as with = deep snow; and mary
ities and towns were |
BURIED OUT OF SIGHT"
The uncle Of this Pliny-tho celebrated nat |
,ralist OF the sa1no name--lost his life in at |
empting to rescue some Of his friends who |
lyed on the opposite shore OF the bay, near
'ompeii. When the cloud and eruption COM |
oenced, he took q galley and rowed swiftiy ;
cross the bay, and landed st Stabig; but the |
nephitic yapor blowing in that direction. caused
lis death. Tho sailors with him fed back to tho |
oa. and escaped with their lives, leaving him |
hero ho fell, and where his bojy was after
ards found bg the nenhew-
It is no wonder that Pliny thought the Day Of
Judgment had como. Tho eyes OF mortal never
eheld mora friehtiul convulson OF nature
ire, smoke, lightning. rain, mud. ashes. falling
tones, thick, black darkness dreadful explosions,
,uder than claps OF thunder, together with
undreds of fearful shocks Of earthquake, we're
nough to appa1l the heart even of 4 Roman,
ho was supposed to be impervlous to the SEN
alton OF fear.
After refreshing my memory OF that oventful