The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-12-05
TWO DEAD CIIID
-,-rrnr or x1ncuI.AHEUN AID So

twas the Esd of August OF the year
70 The gulf of Naples was sleePlns
peacefully under the rays OF . mloso ,u
per sun. From Cape Misenum to the
Cane of Sorrento was seen an unln.ei
united succession Of villas, palaces. cor
onpades. temples and public edinces,
come half concealed under the SHADE o.
'"rnriant yerdure, others glittering IN
sunshine which lent to them q mag'ca,
sniendor. all was still, peaceful ana
Gladstone in this enhancing sPectac'e
sot > breath in the air nor . ripple up,
IN ON the water, and the gilded oarks O
the natricians remained motlonIess up
on the shore awaiting the breeze WINCH
should fill the purple sails. a.:
Att o'clock in the afternoon tnls
tr.non;llity was interrupted in q SUD
den and unusual manner. An explosion,
coming from subterranean depths was
bsa "a in the distance; the sea become
CONCESSIONS. the water receded from
the Shore as if driven back by an un,
known power; the houses, temples ana =
colonnades began to rock, upheave' ana
reel like drunken men, finally, from the
summit of Vesuvius issued a column
of smoke. which presented white,
gray or black appearance, caused "
the commingling Of steam, ashes pun.
;ce stones and scoria. Sometimes thus
cloud appeared luminous, like the plliar
which served as guide to the Israel,
ties in the desert; this was PRODUCER
nv the refluent torrents of burning lava
which seethed in the bosom OF the era,
ter One moment the cloud renamed
SUSPENDED in the air-awful, menacing
then. suddenly expanding like an i'm
mense umbrella, vomited all around 1t
torrents of rain, ashes, small stones
and cinders, while the lava, making an
eruption. flowed from the apex OF the
cone like a river of fire, whose sinister
reflections were seen afar of, and from
the depths of the crater hot stones
hurled with an awful defamation, bonn
barded the surrounding cities and set
them ON FIRE. as park of artillery would
with red hot shot. This rain of fire.
ashes and calcined stones fell not only
upon the cities which surrounded We
suvius, but along the entire guilt. Ma
ples. Stable and Misennum had their
streets covered with several feet OF
ashes: the inhabitants fed to the coun-
try, terrified by the incessant trembling
of the earth: those who remained 10
secure their effects did so at the peril
of their lives.
The wind carried the pumice stones
and ashes to Rome. where 1t was the
first to announce the catastrophe. In
a subsequent eruption the ashes were
carried TO Constantinople, which fact
will not astonish those who every year
see the sand of Sahara waited to the
cost Of Africa and to the Mediterranean
This phenomenon was an episode Of
the first eruption Of vesuvius. Scien-
fists do not agree regarding the by
pothesis of subterranean CONFUSION.
The generally received opinion is that
certain gases diffused through the
earth chemically combine, thus creating
this extraordinary heat which Ease ev-
cry thing upon its passage, and pro-
duces an expansion Of sufficient force
to upheave the earth's crust in some of
its parts.
Pliny. the naturalist, commander of
the Imperial feet stationed at Misenum,
was extended upon his couch, occupied
in reading. when the first indication of
the eruption appeared. A slave an
nounced to him the rising of the sea
and the cloud of smoke in the air. The
savant assembled an eminence near at
hand, and was not long in divining the
trouble Although unable to perceive
the summit of Vesuvius, he was no less
apprehensive of the source of this col
umn Of smoke, which had in a previ.
Gus eruption, sixteen years before, in
the year 63, partly destroyed, Hercula-
neum and Pompeii. To provide himself
with tablets and order a light vessel
to be in readiness was for him the affair
OF a moment. When about to embark,
messenger arrived from the port of
Retina; the soldiers of the Roman feet
stationed at that place, and caught be-
tween Herculaneum and Pompeii, could
escape only by the sea. and entreated
Pliny to their assistance. He ordered
several galleys with four banks of oars
men To he got ready fhon donarfod