The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-04-27
Tha Ernntlons Of Yesuylus.

The EruptiOns Of YesUVius.
The recent eruptions of the volcano o.
Vesuvius call attention to the labOrs o.
Prof. Palmieri, who has resolutely SET
himself for years past to observe the con
dition and phenomena of the mountain
during its periodical commissions, and
who has published mass of interesting
matter on the subject.
The eruptions of Vesuvius are spoken
of in a general way by few ancient
writers; but the earliest recorded out
break was a catastrophe indeed. 1t Oc-
Cured on the oath of August, A. D. 70,
and involved the destruction of the cities
of Pompeii and Herculaneum. on which
occasion more than 100000 persons per-
ished, and amony them Pliny, the natu-
ralist. About thirty minor eruptiOns
are recorded between this and the next
destructive one, when, on the 18th of
December, 1871, the town of Tore del
Greco was overwhelmed and its 1000
inhabitants killed. Another dreadful
eruption occurred very suddenly Novem-
Der "a, 1859, and still another violent
outbreak occurred in 1867. A most de-
struCtive eruption occurred in 1894, on
which occasion the lava flowed over
5000 acres of vineyard and cultivated
land. and Terre del Greco was a second
time burned. On this memorable Occa-
sion the whole of the top Of the mountain
fell in, and the crater is now nearly two
miles in circumference. EruPtiOns more
or less destructive occurred in May, 1866;
May and June, 1858; June, 1859; sew
eral times in 1860, and December, 1861,
when Tore del Greco was again de-
stroyed. A magnificent eruption began
November 18th, 1867, aud continued in
creasing in grandeur and danger until
March, 1868. The phenomena were OBJ
served by Professors Tyndau and Miller,
Sir John Lubbock, and other scientific
men. In the following October another
eruption began, and continued very de-
until the end of November.
The last great eruption prior to the pres
emit one began April 23rd and ended
early in May, 1872, when more than
sixty lives we're lost.
A recent writer after describing the
Derils and the tolls of the ascent of Vesu-
1ius, in speaking of the final scene, says
he party he was with peeped up at the
tense smoke whirled from the crater as
hey slowly approached, and at length
hey stood close to the little crater, which
cared itself on the side of Tore dam
nuziata, and fell in during the last erup-
ion. An old man who had followed
hem all the way with a basket of wine
N his head, stayed behind to toast some
gigs on the lava. Then they made the
asst effort to reach the cone. Suddenly |
heir eyes rose above the brink of the |
rater, and they saw terrible gulf, dark |
$ Erebus, vomiting huge coils of black |
moke, and heard portentOus rumblings, |
he mysterious echoes of some subterra-
can throes. They knew if the wind
hould suddenly veer and envelop them
4 that dense cloud of smoke that they
'ere lost, but their motto was, There |
J no danger" and so on the very verge /
hey sat down on the smooth ashes, the |
ritter to sketch and the men to draw
Orks San Gennaro, the patron saint
tho wards off the lava from Naples, was
pasted, and they lunched their eggs and
1t to work. just at their feet were long
.eps of ashes, like receding waves, thrown
p from the depths below; to the right
he lip rose to peak, and midway the
ray ashes became yellow and orange, and
here was cleft in the midst, from which
urled a wreath of smoke. At the foot
t the peak there were other clefts and
lore smoke. Huge assures ran along the
iside of the cup, whose edges were tinted
18th orange and yellow incrustations.
o the LETT the brink was rounded and
he ashes lay smooth upon it, like sand
hitch the sea had just left, fretted over
18th tender modelings, as if by waYelets,
nd untrodden by mortal feet. Then
the level sand was pierced by a
ock whose jagged edge descended by
igzags right down into the abyss. 1t
TODD white against the shadow of the
nOke thrown on q more distant cliff.
ieyond this everything was hidden by
he frowning, leaping smoke. Sometimes
here was lull, and the smoke cleared
way, and they could detect the shadow
utline Of the bank beyond.