The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-09

ings of the seismograpb, by which the Pro
fessor feels the puIsations of earthq yak es I;
but Robert Mallet, the first authority on
earthquakes and volcanoes, states the
general principle to be one I" in which
wave movements are indicated by the
displacement, relative or absolute, of col
umns of mercury in glass tubes. 1t is n
self recording instrument, composed of
two distinct portions-one for record of
horizontal, or rather what are called un-
dulatorv shocks the other for vertical
Shocks" Now, while the seismograph has
been most successful in recording the
earthquake movements, as foreteller of
eruptlons iJ cannot be said to be perfectly
reliable when taken alone bat If its re-
cordings are taken in conjunction with
careful observations of the igneous aud
other indications OF Vesuvius an eruption
can pretty surely be foretold. Such a
conjunction has just occurred. which has
caused the communication To the Pungol0,
and We learn from Professor Palmieri that
Vesuvius gives unmistakabe sym toms "f
an approaching eruption.
THE CRATER
formed by the terrible eruption of 1872
has been falling in on the southeast, or, To
use the exact language of the Professor,
has been " becoming bottomless, with
emanations of black smoke. The instru-
merits at the observatory are slightly
agitated. There is no telling when igpe-
GUS results will follow these Indications.
But in the month of December 1854,
similar phenomenon manifested itself in the
crater, aud the eccentric eruption, with
copious floods of lava, took place in May
1856"
THE PROFESSOR DOES NOT PREDICT
with absolute certainty when the next
eruption will take place. Indeed he
not, for we must remember that Monte
Nuovo, in the sixteenth century, was
thrown up between Pozzuolo PuteoI) aud
Baia in single night and, as Mallet has
well observed, ga small tnsilade may GO
on for months, and yet, without an hours
notice by any premunitory sign, may
waken up with roar, ard darkeu the air
with ashes and lapiNi, such as those which
overwhelmed Polnpei. Oue eruption may
blow forth little but dust and ash.s $50
called), and another may pour out rivers
of lava and little else "
THE ERUPTION OF 1850
took place in February of that year, when
I happened to he travelling in Southern
Italy. 1 was just finishing my student
days, and my mind was very open to i'm
pressiOns. Since that time 1 have gaZed
not only upon Strombolio and Etna, but
upon the Hottest volcanoes of South
America but for the display of awful
power-uf awful sublimity and grandeur
no after scene impressed me more solemnly
and deeply imam Lnl6 erupLlOn OF MOunC
Vesuvius, when the mountain, ceasing to
eject volcanic matter from it's ordinary
channel, opened far below two new craters
on the very side-the southeastern-which
is now giving threatening indications. The
new crater in 1850 shot forth three streams
of lava. The most considerable was that
which tooA the direction of Bosco Reale, a
village just above Pompei. Indeed, the
lava, if 1t had flowed a little more than a
mile fnrther, would have utterly destroyed
what the ashes left of Pompeii 500 years
ago. This lava stream, in rushing towards
the village of Bosco Reale, marched
through a wood of oak, lick and ash. AS it
enclosed the trees the heat engendered the
steam in the cavities of the roots and
trunks, the loud detonations of bursting
trees and the immediate blaze which fol-
lowed formed a pyrotechnic display of the
most brilliant character.
THE NUMBER OF RECORDED ERUPTIoNs
from the first century to the seventeeth
inclusive was nineteen, little more than
the average of one per century. During
the eighteenth century there were twenty
three, oHe on the average of about four
and half years. Up to the present time
in this century there have occurred twenty
FIVE eruptions or an average of one in
every three years. AS the last took place
in April, 1872, we may confidently soon
look for another.
STILL MARCHING TO THE SCI.