The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-04-04
The Volcano Vesuyius.

Reaching the top, nearly 1000 feet
above the plains below, we had a mag
nifcent view Of the surrounding country,
stretching out like a grand panorama
around and beneath us. On the one
hand is Naples, with its beautiful bay
filed with islands; to the west we see
the blue waters of the Mediterranean,
studded with white sails and cleaning
in the soft sunlight. Inland we leok
upon cities, towns, villages, rich vine
yards and beautiful plains; the lofty
Apennines forming the background.
Southwark lie the marvellous ruins of
Pompeii.
The top of the cont is about a mile in
circumference, and of course less than
one-third of a mile in diameter. Let III
approach the verge of the crater and
look down into the deep, smoky,
sulphur-coated abyss. The walls go
perpendicularly down some three hun
bred feet to a smaller one. This is the
volcanoes chimney, and from it there
issues, even when the old mountain is at
rest, a cloud of s~uffocating smoke and
sulphurous gas. Down the inner crater
is the vast lake of fire of which this vol
cano is but the safety-valve. And this
is Vesuvius that has for ages been rum
bling and roaring, growing and thunder
ing, kissing and burning, smoking and
blazing, vomiting out its wrath and
| spreading desolation all around. We
| cooked our eggs and warmed our coffee
| for breakfast in the hot air that issued
from the crevices of the rocks. We de-
scended on another side of the mountain,
running down through ashes and gravel
six or eight inches deep, taking desper-
ate leaps, kicking up a tremendous dust
and covering ourselves from head to foot
with ashes, reaching the base of the
cone in ten minutes, though it took us
an hour to get up.
.Vesuvius is the most active volcano in
the world. Since the eruption of A.
D. 70 (the first one on record), the one
by which Pompeii and Herculaneum
were destroyed, there have been at least
sixty fearful eruptions, burning cities
and villages, destroying millions on mil
lions of property, and causing the death
of over 10000 persons. In 472 the vol
cano covered all Europe with ashes. In
1881 there was an eruption that LASTED
several days. Vast columns Of smoke
darkened the heavens, explosions re
sembling the discharge of artillery wert
frequently heard, burning stones ant
hot ashes fell on the sides of the noun
tain and on the surrounding campagna
Rivers of melted lava, some of them
thousand yards wide, raj down to tn
plain. The water of the sea was tossed
by a su%bterranean force and became 81
hot that great quantities of flesh died
During the eruption earthquakes at fire
quent intervals added to the terribl
destruction. When the frightened pee
pie who were so fortunate as to escape
returned to their homes, they foun'
more than forty cities, towns and vii
lagos laid waste, 10000 animals burne'
or drowned, and at least $19, 000,0 90
worth of property destroyed. But, NOR
mournful than all the rest, 1900 person
have persisted by the lava, the water, o
the falling of stones and houses. i
1895 the mountain poured out a strear
of lava five miles long, three hundre'
feet broad, and more than a hundre
feet deep. In 1877 the ashes and pumic
stone fell four feet for miles around. L
1894 a. stream of lava destroyed tn
town of Tore del Greco, and run fou
hundred feet into the sea, making til
water boil for two days. In 1922 tn
: whole top of the mountain was blow
I to pieces. In 1861 there was an cruz
! ton, causing great loss of property, re
| markable for the fearful explosions tha
accompanied it. In 1872 the volcan
destroyed two villages and two or thre
; scores of lives. And so almost ever
year Vesuvius shows some signs {
wrath, the eruptions becoming MOI
frequent than in past centuries.