The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-06-25
ETNA AND VESUVIUS.
Thel Former BelchinR Forth Cloud OF
Ashes.--Past EruptiOns OF the Worlds
Two Greatest Volcanoes.

Two Greatest Volcanoes.
Mounts Etna and Vesuvius, the most
active volcanoes on the globe, are at
tracing the attention Of the world by
what, in the case of the former, will, it
is believed, prove to be one of the most
remarkable volcanic eruptions ever
known. Etna has the older recorded
history, the first eruption mentioned by
ancient writers having occurred some
time previous to AIS B. G. One occurred
also in that year, and there were several
eruptions during the fifth century.
Etna is situated on the east coast of the
island Of Sicily, and is 1874 feet high.
1t is divided by the Sicilians into three
parts or regions-the lava or lower, the
wooded or middle, and the upper. The
number of eruptions of Etna is nearly
eighty. Perhaps the most important
was that of 1863, which partly destroyed
the city of Catania, situated eleven miles
from its base on the eastern coast of the
island of Sicily. This eruption wasprc-
coded by an earthquake which destroyed
Nicolosi. During the eruption, the lava
from the sides Of the mountain flowed
over the top of II sixty feet wall erected
to protect Catania from the fiery flood.
The soliditied stream is visible to this
day in places curling over the wall.
Other notable eruptions occurred in
IT'S, when the hot lava caused an in
undation by melting vast accommodations
ofsnow and ice, 1857, 1892, 1882, 1852 and
1868. That of 1892 continued for a year,
and that Of 1882 was noted for the great
increase in the number of c%raters, of
which the mountain now has over
seventy. The present eruption has al
ready destroyed many large estates. 1t
is of similar character to that of 1852,
and like that eruption is characterized
by the vast clouds Of ashes emitted from
the central crater, covering and darken-
ing the surrounding country for many
miles. Mount Etnaa has never been en-
tirely quiet, but is constantly emitting
sulphr.rous smoke and rumbling noises.
Vesuvius, whose lesser eruption has
been almost lost sight of in the interest
of the more ambitious performance of
Etna, is located neal Naples, Italy,
three degrees north of the latter volcano.
1t is thirty miles in circumference at its
base, and 3,949 feet high. Towns and
villages cover the lower portion of the
mountain, and villas and luXuriant
grooves are scattered over the higher
terraces, while above the evidences Of
fertility succeeds a region of absolute
waste and sterility. Tie most import
ant work done by Vesuvius was the de-
struction of Herculaneum and Pompeii,
in the year 70, by its first known erup-
ton. The ashes on that occasion are
said to have been carried not only to
Rome, but Us far US Africa. Very many
great eruptions have occurred since,
among the most remarkable being those
of 472, 1906, accompanied by terrible
earthquakes and the loss Of thousands
of lives, 1851, similarly destructive,
l779, 1894 and 1861. A great eruption
occurred in 1872, when two villages and
many lives were destroyed. The last
eruption before the present one oc-
Cured in the spring of 1876.