The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-07-15
RIVERS OF DE>THUCTION.


ing Cataaia wa. one of the provinces
Of Italy where there was the promise Of
a good harvest, but now the green fields
and whey ards are buried under heavy
weight of hard. gray lava The pos
sessions Of the Sicilians living ou the
sides or at the foot OF the mountains
are destroyed. and many proprietor
who in May was rich, in June is as poor
as the humblest Of his servants. The
story. only one Of many, ia told Of
proprietor, the father Of nine children.
who yesterday saw every thing he tos-
sessed, houses. barns, cabins. olive trees.
corn and wheat fields and vineyards, oil
destroyed. TIE Inhabitants Of the towns
and country houses near the course OF
the lava are discouraged At The .xter,
of their misfortuGes They remove al.
the hous. bold goods that can be trans
ported. the cattle. the wine IN the crl
lars. aud even the tiles on the roofs Of
the houses. The roads near the advauc
ing lava are like q battlefield. Wagons
laien with goods; herds Of cattle
crowde of weeping women aud children
fleeing from their homes Innumerable
strangers from every nation, on the
contrary, 60 forward on the road and
advance go hear the lava that the
guards are obliged to send them back
Although they can advance So near as
TO light a cigar at the stream OF lava i,
Is dans erous. a. tie lava, which at one
moment looks dark and dnll, is liable
1T the next to burst open by its own
weight and make new path fer itself
where it is not expected. Regiments Of
soldiers are stationed all along the
roads to keep order, and lines Of them
guard the edges Of the stream. A cor
respondent from Kandazzo describes
how the inhabitants Of that town and
of LiBguaerossa stood on tha natioual
road watching the lava slowly advance,
and as u began to cover the road they
sadly shook hands and said farewell
when the fiery stream separated them.
There was q cry Of despair from the
people at this roint when the bridge
Of Piciara vas burned, and ,hs lava fell
from = little hight into lovely vineyard,
aud flied them up.
The mourtaln has been disturbed f>r
tise mouths. GA the 22nd of May the
crater threw out with u great noise
vast quantity of dense salt and smoking
mud. This made un inter.nl,ting !oun
tain rising sometimes twenty four feet
above the level OF the soil Occasiouiy
great balls Of mud filled with gas grew
larger aud larger until they burst. The
river Of mud constantly fed from the
crater descended the sides of the noun
tain. and for a distance OF four miles
filled up the canals used for irrigation.
The frightened country people, uncon-
scious of the worse ills that were COM
ing upon them. sought tn defend their
fields from the entrance of the enemy
by building walls of stones. On the
afternoon of the 26th OF May the erup
tion began. which is said to be the most
violent of tins century. The people
were startled by repeated shocks Of
earthquake. loud thunder. high wind
aud heavy rain. Two new craters
were then seen on the northwest part
of the mountain. which vomited lava,
smoke and fine ashes. The next day
three columns of smoke were seen on
the back OF the mountain, aud the lava
began to descend The movement OF
this Incandescent stream was at first
rapid. but as it increased in size and
spread out over the lower part OF the
mountain and the plains, it became
slower. Its advance Is now estimated
at forty five feet an hour. and the width
of the three streams into which it is
divided are variously estimated. That
which threatens the towr Of Moio. with
two hundred habitants. aud the river
Alcantara is said to be fifteen hundred
feet wide and this width contionally y
increases on account of the hight OF
the stream. Ii the river Alcantara.
which is one Of the principal streams
Of Sicily, and supplies several large
towns. gardens. and mills with water,
is filed up the calamity will be incal-
culable. The lava is already within a
few hundred feet of the shore. and
slowly advancing; but it is hoped that
il may turn and run along the bank. or
not have strength to rea h the water.
the viol nee of the eruption having di-
minished. One of the streams OF lava
has travelled = distance of thirteen
miles from the crater: it is estimated
that in less than four days more than
two hundred and thirty million cubic
yards Of lava have been thrown out.
The spectacle of this tremendous
convulsion Of nature is wonderfully and
fearfnlly beautiful. l, is especially
impressive at night, when tho fiery cur
rent often throws up in its progress
grea, masses Of molten stone. The col
umn ot smoke and fine black sand
which follows the lava reflects the red
tint of the fire. and looks like an aurora
borealis. From the craters on the top
of the mountains rise dense columns OF
smoke. now very white, and again
densely black. and often pierced by
sharp streaks VI electricity. The ,rav-
elers who have hncked thither view
these wonders with ecstacy. but the
poor contadina or the rich man reduced
TO beggary weep over the ruin OF their
homes. In the daytime the cloud OF
smoke and sand is so dense that the sun
10 invisible. aud the day seems slmos.
like night. Specsscles and umbrellas
are necessary projections for whoever
walks out in the neighborhood of the
mountain. for the fine Sand covers every
thing With thick. heavy coating. aud
blows into the eyes The eruption is
accompanied BY constant rumbling
noises like tue booming Of artillery;
the earth ,rembles and the say is leaden
The n.ass nf lara Ia frosn Efeen "a