The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-06-19
: Volcanic Phenomena )
.-.INew York Evening POST

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Many fresh assures have appeared on
Mount Etna, and the whole adjacent
region is ia q state Of dismay. The
latest reports from Catania are to the eff
feet that the flood of lava is very extern
sive. It's said to be streaming toward
the river Alcantara, and to have de-
vsstated the village of Milo. That the
general impression is well founded is
only too true. 1t is possible that the
eruption, may cease at any moment; but
on the other, hand it may last for
months, or even years. The duration
and extent of volcanic phenomena are
absolutely ,incalculable. All that ex-
perience teaches is that when volcano
has been dormant for a long time its
when it comes at last, is likely
to be fierce one. But it may be short
as well as fierce like the memorable out.
break of Vesuvius that changed the face
of the Campagua, and swallowed up
Stable, Herculaneum and Pompeii; or
it may be protracted like the eruption
of Jurullo, in the Mexican Province of
Valladolid- or Mechuacan, that lasted
from June, 1850, until February, 1850.
Humboldt describes this famous erup-
ton of Jurulio as having been con-
tinuous- between the dates we have
named. But its progress was attended
by some ebullitions of extraordinary
fury. On the night of the 2Sth-29th Of
September, 1750, aseene was presented
by the volcano which, for terrific mag
ni6cence, has, perhaps, not been sur
passed in the history of the world. 1t
was witnessed from the neighboring
mountain of Aguazanco, and Humboldt
got his account from those who wereon
the spot. He says s-th;t-the flames
spouted up over an area nearly league
square. The waters of two rivers, the
San Pedro and the Cuitimba, plunged
into gaping rents that were torn through
the earth, and actually disappeared.
Thousands of small volcanoes burst
forth over wide tract of country, and
vomited smoke and sulphurous flames.
Six large cones also sprang up, rivaling
the original crater, and yielded torrents
of fire, lava and basalt. Whirlwinds
packed with colored ashes flew over hun
dreds of square miles. The earth rocked,
and the air was filled with overwhelming
thunders. The simple Indians, who,
not unnaturally, thought the end of the
world was at hand, fed in mad terror
and confusion. 1t was long before the
oh ,,,fa +lar
once filled with smiling and prolific
!" haciendas," but now a black and DESC
lated waste. These who returned looked
for the once familiar rivers that had
wate1ed and enriched the surrounding
plain they bad vanished, and were seen
no more. But wandering natives pre-
fess to this day to hear the ravished
streams creeping, like Ilyssus iniss' lingef-
ing labyrinths," far below the surface Of
the ingul6ng ear.h. ri NJ. J.;1;
The craters of Vesuyius at B. G. 73
had slept Tor time immemoriai. The
gladiators who had fiedofrom the Roman
pr@tor and hid in the fissures of the vol.
cano had no fear of nature, whatever
they had of man. When they burst
from their lair to release their leader
Spartacus, and to overthrow fora space
the cruel Roman power, the outburstio oi
the lava whose track they followed had
become a mere tradition. Even on thai
memorable day, before the kalends o.
September, when the two, Plinys, The
elder who perished, and the younger
who recorded, first saw the cloud owe
Vesuvius, they deemed it a curiosity
only. Probably when, the worthy Ad
miral got the letter, further on the day
praying for help rom Rectine, the wifi
of Cesius Bassius, whose house was a
the foot of Vesuyius, he thought he
womanish, fears uncalled for. HOY
were people to believe in catastrophe
of a nature that had scarcely even bee
heard of? But the sad tragedy O
Stabie followed, when Pliny, il
nobly striving to save Others, los
himself. - -. -. 80 10 z'i'5,f93t ~, =
Eruptions like that of Vesuvius, com
ing at such intervals that the broadene
space is scarcely bridged by authenti
history, are naturally the most appal
ing. A volcano like Hecla, on the othe
hand, which. between 1904 and 1865 "ur
burdene9 Itself twenty three times, doe
not at any rate take the world by SUI
prise. The terrors of Hecla, indeed
sink iuto lhsigni i6cance when compare
with those Of its awful neighbor, 'th
Skapta Jokuk iceland has been yer
minutely and accurately surveyed an
mapped by the Danish Government, br
the region about the Skapta Jokul COZ
stitutes an exception There is trac
of four hundred square miles not delin,
aued in the Government ordnance map
and in this terrific region it is said u
foot of man has ever lntruded. Lor
| Dufferin went very near the forbidde
territory, as. his "Letters from Hig
Latitudes" so graphically show IT
space about the great volcano is for til
most part, however, as void of man an
his works as the Poles themselves.
is an area heaped to the clouds wit
masses of ioe and everlasting snow
The most tremendous eruption of whic
there is trustworthy record occurred
1888. In May of that year there vi
. seen throughout that part of Icelar
q mysterious light, blueish fog. Ear
in June there were slight, and, as
seemed apprehensive tremblings of tt
earth. On the Sth Of June immen
pillars of sable smoke gathered over Il
lofty country of the north, and, bearir
omInously down against the win
wrapped the whole districtof Sida
pitchy darkness. On the 10th of Jul
a whirlwind of ashes swept over the e
tire country. Innumerable fre-spou
like SO many demon beacons, nc