The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-07-10
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SCENES AT MOUNT ETNA.
Graphic Account Of the Great EruptIOn-Dsstruc-
ton Of Houses and HarVests.

HrADnlC AeC0WWt w tuO uAo"N HihVtavh bOoANo
ton Of Houses and Hauests.
A correspondent Of the New York EUe-
nina Post writes from Rome Enough
superstition fingers to induce the peas
ants of Catania at the foot OF Etna to
hang images of the saints and apostles
on the trees and vines in the track of the
lava. They Hoped in this way to save
their fields and houses from destruction,
but the lava would not stay its msjestlc
course for these idols. 1t advanced
slowly, and touched the trees and the
vines, the houses and cabins and barns
with its fiery finger, and they blazed up
with white heat and were destroyed.
At Randazzl, }, a town at the foot of Elna
threatened by the lava, it is related that
toward evening a priest dressed in the
garb of penitence led procession OF
other priests and men, women aud
children, with lighted candles in their
hands, toward the advancing mass OF
fiery lava The priest carried an image
of the Madonna, taken from the village
church, and held it up before the burn
ing food, while the kneeling people
called out in anguish, Shave pity |! have
mercy upon usp The lava, however,
did not stop, but covered the national
road, which connects that town with
Messina and the sea Gs we'll as with the
other towns near. Its trade is ruined by
this cutting off Of its communications,
and the people are awe struck and de-
pressed.
THE wHoLEsALE DESTRUCTION OF HOUSES,
VINEYARDS AND CATTLE.
The full account Of the destruction
caused by this terrible eruption of Mt
Etna are heartrending. Catania was one
of the provinces of Italy where there
was promise of a good harvest, but
now the green fields and vineyards are
buried under heavy weight of hard,
gray lava. The possessionsof the Sici-
lians living on the sides or at the foot of
the mountains are destroyed and many
a proprietor who in May was rich in
June ia as poor as the humblest of lis
servants. The story, only one of many,
is told of a proprietor, the father Of nine
children, who yesterday saw everything
he possessed, houses, barns, cabins, olive
trees, corn and wheat fields aud vine
yards, all destroyed. The inhabitants OF
the towns and country houses near the
course ofthe lava are discouraged at the
extent of their miefortunes. They re.
move all the household goods that can
be transported, the cattle, the wine in
the cellars, and even the tiles on the
roofs of the houses. The roads near the
advancing lava are like battle field
Wagons laden with goods, herds of cattle,
crowds of weeping women and children
f eing from their homes. InDumerable
strangers from every nation, on the con.
trary, 20 forward on the road, and ad-
vance so near the lava that the guards
are Obliged to send them back. Although
they can advance 30 near as to light
cigar at the stream of lava, it is danger
o1s, as the lava, which at one moment
looks dark and dull, is liable at the next
to burst open by it's own weight and
make new path for itself where it is
not expected. Regiments Of soldiers are
stationed all along the roads to keep or
der, and lines of them guard the edges
of the stream. A correspondent from
RandaZz1 describes how the inhsbi
tants of that town and of Linguagrossa
stood on the national road watching the
lava slowly advance, and as it began to
cover the road they sadly shook hands
and said firewell when the fiery stream
separated them. There was cry Of de
spair from the people at this point when
the bridge Of Piciaro was burned, aud
the lava fell from little height into
lovely vineyards and filed them up,
The mountain has been disturbed for
five months. On May 22i the crater
threw out with great noise great deal
of dent e, salt and smoking mud. This
made an intermitting fountain rising
sometimes twenty four feet above the
level of the SOIL Occasionally great balls
OF mud filled with gas grew larger and
larger until they burst. The river of mud
constantly fed from the crater, descend
ed the sides of the mountain, and for q
distance of four miles filled up the canals
used for irrigation. The frightened
country people, unconscious of the ills
thano nnV,nhk IN.
defend their fields from the entrance Of
the enemy by building walls of stone.
On the afternoon of May 26th the erup
ton began, which is said to be the most
violent of this century. The people were
startled by violent and repeated shocks
of earthquake. loud thunder, high wind
and heavy rain. Two new craters
were then seen on the northwest part of
the mountain. which vomited lava, fine
ashes and sand. The next day three col
umns of smoke were seen on the back
of the mountain, and the lava began to
descend. The movement OF this incan
descent stream was at first rapid, but as
it increased in size and spread out over
the lower parts of the mountain and the
plain, it became slower Its advance is
now estimated at forty FIVE feet an hour,
and the widths of the three streams into
which it is divided are variously estima
ted. That which threatens the town OF
Moio, with two hundred inhabitants aud
the river Alcantara, is said to be 1900 1t
wide, and this width continually increa
ses on account OF the height of the
stream. If the river Alcantara, which
is one Of the principal streams of Sicily,
and supplies several large towns, gardens
and mills with water, is filled up, the ca.
lamity will be incalculable. The lava is
already within few hundred feet of the
shore and slowly advancing, but it is
hoped it may turn and run along the
bank or not have strength to reach the
water, the violence of the eruption hav,