The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-22
VOLCANIC PHENOMENA.

VOLCANIC PHENOMENA.
Jurullo Vesuvius -Heola-The Skapta Jo-
kul-Etna.
New York Evening Post.]
Many fresh assures have appeared on
Mount Etna, and the whole adjacent region
is In q state OF dismay. The latest reports
from Catania are to the effect that the Hood
OF lava is very extensive. It ID said to be
streaming toward the river Alcantara, and to
have devasted the village OF Milo. That the
general impression is well founded 10 only
too true. Its possible that the eruption may
aa or on on eyen yaFs he
duration and extent Of volcanic phenomena
are absolutely incalculable. ALI that expe-
rienee teaches ig that when volcano has been
dormant for long time its eruption, when IT
comes at last, ID likely to be q fierce one. But
1t may be short as well as fierce like the
memorable outbreak OF Vesuvius that
changed the face Of the Campaigns and swal-
lowed up Stable, Herculaneum and Pompeil,
or 1t may be protracted like the eruption OF
Jurullo, IN the Mexican province Of VaIlado-
lid or Mechuaean, that lasted from june
1850, until FEBRUARY, 1850. Humboldt describes
this famous eruption OF Jurullo as having
been continuous between the dates We have
named. But Its progress was attended by some
ebulltions of extraordinary fury. On the
nights OF the twenty eighth and twenty-ninth
OF September, 1850, q scene was presented by
the volcano which, for terrific magnificence,
has, perhaps, not been surpassed III the his
tory OF the world It was witnessed from the
eighboring mountain OF Aguaznnco, and
Humboldt got his account from those who
were on the spot. He says that the flames
spouted up over an area nearly q league
square. The waters OF two rivers, the San
Pedro and the Guitimba, 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, rival
Ing the original crater, and yielded torrents
OF fire, lava and basalt. WhirIwinds packed
with colored ashes flew over hundreds of
square mills. The earth rocked, aud the air
was filled withoverWheminR thunders. The
simple Indians, who, not unnaturally, thought
the end OF the world WAS at hand, fled In mad
terror and confusion. It was long before the
survivors ventured back into the region once
filled with smiling and prolific "haciendas,'
who returned looked for the once familiar
rivers that had watered and enriched the
surrounding plain; they had vanished, and
were seen no more. But wandering natives
streams creeping, like Iiyssus In lingering
labyrinths," far below the surface OF the In
quilting earth.
The craters Of Vesuvius at B. O. 10 had slept
IOT Llm6 lmIHemOFIal. lHe GlAuiatOFS VINO
had fled from the prBtor and hid In the fis-
sures OF the volcano had no fear OF Nature,
whatever they have OF man. When they burst
from their LAIR to release their leader, Spar
tacus, and to overthrow for space the cruel
Roman power, the outburst OF the lava whose
| track they followed had become q mere ira
dition. Even on that memorable day, before
the kalends Of September, when the, two
Plinys, the elder who persisted, and the
Younger who recorded, first saw the cloud
ad artri Fry
only. Probably when the worthy admiral
got the letter, further on the day, praying for
help from Reetine, the wife OF Cm5ius Bas-
sius, whose house was at the footof Vesuvius,
How were people to believe In a catastrophe
| OF nature that had scarcely ever been heard
Off But the sad tragedy of Stable followed
when Pliny, IN nobly striving to save others,
Eruptions like that of Vesuvlus, coming at
such intervals that the broadened space is
scarcely bridged by authentic history, are
naturally the most appalling. A volcano like
Hecla, on the other hand, which, between 1904
and 1866 unburdened itself twenty three
times, does not at any rate take the world by
surprise. The terrors Of Hecla indeed sink
| into insigniticanee when compared with those
Of It's awful neighbor, the Skepta Jokul. Ice
land has been very infinitely and accurately
ment, but the region about the Skapta Jokul
constitutes an exception. There is q tract Of
400 square miles not dellneated In the govern
ment ordnance maps, and 10 this terrific
region 1t is said no foot OF man has ever In
truded. Lord Duffertn went very near the
forbidden territory, as his Letters from High
Latitudes" so graphically show. The space
about the great volcano is for the most part,
however, as void OF man and his works as the
Poles themseles, It is an area heaped to The
clouds with masses OF ice and everlasting
SHOWS. The most tremendous eruption Of
which there is trustworthy record occurred In
1888. In May of that year there was seen
throughout that part of Iceland mysterious
light, blush tog Early in June there were
slight, and, as it seemed, apprehensive trem.
blings OF the earth. On the eighth of June
immense pillars OF sable smoke gathered over
the lofty country OF the north, and bearing
omineusly down against the wind, wrapped
| the whole district OF Sida In pitchy darkness
On the tenth OF June q whirlwind OF ashes
swept over the entire country. Innumerable
fire-spouts, like 80 many demon beacons, now
flashed and leaped through the frozen hollows
Of the mountains. The River Skapta, one o.
down to the plain a volume of fetid waters
mixed with sand, Like the Mexican rivers
suddenly. disappeared. Forty eight hours
afterward, prodlgious mass Of lava, issuing
to penetrate, came sliding down the bed O
the dried up river The channel, according *
Lord Duffer1n-to whom we we're indebted
for most OF these details-was Of great depth
and breadth; but the fearful deluge brimmee
up to It's banks, overtiowed them, and drove
In molten masses over the face of the Who'll,
country. Two oceans Of lava were the pro
ducts Of this eruption. The one that fiowee
teen wide. The other, which rolled down tn,
Hverfisfiiot, was forty miles by seven. lWher
1t Is imprisoned by the immensely high banks
OF the Skapta the lava is five and six hundred
feet thick; but on the plain, after 1t emerged
the thickness Of the mass never exceeds on,
hundred feet. The eruption continued unit
August, when the Plutonic drama concluded
with an earthquake"
, The. effects of this amazing phenomenon
mense distance. During all this time cloud
, surcharged with cinders hung over Iceland
They overwhelmed to great depth tens o
thousands OF acres of fertile lands. III
Farce Islands, the Orkneys and the Shet
lands were covered with volcanic dust Tn