The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-03

The cities or Italy are like sirens that,
fixed on their eternal seats, beckOn you to
come TO them. Their old towers, their fres-
coed halls, their galleries filed with relics
OF every past age, their rivers, their bills,
and their smiling sea-shores tempt you to
visit them. and fill the imagination with a
vague desire. But not one is so beautiful
as Naples, not one is invested with such a
robe Of present beauty and past interest
such apparent calm and such tremendous,
eyer-threateniDg reality. For. after all,
Naples belongs TO Vesuvius, and is only a
part of that long line OF human habitation
that extends from Tore AnnunZlata TO
posiippO.
The smoking mountain is visible miles
before YOU arrive at Naples, and By day and
by night it is always the most prominent
object to be seen there. All the activity
and noise. the iostliDg crowds, the strange
cries, cannot make you forget NeSuyius.
1t stands there eternaly solemn and tre-
mendous neighbor. From many OF the
streets OF the city, and especially from
those near the sea, or those on the bill, 1t Is
conSta tantly seen. BY day it sends forth
from it's crater mass OF white smoke that
sometimes rises straight toward the SKY, but
oftener is blown to one side. But at night
this rolling smoke is seen to be Il iiame that
burns with increased Iustre at intervals
of four or five minutes. There is weird
charm in sitting on one OF the marble
seats in those gardens near the sea, Tor
which Naples is famous, and Watching the
flame burst forth airesh, casting light
upon the waters of the gulf. Then it seems
that CITY and sea and hills, ships, houses,
and men belong 10 the mountain, which is
the monarch OF all. The beauty OF the vol
cano grows anon you, and you long TO
vieVy il nearer to climb those dizzy heights
OF black lava ana brown cinders to see Ma
ples and the gulf from the summit; to
breathe that SulphurOus air, hot with fire
that never dies, and to feel the soft noun
tain breeZes on your check. When the
mower OF the mountain is full upon you,
and you can resist no longer, you VIII go 10
Santa BrigIda-a street in Naples-and IN
scribe yourself as passenger TO NesuVlus
for the next day.
Early in the morning you Will start IN
handsome victoria or landau, drawn by TWO
or even three strong horses, Tor NeSuVlus.
Before reaching PortiOl you viii cross the
Maddelena bridge. built over valley. In
the middle OF the bridge IS statue o1 SAINT
Jnuarus, the protecting saint OF Naples. III
wears the bishops robe and mitre, and has
extended in an attitude of command toward
Vesuyius. which is visible from this point.
This statue was placed here III the year 1867,
after n violent eruption Of the mountain,
when il seemed that the fiery torrent OF lava
would reach Naples. Padre Rocco, DO"
miuican friar who enjoyed great reputation
among the people, conducted train OF weep
ING women TO this bridge and confronted The
MAINTAIN with al image Of st. Januarlus
which he had brought from the church. The
mountain obeyed the mandate OF the saints,
ceased its agoniZing throes and held back the
threatening current. In mea ory OF Tbs
event n marble statue OF the Saint was placed
upon the bridge. In the NesuYlan collec-
| tion there is a picture representing Fllaf
Rocco preaching to the terrified crowd on
the bridge at the foot of this statue while
the volcano is in a violent state OF eruption.
Leaving Portici, with its one street TILED
with beggars, donkeys, and street-cars, and
It's villas with celestial glimpses OF gardens
having the sea behind them, you reach Re'
sina. the city that is built over Herculane'
nm, Before reaching the excavations your
carriage turns to the left, and the ascent
of the mountain begins. The road, ike
all mountain roads, is ZigZag even here
at the beginning. The fertility OF the sol
becuijes the inhabitants TO cultivate 1t, anC
all Of the lower part OF the mountain is oc'
cupied by villas. Vineyards and olive ant
fig.cardens adorn it and grow there with a
great apparent security as on the plans
Yet II seemed as uncertain resllng'plac'
for houses and gardens as the back OF 4;
whale would be. At last the villas are seel
no more; the vines, with their lusclou
grapes. growing out Of a bed OF ashes, tn
fgs, and the olives, disappear, and yol
reach q more arid region, where nothin!
grows but feathery heather, yellow broom
a rare chestnut tree, scant grass, or loy
. cedars. This is called the "Plains o
Broom" and this plant is celebrated by th
= great Italian poet Leopard in some mag
nifeent lines.
: Here appears the lava which at variou
periods has been elected in broad and heav
streams from the crater. In other places
reaches even TO the sea, and the villas an
towns are built over II, but on the carriag
' road IL is first noticed here. Here first yo
begin TO realize that you are on the terrlb
mountain. What fantaslical and almost d'
moniacal shapes the dark, rough lava has a
sumed! The place seems uneartbly-a
abode OF pythons and sea monsters,
crouching tigers and dead warriors
tnelf dItuOT CIuSutu DcutWu uSa'
columns. Crocodiles and hippopot
muses-anylhing with rough and sha!
gy COATS there, but all are lying 10
and turned to stone. Surrounded by tn
I magni6cence OF nature, you feel that Il
: unworthy or trivial thought must accon
!. pany you upward to the burning noun
The lower earth is left behind. The city I
: Naples lies quiet as Pompeii, and the gu
: glimmers and glnts in the morning SUI
} but you have become q part OF the moul
\ tain. You 90 10 visit its secret retreat,
:, lift your soul with II TO the sky. AT tb
point you pass the observatory built by Il
It Bourbon Government In lS4l, aud afte
ward, during the revolution OF lS4S, aba
doned for several years. 1t was subsequent
IS re0rganized aud placed under the care
n Professor Palmieri, whose name has b
come celebrated in connection with Yes
vius. The Observatory Is red.brick bull
le Ing two stories high, and furnished with
struments which indicate by electricity q
slightest agitation Of the mountain. One
= these sismographs marks vertical and I
other q horizontal motion OF the groun
Both have large sheet OF paper under th,
points, and these indicate the motions wi
black and with red dots. Near this bui
ing Is the Hermitage, from which trayells
" " formerly took donkeys that took !nem o,
:" the lsva.felds 10 the foot OF the cone.
The new road recently made by the CO