New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-08-29
FOREIGN LETTER.
NAPLES, August oath. 1883.

NAPLES, August oath, 1883
As report after report Of the
earthquake in 1schia comes to hand
the horror grows to awful and his
torical proportions. An early con-
lecture might have placed It at the
head of the dreadful occurrences Of
the century; but no one at first
could have imagined the terrible
magnitude which the disaster was
to attain until, the schock that had
wrecked an island having passed,
those who FASTENED to view the
spectacle of desolation could wit.
ness III heaps of crumbled masonry
and mutllated corpses the scene of
the tremendous calamity. Foremost
among the spectators is King Hum
bert himself, who has nobly done
his duty in visiting his field of death
to assist In mitigating, so far as
may be possible, the distressing ef-
feet of the catastrophe.
Only on the spot can the extent
Of the disaster be fully realized.
The havoc wrought IS the more
appalling from the suddenness of it.
There were none Of the premonl.
tions which often herald earth.
quakes. The deadly stiffness, the
sun a broad moonlike globe set
ting in sea of blood; the moaning
noises heard afar as though the
mighty imprisoned spirit that was
to rend the solid earth were NUT
tering to itself ere it put forth its
incalculable power, the strange
rushing sounds like the voice of the
wind among trees; the stupefaction
of bird, beast and insect; the sud.
den going and coming of natural
springs and fountains denoting the
internal throe, all these hints of
the approaching devastation-related
in past yisitations Of the kind--are
wanting. The night is described
as cloudless and beautiful, the sun
had sunk behind the sea in summer
splendor, and amid a preathless at
mosphere under which the blue
waters of the Bay of Naples had
stretched surface as purely
smooth as glass. At the moment
of the earthquake the night scene
presented by the doomed island
and the surrounding dark water,
melting into gloom towards the
horizon where the stars hung low.
was one of lovliness and repose.
The rich perfume Of flowers and
fruit, moistened by dew, might be
tasted in the motionless air. From
the shore went the sound of music
mixed with melodious wash of the
summer surf: Then in a breath the
picture changed. A roar as of thunder
rolled up and deepened into the
furious singing peals of batteries
OF artillery. Every light was ex-
tinguished, earth and rock heaved
in pillows; huge cloud rose and
overhung the island, plotting out
the stars; the surface of the sea was
tossed and torn; and amid the
or sshing Of houses falling in frag-
ments and the detonations of the
splitting soil, there was to be heard
the cries and groans of hundreds of
the wounded and dying.
f manifestation of Volcanic now.
er so Vast and destructive as this is
not likely to be let pass without
scientific inquiries which will have
no reference to the horrors it has
accumulated. In the opinion of q
learned italian authority it is due
to the subsistence OF the land.
There IS no reason, however, to
doubt that it was an earthquake of
the true volcanic type, though un.
heralded by the symptoms to which
the population Of the West Indies
and South America are accustom.
ed.
lschia is distant about twenty,
one geographical miles from Mount
Vesuvius, and a line drawn between
them might probably indicate the
diameter Of the surface of the sub.
terrain commotion whose forces
found vent at Ischia and at Vesu-
vius. Be this as it may, the COM
parative tranquility Of the sea dur.
ing the time Of the upheaval is
noteworthy. 1t is described as ag.
itsted, but its agitation must have
been trifling, seeing that no disas.
ter befell any of the small boats
which were afoat with pleasure
seekers.
In sense it is the stupendous
tragedy of Pompeii repeated. Ex-
cavators among the ashes which
hid for centuries that fair city have
come across skeletons in many posi-.
tons of ease and industry, marking
the swiftness of the fate that over
took them in the bath, the boudoir,
the shop, aud turned them into
stone, At Ischia mutilation at.
tended death; but there was time
for the frenzied prayer, the wild
rush, and for terror to do it's para.
lying work. Nevertheless, the
earth yawned under world of life
full of activity and pleasure. seek
ing.