The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-07-16
BILL NYE ON VESUVIUS.
He Takes a Drop of the s.Crater' in
His Usual Style.

The study of the habits and temperature
OF the volcano at distance of about 10.
600 miles is one that has always afforded
me much pleasure. In watching and no
ting the peculiar phenomena Of the erup
tions have almost lost sight of its atten-
dant da. gers
\ volcano is always feverish and rest
less till after the eruption, then, it feels
! better The first symptoms of an eruption
are cold feet, lad dreams, bad breath and
| dark circles around the crater. This will
| be followed by an uncomfortable feeling
| IN the bowels Of the earth and huttering
! pulse. The volcano is then about TO erupt
and those who live near there had better
! sell out at sacrifice.
one thousand eight hundred and eighty
| four years ago the Roman geographer and
weather crank, Strabo spoke of Nesuvius
as burnt mountain; but it had not at
that time turned itself wrong side out
| Quite a forest grew where its crater now
stands. For fifty years Vesuyius had bill
| lous spells, but kept on drawing its salary
without loss of time, but in 70 A. u. it
turned itself loose and tore up the ground
u good deal. Real estate went to an as
tonlshing height; but became depressed at
once. The south half of the mountain was
| jerl.ed loose, as Phny has it, and knocked
! galley west. This was followed by a show
er of hot wet ashes, which completely OBJ
liberated Pompei and Herculaneum.
Those towns have been exhausted lately
| but, owing to the criminal delay of the
authorities III doing 50, no lives were
saved.
These cities are not covered with lava
Scientists say that the ruins were found
under 4 deep layer of volcanic tufa. | do
not know what tufa is, but presume the
| term IS perfectly proper and safe to use in
! good society. | have heard of the tufa
cigar, which is sold at the rate of tufa five
f, cents, but | am comparatively ignorant of
the general appearance of volcanic tufa
4 This is a joke that | thought of myself
4 Times are 50 close this winter that | am
] obllged to originate a good many of my
! own Jokes and to write my own autographs
My amanuensis, who has stood by me 50
/ long and aided me so WELL has been dis
! charged. Autograph hunters will notice
/ that my autographs are not as good as
/ when had my amanuensis.
For fully 900 years Nesuvius then re
manned III a cOmatose state, with only an
occasional eruption. Then for 800 years it
I did not erupt. 1873, on the shores of the
/ gulf of Bait, in the bay of Naples, Il new
and attractive crater was opened. 1t was
I a good, easy running crater, and the lava
was hot when it came out. Hot lava is
not good for food. 1t hardens in the
stomach and taints the breath with the
odor Of sulphur.
In 1631 Nesuvius itself again became in
tensely irritable and showed signs OF a
morbid desire to erupt During the 800
years Of quiet the crater had been cover
| ed over with forests infested by the wild
boar Of Italy and the tame bore of Eng
/ land. The slopes of the mountain were
! cultivated up to the foot of the cone, and
Sunday school picnics swarmed over the
green swards at its base.
Suddenly, in the latter part of Decem-
Der, Nesuvius rose on its hind feet and
painted Rome red. All Southern Europe
and a part of York State were covered
with ashes and debris from the internal
economy of the volcano. Many people
We're Killed who had never previously lost
their lives. The way NesuviuS slung hot
mud at the Neapolitan hordes that fall was
a solemn warning to the puny pushers of
putrid politics in the land of the free and
the home Of the brave. The beautiful
cities of Resini and Postci were entirely
destroyed, and those of Tore del Greco
and Tore del Annunziata would have per
ished if they had not spread the names of
towns over themselves and escaped. y
good long name in Italy is rather to be
chosen than great riches.
About every ten years since he above
date Nesuvius has been liable to Jar the
country and shake down a few towns coy
ering the people with staff ttat is entirely
useless. The eruption of TeSuvius is a
fine sight at night. No doubt that there
will always be more or less apprehension
on the part of Spectators until some
American ''rustler' puts damper in the
crater of Nesuvius, 50 he can regulate the
eruptions. -At present those spasms are
too irregular and too vehement.