Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-06
BILL NYE ON vEsUvIUs.
He Takes Drop of TIE "Cratur" in Ills
Usual style.

Usual Style.
The study of the habits and temperature
of the volcano at distance of about
10000 miles is one that has always af-
forded me much pleasure. In Watching
and noting the peculiar phenomena of the
eruptions l have almost lost sight of its
attendant dangers.
A volcano is always feverish and rest
less till after the eruption, then it feels
better. The first symptoms Of an erup-
tion are cold feet, bad dreams, bad breath
and dark circles around the crater. This
will be followed by an uncomfortable feel
ing in the bowels of the earth and flutter-
ing pulse. The volcano is then about to
erupt, and those who live near there had
better sell out at a sacrifice.
One thousand eight hundred and eighty
four years ago the Roman geographer and
weather crank, Strabo, spoke of Vesuvius
as a burnt mountain; hut it had not at
that time turned itself wrong side out
Quite forest grew where its crater now
stands. For fifty years Yesuvius had
bilious spells, but kept on drawing its
salary without loss of time, but in 70 A. d.
it turned itself loose and tore up the
ground a good deal. Real estate went to
an astonishing height, but became de-
pressed at once. The south half of the
mountain was jerked loose, as Pliny has
it, and knocked galley-west. Tis was
followed by a shower of hot wet ashes,
which completely obliterated POmpeii and
Herculaneum. Those towns have been
eXhumed lately, but, owing to the Grim
inal delay Of the authorities in doing so,
no lives were saved.
These cities are not covered with lava.
Scientists say that the ruins were found
under deep layer of volcanic tuia. l do
not know what tufa is, but presume the
term is perfectly proper and safe to use in
good society. i have heard of the tufa
cigar, which is sold at the rate of tufa five
cents, but am comparatively ignorant
of the general appearance of volcanic
tufa. This Is joke that thought Of N.Y.
self. Times are so close this winter that
j am obliged to originate good many of
my own jokes and to write my own auto
graphs. My amanuensis, who has stood
by me so long and aided me so well, has
been discharged. Autograph-hunters
will notice that my autographs are not
so good as when had my amanuensis.
For nearly 1000 years Vesuvius then
remained in a comatose state, with only
an occasional eruption. Then for 800
years 1t did not erupt In 1888, on the
shores of the gulf of Baie, in the bay of
Naples, a new and attractive crater was
opened. 1t was good, easy-running era
ter, and the lava was hot when it came
out. Hot lava is not good for food. 1t
hardens in the stomach and talnts the
breath with the odor OF sulphur.
In 1881 NeSuVius Itself again became
intensely irritable and showed signs of a
morbid desire to erupt. During the 800
years of quiet the crater had been covered
over with forests infested by The Wild boar
Of Italy and the tame bore of England.
The slopes of the mountain were Guilt
waited 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 December,
VesuVius rose on It's hind feet and painted
Rome red. All Southern Europe and a
part OF York State were covered with
ashes and debris from the internal econ
omy of the volcano. Many people were
killed who had never previously lost their
lives. The way VesuYius 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 POSTED were entirely
destroyed, and those OF Tore del Greco
and Tore del Annunziata would have
persisted if they had not spread the names
OF the towns over themselves and escaped.
A good long name in Italy is rather to be
chosen than great riches.
AoOuI ofciS Ten years since the aOOfe
date Nesuvius has been liable TO jar the
country and shake down a few towns.
covering the people with stuff that is en-
tirely useless. The eruption of NesuVius
is fine sight at night. No doubt that
there will always be more or less appre-
hension on the part of spectators until
some American ''rustler' puts a damper
in the crater Of Nesuyius, so he can
regulate the eruptiOns. At present those
spasms are too irregular and too vehe-
ment,