The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-05-08
BILL NYE ON vEsUvIUs.
He Takes Drop of the "Cratur" in
His Usual Style.

ture of the volcano alta 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, I have almost lost sight of
It's attendant dangers
A volcano is always feverish and rest
less till after the eruI ION, then it feels
better The first symptoms of an erup-
ton are cold feet, bad dreams, bad breath
and dark circles around the crater. This
will be followed by an uncomfortable
feeling in the bowels of the earth and
fluttering 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 eigh-
ty-four years ago the Roman geographer
AMI weather crank, Strabo, spoke of We
suvius as a burnt mountain; but it had
not at that time burned itself wronside
out Quite forest grew where its era
ter now stands. For fifty years Vesu-
vius had bilious spells, but kept on draw
ing 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 be-
came depressed at once. The south half
of the mountain was jerked loose, and as
Pliny has it, and knocked galley-west.
This was followed by n shower of hot
wet ashes, which completely obliterated
Pompeii and Herculaneum. Those towns
have been exhumed lately, but, owing
to the criminal delay of the authorities
in doing so, no lives were saved.
These-cities are not covered with laYa.
Scientists say that the ruins were found
under deep layer of volcanic tufa. l
do not know what tufa is, but presume
the term is perfectly proper and safe to
use msfood 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 a joke that
thought of myself. Times are so close
this winter that l am obliged to originate
good many of my own jokes and to
write my own autographs. My aman-
uensis, who has stood by me so long
and aided me so well has been discharg-
ed. Autograph-hunters willnotice that
my autographs are not SO good as when
l had my amanuensis.
For nearly 1000 years Vesuvius then
remained in a comatose state, with only
an occasional eruption. Then for 500
years it 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 a good, easy running era
ter and the lava was hot when it came
ont. Hot lava is not good for food. It
hardens in the stomach and taints the
breath with the order of sulphur
In 1881 Vesuuius itself again became
intensely irritable and showed signs of
morbid desire to erupt. During the 1900
years of quiet the crater had been cover
ed over with forests infested by the wild
boar of Italy and the tame boar 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 Deem
Der Vesuveius rose on its hind feet and
painted Rome red. All southern Europe
and part of York State were covered
with ashes and debris from the internal
economy of the volcano. Many people
were killed who had never previously
lost their lives. The way Vesuvius 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 Postici
were entirely destroyed and those of
Tore del Greco and Tore del Annun-
ziata 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.
About every ten years since the above
date Vesuvius has been liable to jar the
country and shake down few towns,
covering the people with stuff that is en-
tirely useless. The eruption of Vesuvius
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 Vesuvius, so he can reg
ulate the eruptions. At present those
spasms are too irregular and 200 vehe-
ment.
Jean Davenport, the once famous &C
tress, the widow of Gen, Lander. who
4ss killed during the war, is still alive.
a resident on Capitol Hill, Washington.
enjoying the latter years of her life in
doing good.
G. J. JOSEPH, C. E. WM. NJ. HUssON. G e.
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