Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-06-25
How Etna looks In Eruption.

A letter from Catanla dated May oath
says: You have probably heard Of the
eruption of Etna which is going on. 1
left Palermo Saturday, and came here to
see It. We lef. here about 3 o'clock (six
Of us, English) Saturday afternoon, and
drove to Nicolosl, which We reached
about O'Clock, and got mules and went
up to the scene. There were crowds
going. but we took different road
and went up much higher than the gen.
eral crowd. We had guide with US,
and after about three hours climbing
we got within couple OF miles OF the
crater itself.
1t is at the side Of Etna, you know,
not near the top, that this eruption has
broken out, and We got OH TO a BIT Of
high ground overlooking the whole
scere. 1t was still daylight when we
got up there. so that we saw the whole
thing by daylight. We then settled our
selves down to dinner, which we had
brought with us from Catanla, and Of
course it was soon dark, and here we
were comfortably feeding before the
most glorious and indescibable sight
ever saw in my life. It's perfectly i'm
possible TO describe IL, rs no one can have
any conception of what II is like until
he sees il, and also until he sees 10 from
where we did, which was on high
ground overlooking nearly the whole of
1t. At the top OF this enormous crater
throwing out flames and throwing up
stones some hundreds Of yards, with
continual roar like any number Of bat
ties going on, and just below Is another
mouth, from which the lava comes, trav-
elling at a tremendous pace. 1t divides
into several streams aud follows the
valleys,
Now imagine from where we were that
night, with our backs TO Catania, what
we saw. On our right this enormous
making the whole sky bright red, and
all down past us from our right and ex-
tending down miles to the left streams
OF red hot lava moving downward in
mass for miles, and looking like an
enormous sea Of red hot coke. The
width across the lava where we were
was, perhaps, three or four miles and IL
started about two miles above us aud
flow ed some four miles or so below us,
so you must imagine sea of angry, red
hot lava five or six miles long, and three
or four wide, and about thirty or forty
feet deep, but all Of 1t bright red. You
can Judge whether II was a sight worth
seeing. | would not have missed IL for
worlds.
The lava is not liquid as most people
suppose, but consists Of many millions
of large and small blocks Of rocky-look-
ing stuff rolling onward. We saw one
huge rock of old lava standing In the
middle of the stream oflava, which was
divided by it and ran around IL; the rock
was about the size of SAY Quidenham
Church, and 1t suddenly split into two
parts, the smaller half crumbled up, and
the other half was carried bodily down
with the stream slowly and steadily.
We watched II until we left, and IL
moved quarters Of mile in about
three. quarters OF an hour. We waited
there until nearly midnight, as we could
not venture down until the moon got up
and then we reluctantly left this mag
nifcen; sight, which as tell you, no
description can give you any idea Of.
AS we went up We had all gone into
a little house to see II and walked round
it and thought It was unpleasantly close
10 the lava. Well, as we came down
this house was 10 flames and caught by
the stream. In many places we had to
take different paths, so quickly had the
lava spread as IL came down; and from
below il Is awful quite close to III to see
this mass, 80 or 40 feet high, coming
slowly toward you. / brought piece Of
red hot lava down with me, which the
guide got hold Of for me, as could not
get it myself, II was so fearfully lot ]
could not 90 close enough. We put
wire round il, and carried II down on
the end Of my stick. In fact we each
brought bit down, and also some ashes
or cinders which rained on US whenever
the wind was our way.
We got back to Catanla at about AZ
A. NJ. We were up near the crater
nearly four hours. We saw other people
20 up TO see the lower end OF the lava.
stay there few minutes, and 20 down
again but the way to do 1t Is to 20 right
high up, arriving By daylight, and then
stay there 20 see 1t by night and watch
the changes going on. II Is glorious.