Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-04
LETTER FROM NAPLES.
Visit to Notwithstanding the Encrusted
Ruins of Pompeu and the Un-
equaled Filth of Naples.
NAPLES, May 10, 1888

NAPLES, May l5, 1888.
From Corinth We came direct to Naples,
via Patros and Brindisi The old signal
stations of the old Romans are seen all the
way from Brindisi to Rome. From these
watch-towers an enemy could be seen at a
great distance, and runners sent from post
to post until the news reached the palace
OF the Cesar in the imperial city. We
arrived in Naples at night, and had the
privilege of seeing Vesuvius send out
burning lava from a recently formed crater
on the north side, about 1000 feet from
the top. A winding stream of red Stag
forced its meandering way down the steep
sides of the mountain; and from the burn
ing crater on the cone great forked tongues
of ire and fakes of cinders hurled into
the air from so to 100 feet, making night
hideous. Next day [ had the adventurous
experience of making the ascent to the
very cone, and seeing the most awfully
grand sight | ever beheld. My guide, a
native Italian, gave me his horse in ex-
change for the ugly one had ridden from
Pompeii to within three miles of the
mountain. We passed craters formed in
1852, 1882, 1886 and 1887, and one but
four months ago then went to the edge
OF the present one, until the sulphur fumes
compelled us to turn aside. When within
a mile Of the top the horses were left, and
the ascent made on foot. Most visitors
employ the ''helpers" to assist them by
laying hold of a rope and being drawn up.
Others go up from the opposite side on the
inclined railroad till near the top, then are
helped up by the guides and their assist
ants / thanked them all and went up
without inconvenience, except from the
intense heat of both sun and burning lava.
The Stag of the crater formed four months
ago, about 800 feet from the top, looks
very much like pig iron. 1t hardened in
all conceivable shapes, representing ami
mails, stumps of trees, blockades of broken
ice and frozen spray. Jet black in APP
pearance from the distance, but upon a
nearer approach exhibited penetrating
colors of yellow, emerald, azure, Opaque
and transparent crystals. The mass is
about half mile in length, 800 feet wide
and from Is to % feet deep. There are
numerous assures in the lountain
from which the gases and vapors are
kissing. They are the safety valves" of
Naples and modern Pompeii, and when
they are inactive the crown crater threatens
to deluge the valley with cinders and lava;
but when they are open, and the gases
escape through them, the mountain is
comparatively quiet.
A view of this mountain, and especially
the fiery throat in the cone, is suggestive
of 81 fb.t baa,, ii If ~ Tho 10
scriptions of Dante concerning the in
fernal regions had their physical
illustration here. When | reached the
top an internal explosion occurred
like the distant boom of breaker
The mountain shook and trembled.
This was followed by lashing sound
like as if vast volume of
water WAS suddenly forced against
the sides and dashed to foam, then
gurgled through the rocky seams and dis
appeared. The noises made by the gases
were those of deep reverberating tones of
thunder, and others Of distant cannonad-
ing, and occasionally more sudden, but
not very sharp explosion. There were
also low, dismal means of sound, and
deep, angry grosning, like savage beasts,
followed by Kissing noise becoming more
and more intense, until tremendous puff,
as if new opening had been forced
through the crust Of the cone, the Jets of
lava would dart into the air like demons.
Some of them would fly back into the in
famed abyss like angry satyrs, while
others fell near where / stood, until the
place seemed so terrible that many who
witnessed it, retreated to places of greater
safety.
/ climbed to the highest point Of the
rim and held my breath to escape the sui
phur fumes, and took look down into the
throat of the awful crater. What a sight!
What attributes of Creative power are
here exhibited What omnipotent forces
here displayedl
Pompeii and Herculaneum are being
excavated, and one-half of the former city
is laid bare. The pail that spread over it
1900 years ago is being rolled up like a
scroll, and the city Of the ancient Romans
exposed to view as in the days when its
thrifty people jostled each other in its
narrow avenues. Palaces, courts, business
buildings, common and more gorgeous,
were uncovered, until the visitor sees as
they saw their great city. The charred
bodies, preserved in lava, are seen in the
museum, and the money, the jewelry, the
utensils Of industry, potteryware, even
bread, cakes, fruit and cereals, just as they
stood then, were fouud and are on exhiti-