Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-11-28
A VOLCANIC ERUPTION.
Episode In the Island of voicano-show-
ers Of Red Hot stones.

Episode In the Island Of volcano-show-
ers Of Red Hot Stones.
On the Sd inst. we had an outburst in
the crater, with stones, flames, thunder
Irregular lightnings). 1t was strong
enough to throw stones Of considerable
size 10 the sides of the mountain. We
had often seen such eruptious during
twelve TO thirteen years | have been on
the island, and l hoped it would end like
former eruptions. Toward evening, how
ever, the rushes of smoke, steam and
ashes (Which used TO be projected into
the air 10 about twice the height Of the
mountain) had completely ceased, As
the night approached the leading fu-
marole (which wat very active,
giving off an offensive smell for
months before the EVENT. had begun to
show a clear high flame, much paler than
the flames produced by the burning of
wood, and somewhat greenish or blush.
This phenomenon. together with the sud
den stopping Of the smoke, was not evil
IDENTIFY a good omen. Consequently l
spent all the night dressed on a sofa in
the dressing room. Toward morning i
was oyerpowered by sleep and went to
the little bedroom which looks toward
the mountain, rested on the bed, and
soon was evidently sound asleep. Soon
afterward | was awakened by a ire
mendous din, which can hardly be de-
scribed.
As jumped up from my bed Ifelt
stones falling on the roof as hail-such
cannonading going on. i understood
what was the matter, and ran 10 the op-
poSite room, where / had made my chill
dren sleep that night. They were also
up III consequence of an indescribable
noise Of thunder, rush Of gases, flames,
falling of huge powders, rocks, etc. !
took them to the drawing room, but as
soon as the door was opened a big stone,
red hot (all these stones were quite red
with heat), fell through the roof, ceiling
and floor q few yards from us, smashing
all, setting fire to everything. Now !
took nv children back 10 the bedroom
which looks on 10 the veranda. and tried
to gain the terrace by that side. The
house doors were shivering and shaking,
so that it was a difficult matter to open
them. At last | succeeded, but before
we were out in the veranda another
stone fell at our feet, was smashed TO
fragments, and burned the feet and legs
Of my boys.
Now we passed through the veranda,
regaiIed the house at the top of the stairs;
here another stone fell very near us none
Of these stones were less than two feet in
diameter). This last stone (which is the
fourth that struck the house, has nearly
blocked our way out in the rubbish it
brought from the roof. We passed
through over the heap Of rubbish and
were now out in the open to the north Of
the house. By this time mot many min
utes after all the whole place was lighted
up; woods. grass, buildings, hedges-al
was on fire; the huge powders and
stones were literally raining everywhere
about us-what confusion! Natal, the
faithful boy, had by this time come to
the help Of my little boys. We all began
to run to Vulcahello and away from the
dreadful laundering mountain. Toward
moor boats of rescue reached US from
Lipari, and we thus ended one of the
most eventful days of our life.
On revisiting the spot | saw the whole
plains below the mountain, to the dis.
tance Of one and q half miles, especially
the neighborhood of the house and the
mems habitations, literally covered with
powders and rocks of all sizes, which
have embedded themselves in the ground
to various depths. The most huge Of
them is near the well Of the house, which
is not less than ten yards in diameter, or
better, length, and in some ten and
eleven feet deep in the ground. This is
about tnree-quarters Of a mile from the
crater. Another Of nearly equal dimen-
sions is on the shore near the Quarantana,
at the end of the bay Of the Levante.
Rocks Of one yard in diameter are as
plentiful as can be as far as the middle
of Vulcanello, neal the Punto Samossa.
No doubt many of these bowldeIs are
from ten 10 fifteen yards across, and are
projected as far as the sea, but often fall
back in the crater itself. This state is
continuing iu~cessantly and untlterrupt-
eddy, causing further damage and fright
ening everybody.-Lipar Cor. Pail Mall
Gazette,