Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-04

pail, and not only falling thickly on the
houses in the neighborhood, but travelling
many miles with the wind.
Herculaneum and Pompeii were not COM
pletely covered up by the explosion OF ~,
but by 90 subsequent explosions, as the
many layers OF scoria will show. Hercu-
laneum was buried 20 feet deep. while Pom
peii was only covered about II feet, and as
very few ornaments and little jewelry or
articles of value were found, it is
supposed that after the first few days
the relatives and friends who had escaped
or lived at distance, came to the relief of
their fallen friends and buried them, secur-
ing many Of their valuable effects. The
elder Pliny was commanding the Roman
fleet off those shores, and while going to the
help of the inhabitants he got too near the
foot of the volcano and was suffocated by the
sulphurous gas. Whenever human body
was left the volcanic mud packed tightly
around it, and after many years the body
entirely disappeared, so that when the exca-
vators came across one of these human cavi-
ties. soft plaster OF paris is run into the
mold and splendid figure of the original is
often the result
AS IT IS TO-DAY.
Vesuvius is still boiling and bubbling.
Ihe lava around the crater is so hot as to be
fatal to shoe soles: it teens with hot vapors
and is covered with beautiful eff1orescences
OF sulphur. Smoke issues from numerous
crevices, at the entrance of which stick or
piece of paper will catch fire in a moment.
A very strange thing is that stone thrown
INTO one OF these crevices causes every other
crevlce to increase its smoke. The rumb-
ling can be plainly heard. Near to this is
the crater itself, shaped like a funnel.
from 4OO to 900 feet deep without a particle
OF hire in 1t, but sealed, silent and solemn;
and yet In 1777 that crater sent up toward
heaven column of fire 10, 900 feet high. In
the eruption of 1872 Director Palmieri, of
the meteorological observatory located on the
side of the volcano, had the great courage to
remain at the observatory to watch the great
eruption while the building was surrounded
with the glowing flood.
In the quiet action of Stromboli the
column of lava in the gigantic pipe seems TO
rise and fall with rythmical motion. At
every rise the column will be covered with
immense blisters which heave and sink, and
finally explode with such energy as to re-
vertebrate against the walls of the great tube
and make the crater vibrate. Occasionally
fragments of hard lava will be torn off and
thrown high into the air, while at Vesuvius
great puffs OF balls OF steam will be shot up
to great heights.
The Iceiandic volcanoes throw out great
quantities of dust, which travels very far
by aerial currents. The dust from them has
fallen on occasions between the Shetland
and Orkney islands, and vessels at sea have
had the strange deposit to shovel off their
decks.
HOW LAVA FLOWS.
Lava differs in fiuidity in different yolca-
noes, and the rapidity of its descent depends
on that and on the pitch OF the mountain.
1t has been known to flow almost a mile
minute on the mountain side, but as it cools
it gets much slower. A very strange fact
is that it holds its heat longer than any
other substance known. The Jovilla vol
cano in Mexico, sent out great body of
lava in 1859, and 21 years afterward cigars
were lit at the assures in the deposit. AT
A years it still sent up steam, while at 81
years two columns of vapor were still aris-
ing. This slow rate of cooling is of high
geological significance in considering the
cooling OF the earth.
There are many mud volcanoes over the
earth, which are generally cold. A vast
body of mud and water from Vesuvius in
1862 destroyed many Roman villages, with
their inhabitants, as it also did in the first
century. These mud and cold water dis
charges are caused by gases (probablv nat
ural gas), as many volcanoes emit great vol
umes of highly infammable gas and uaphtha.
There is one district in Java, hollow,
which entices animals by its seclusiveness.
The ground enits a great quantity OF car
bonic acid, and everything passing within
its fatal circle is suffocated. This place was
long known as the Valley of Death, or the
Valley of the Bohou Upas, and tree of
that name was supposed Tor long time to
contain the poison. BUMBALo.