New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-13
THE ERUPTION OF MT. AETNA
TWO JOURNEYS TO TIE NEW LAVA BEDS.

but il no longer spreads the ruin Of it's first fonr
weeks The new craters active. and the
natives Of this village Of Nicolos look appre-
hensively for me sudden caprice Of the mountain
that may either shake the walls of their houses
on their heads bury the place under lava.
There are bursts Of fame and smoke, and lava
flows for a few days az time. But the broad
rivers, although deepening, do not extend The
new lava runs the old bed, and cooling
outside rapidly, stops and forms bed for al
other election The whole Of the eruption
covers broad space the mountain, and tho
new, red-glOwing lava can be seen from the sea at
night. Heavy smoke is blown in clouds by the
winds that always sweep the upper slopes Of
Aetna, and no within sight CT the eruption,
even those much further away than Ncoosi,
grows Indifferent TO the phenomenon and Its
possible dangers The indication of unusual
activity is shown by the bursts Of fire and smoke
and the brightness Of the fresh lava.
The lower portions of tho great streams that
encroachcd on the vineyards and chestnut groves
have cooled on the surface, and an excellent
graded road with walls has been built across
the branch that threatened Bel Passo. The lava
underneath is Of course, red hot, and even
travelling over the road mueback- the warmth
is noticeable, and in some Of the small gules one
sees rising the spiral heat waves II one thrusts
his hand an arms length into crevIce IL nhss
soon be withdrawn because Of the heat Inc
lava buries the rich vineyards underneath hiy
feet and more, but not long after the deVasta-
ton the people patiently block out their lots' Tor
they will be fruitful in a hundred years In tnc
the masses of lava begin TO disintegrate "eheS-
ira a tough. grass-like herb is planted on them
This helps to loosen the lava. Then the irue-
hearing cactus is made to grow When THIS
ron
pronertv. And in course Of years, long after
the men who saw the ground covered ana ,ne~'
mems children are dead, grapes are Ipehlns d"''o
the old buried vineyards.
The new craters are formed in space about
mile long between Montagnuola and Monte Nero
tyo large spurs. and undoubtedly extinct craters
an tho southerly exposure Of Aetna. More imam
dozen craters were made in the hitherto appar-
emily firm ground And while some Of them are
no longer active no man can tell at what momchs
they NAV eject showers of ashes, rock SAND or lava
Through the whole region Of the eruption lS hearu
the detonaton of the most active crater. AS one
scrambes down the valleys OF lava and scorla III
this region. the heat burns through his SHOES
Sulphur is everywhere. The air Is hlled WIN SUI
phurous fumes II is a strange awful place one
comes for hasty look, not for lingering IN
spection Some Of the craters are level with inc
surface. others have buided mounds for them
selves but all have deep, funnel-lke interiors 3D.
scured BY the issuing smoke. The hoarse, ruulp-
ling sounds hint at cavernOus depths. Inc lhsiue
slopes are shaken, and masses OF stone ana sahn
rattle into the nit to be hurled into the air. Each
vawning mouth seems 10 have It's special func-
tion. One belches black smoke, another white;
some grumble. and others give forth rock ana
lava. Under foot and in twenty places about one
by the lava Of 1892 is best seen from the slopes
above the new craters. One sees then the IN
mensity OF the area. embracing some forty square
miles of imbedded lands. The whole thing Hes
out distinctly Broad. irregular and black, the
lava reminds one AT once OF bottle OF INK spiu"a
on some fair surface. II reminds one OF TINS
exactly 1t lies there unerasable dlshgurln5
and with no apparent reason for Its ugly shape
The violent outpouring of lava has isolafct
Monte Nero which is just below the scene OF
activity and after filing the depression beyond
in like manner surrounded Monte Crosse whlch
abut, from the main mountain further down IN
impeded the lava rolled down the side, burying
pood stretches of productive land. Below Monte
Crosse the lava river is widest, perhaps some four
miles. and this width continues TO the slopes OF
the twin Month Rossi. where the streams divide
two branches coming 10 Nlcolosi and two toward
Rel Pa,so. The streams toward Bel Paso have
STAMPED. and only one branch is creeping toward
Nicolosi II comes slowly and it is probably ceas
ing.
4 siaht of the broad high front overwf lining
everything before il is of unusual interest. One
sees il only at night. Then the lava CLOVIS an"
Zach phase can be observed more distinctly. Inc
starting point for the scene is from NlcoosL u
: \ rough. winding path that one takes. and with
lanterns and mules and guides. supplied By tie
Italian Alpine Club, which has a station at Moo
LOST. and some extra clothing and provisions
one leaves the village after dark. The glldes
arc dignfcd and require riding animals unless
the rest OF the party goes on foot. when the sad
die bags are filled and the travellers mounted the
mule train catters slowly over the narrow. lava
paved street. The villagers do not express any
curiosity at foreigners They have always been
accustomed TO seeing them file through on their
way 10 the Aetna summit. A group of beggars
importune one but all givd passing greeting
From the village streets there Is good view OF
the burning lava. IL is far away, but, Just a.
from the sea, the streams and smoke are uls-
tinct against the mountain side. Gradually the
village j, left behind. The houses are further
apart and the pavement is exchanged for ROAD
which is rough even in the narrow strip along
which the mules carefully pick their way. froo-
ably over the surface of the earth mule character
is the same No amount of beating, no jostie.
touch or soft word will hasten it when leaving
it's stables, but returning paniers and riders are
iolted askew by the mules eagerness To reach
home This seems especially true of the NicoloSi
breed. but the beasts fairly surefooted ana
essential in one of these mountain scrambes
The time required in going, the eNertion ana the
keen wind, calls the train to a halt for eatlh-'
From somo point where the eruption Is well ~
sight the party sits upon the lava block ana py
the lanterns light dsposes of the provisions Inc
nath beyond is rough Now the noises OF the
cracking lava can be- heard and the great mass
OF the approaching river distinctly sen IL l. no"
rim. IN dismount While the animals are LETT
LII do emilio