The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-31
BELCHING FLAMES.
,,or7Nr aTNA,AND IT'S FOUR.sCoRE
RRUPTIONS.

ND Herculeneum-Ths Fame Emit
+ars of Icelaud-Extinot American
vo1cenoes-Nature's Terrific Object
Lessons
(Copui0ht)
NEW YORK, July 30.-About eighty erup-
Atoms Of Mount Etna are known to have
oooprred prior to the one which is now at
trscting the attention of the world. The
sr.t outbreak in historic times is said to
h.va taken place in the seventh century
nc In February, 1859, the most terrible
.runtion OF the mountain occurred which
has evar been recorded. An earthquake.
talt for a long distance, destroyed Catania
and buried ID, 900 people. The cathedral of
Tho citv at the time was crowded with peo-
ple celebrating the feast OF ST. Agatha.
The cathedral was ruined and the worship
srs buried, together with bishops and forty
fonr Benedictine monks One side Of the
crater fell in.
In 1887 a part Of the village of Nicolosi
vas DESTROYED At this time a stream of
lava ran for fifteen miles down the mount
Gin.
terrible eruption occurred In 1869
which has been very fully described by sew
eral writers, notably by Alfonso Borelli, a
professor OF mathematics at the famed city
Of Catania During this eruption Nicolosi,
Bepasso and a part of Catania were de-
stroyed. A assure nearly twelve miles
long. about six feet wide and of unknown
depth appeared in the side Of the mountain
and extended to within a mile of
the top A bright light issued from the
assure, and six mouths along its
line emitted smoke, accompanied by a
believing sound, which could be heard
forty miles away. Belpasso, village of
80O6 people, was destroyed by the outburst
from a new center, which opened about a
mile below the others and threw out flood
Of lava two miles wide. Stopped for time
by the city walls of Catauia, the lava rose
gradually to hight Of sixty feet, and finally
rushed over the walls and destroyed a part
Of the city. Altogether some fifteen towns
were destroyed by this eruption, the lava
thrown out covering an area OF at least
forty square miles,
The latest eruption prior to the present
one was in 1868. This lasted about three
weeks, and was preceded by earthquakes.
Clnders fell as far distant as Messina, about
eighty miles from Mount EtnA. Nicolosl
was for many days threatened with destruc-
ton, the stream OF lava finally stopping
within short distance of it.
Many of the classical writers mention
Mount Etna, including Pindar, Aristotle
and Cicero. 1t is reported that Plato Wis
tied the summit of the mountain in hts day,
and that in 1888 Mr.. Gladstone made the
ascent. Then the volcano was far from
being quiet
CHARACTERISTICS OF MOUNT ETNA.
Mount Etna is one Of the most noted and
marvellous volcanoes in the world. 1t is
located on the eastern coast of Sicily is
Tppf nan %vQn mil Itch
and its base has a circumference Of about
ninety miles Some Of the lava from its
eruDtiOns form headlauds several hundred
feet high along the classic Ionian sea.
The area Of the mountain is about 4S0
square miles, and includes two cities,
Catania and Aci Reale, and sixty-three
towns and villages. 1t is estimated that as
many as 100000 people live on the sides OF
the mountain.
The mountain has regular conieal form,
broken by the Val del Bne, an oval-shaped
valley, on the eastera side The cultivated
region of the mountain is very fertile, and
extends to a hight Of about 2000 feet
above the sea. Above the cultivated region
comes wooded area, extending to hight
Of about $500 feet. Here are found trees
OF oak, beech, pine, poplar, cork, lick and
chestnut. Above the wooded area is q
DESERT region, covered with lava, ashes and
sand, which, during a large part OF the
year are hid by snow.
The mountain may he assembled, prefer
ably ostWeen June and December. A party
which assembled in August found it SO cold
near the top that extra coats were necessary.
Inc abyss o. the crater was found in 1877
70 be about 900 feet deep and some two
70 three miles around.
OTHER VOLCANOES.
More celebrated than Etna is the volcano
OF Fesuvius, although it is only 1900 feet
"a night against the nearly 1000 feet of
htna. Perhaps Vesuvius has been nearly
OF quite twice its present hight. The well.
known eruption Of Vesuvius which occurred
IL the year 70 and buried Pompeii and Her
cuaueum was the first that has occurred
Wlthin the limits of history or tradition,
though others had taken place before that,
clnce This great eruptions, warnings of
"uich we're given for fifteen years by earth
4uaRes and rumblings, VesuvIus has never
oesh quiet, frequently emitting lava, but
more often only dust, score and steam.
from 1866 to 1922 the volcano was espsci.
ally active.
Iceland, as ls we'll known, has a geologic
tsoIlhatlon and its hot volcanic eruptions
tSrll strong contrast to its climate Most
VI the mountains of the island have been
.Olcanoes. Hecla, the most famous, is be-
tween 1000 and 5000 feet in hight. II
N'eo'iAocA ISCOTuSu GFupClOD6, Inc lAJ6Sl
. ..olng l645'46. The earliest known erup
s aDh was in 1l04, which gave the name
Sauu-raln winter" TO the season in which
occurred. Vast quantities OF dust are
o.9cusrged from the Icelandic volcanoes, a
o,lnh OF ashes said to be 10000 feet high
having arisen from Hecla In 1865.
aopocstapetl, or, in the language of the
ices, smoking mountain, )" is the most
"ageu volcano in the western hemisphere
a ane OF the highest mountains in either
," I,e.lca, It's snow-covered cone towering
80 ~ - poo feet above the sea. At its summit
s ooie lies an immense crater about a mile
pClo's and more than third of mile in
elpISous depth. Sulphur from the crater
- co. M uas oeel quarried ct an elevation OF
49, Ieet During the last 800 years there
tbo' oeen but two or three eruptions and
i Use nave been mild. Smoke constantly
DIS from the mountain and at times Gin,
auu stones are sent up IN showers.
Nount st. Elias, in Alaska, IS olassed as
"a acIlve volcano, and exceeds Popocata
b,s ~ ~ night, the latest estimates placing it,
n'Sht at Is, 100 feet
foauVerestlng volcanic remains are 10 be-
So al the western part OF the United
ipts,' ana especially in Utah. The most
Fiir,eIug volcanic district in Utah is neal
rec, q, whele volcanic buttes and tablet
tbir, upoh The plain at distances of ten tc
And 3 miles apart TIE Tabernacle crater
no., aVant butte may be mentioned In con
LII WIN volcanic remains in Utah.
huls TI ecently been claimed that volcanic
ua'e been found ia Connecticut.