The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
ITALY'S ERUPTION OF FIRE
RECENT ERUPTION OF vEsUyIUs DE-
SCRIBED BY A TRAVELLER.
Natives Indifferent to the BeIching of
the Lava-HurIing MOnster-Tra-
ditiOns of Miracle.


lieve that once again, as III 1872, the bay
was lighted up with flames and people flee
ing for their lives? The fact is the present
commotion is hardly noticed, so hardened
does one become by living in constant prox-
unity to what may at any time prove real
danger. Yet who quite forget the won
derful impression which the first sight Of
this fire-breathing monster makes on one as
he wakes with the ceasing of the steamers
motion and hears some fellow-passenger
exclaim: There's Vesuvius!' Across the
pale saffron sky long plume of dun smoke
is drifting above the dark purple mass of
the mountain, sharply outlined against the
clear morning light. Tremendous jets of
smoke and steam issuing from its lofty era
ter seem to threaten you with instant de-
struction; but all around the steamer gay
banks are crowded full of careless, happy
people, singing, laughing, cooking you
early breakfast, or Offering great baskets
of fruit and flowers; or hailing their
friends so happily returned to this land of
everlasting delight. Or one arrives by day
and first sees from afar this widespread
ing pennon Of smoke on the verge of the
distant horizon, and the vast mass of the
mountain slowly rises from the sea, till, as
the sunset, nowhere so beautiful, bathes it's
feet with splendor, we drop anchor beneath
It's towering SlOTlcS ana watch lDe rose
lights climb to the ashy peak, linger mo-
ment on the waving smoke-wreath, and
then leave the purpling shadows to gradu-
ally wrap its salient form from view
From time to time, of late, shoots of flame
have again appeared from the older mouth
at the apex of the pyramid, whence the
greater streams have always come that still
blacken and devastate the otherwise verdant
sides of the HILL These are the streams that
flowed quite down to the and have so
often destroyed the towns which lie around
the base of the mountain. The railroad be-
tween Naples and Pompeii passes through
number of deep cuttings which are simply
borings into the mass OF the hardened lava
floods of the past. Beneath these Hoods lies
buried the city of Herculaneum, far down
under the modern town of Resina, which
smiles above 1t, with its gay gardens ana
royal villas as if it, too, were not daily Ii
able to a like fate. Indeed, the neighboFing
town of Tore del Greco has been three
times destroyed in the century, and still the
people rebuild and live apparently uncOn-
scious of their danger. 1t is strange how OBJ
livious one becomes to its existence after
short sojourn in the immediate vicinity of
the mountain. It's awfulneSs is quite lost
sight of in the surrounding beauty. "A peak
of hell protruding from a paradise, yet
one not only ceases to wonder that artist
friends can bear to live where their paper
is often smirched with falling ashes, and
their beds shaken at night by low rum
blings but finds ones self glad to share their
seemingly perilous hospitality.
THE LATE OUTBREAK.
So all that one reads in the papers COM
Ing to one from a distance of the present
state of eruption as awe inspiring seems
to the native or the old inhabitant an
amusing view of the case, for beyond re-
newed coatings of ashes the peak and
occasional flashes of fire and slender rills
of lava, we have had great display of
force since June, 1895. Then a new crater
seven hundred metres in diameter was sud
denly opened way down below the funicuIar
railroad which the Messrs. Cook have built
from the main body of the mountain to as
cend the sharp cone made by successive
crater gave out streams of lava which de-
stroyed the carriage road and which still
damage. 1t occurred about 10 in the MORN
ing when the writer CHANGED to be watching
the mountain with a powerful glass from
the beach at Capri. For some days the
crater at the top of the cone had ceased
smoking, when in a moment this tremendous
explosion took place below. and an immense
mass of earth and rocks, mixed with steam
and smoke and molten lava was hurled
hundreds of feet in the air. This for time
did interest and even somewhat alarm the
inhabitants: and the people OF Sorrento,
where the Tasso festival had Just been cele-
brated for four days, declared it was a
warning from their patron Saint Antonio,
who was naturally offended that four days
should be given to the celebration of a sec
ular poet and but one devoted to the
saintship's fiesta" The old people shook
their sage heads, and one fancies the clerical
party weer not wholly without some poiti-
cal advantage from IndL event. Inc ROOu
people of Portici, the town near Hercu-
laneum, began to think hard things again
of their patron, Saint Janarius. who stands
with uplifted finger to warn and arrest the
descending floods. There were even heard
dark insinuatons mingled with the petitions
for his intercession that perhaps his saint
ship had better remember what happened to
him the last time he was a little in '-retar-
do in reply to his peoples supplications.
Then the faithful stood his stoid impas-
sivity as long as human nature could be
expected in reason to bear it. In spite of
all their prayers and promises the dreaded
flood of molten hell-fire rolled nearer and
nearer, threatening to engulf them all.
There stood that stupid old saint of theirs
and let 1t come on.
A SAINT PUNISHED.
At last they really did lose all patience
with such stony-hearted obtuseness. The
prayers changed to threats, the threats to
curses and finally they told him to his very
face if he didn't stop that lava, "maledetta
subito,'' with other Italian phrases
equivalent to those cabalstic initials (Which
enterprising Photographic firm used to
assure us stood for Photography Done
Quickly they, his faithful worshippers
would take him down from his perch and
roll him in the dirty gutter. they would.
Yet StiH the awful flood crept slowly down
upon the apparently doomed town. Then
at last they were as good as their word
they took him, st. JanariuS, the reVered
patron saint of Naples. standing there i'm
of all men, right down from his lofty ped
estal, and then and there they rolled him
in the dirty town drain and left him there
to cool his heels till he should wake up to
a more vivid sense of their danger and his
manifest duty in the premises
1t seems he must have done so, for the
lava at once began 10 harden and stopped
half way through a mans chamber, which,
If you don't believe il. you may still see
preserved by that heretical government of
theirs, which insists on considering it a
scientific curiosity. when, in fact, il was
solely owing to their having walked his
saintship up TO a realizing sense of his
hydropathetic treatment And SO, he
really did save them after all, he was
neatly washed again and restored to fa-
Vor and his PEDESTAL But just let him
member it another time. The Neapolitans
are a lively imaginative race. and have
up to sample, SO this poor old gentleman
is forever getting into hot water. Being
old, his blood is getting n little sluggish.
naturally and il is a good deal to ask of
him that it shall always liquify at just
the moment when the cardinal archbishop
cathedral in Naples to witness the miracle
which exercises so potent an influence stil
for good or evil, upon the coming year
This summer the cathedral was crowd
ed; the gunners stood string in hand
TO proclaim TO the waiting thousands
acle had been accomplished; the bell
ringers had their hands on the ropes; but
Alasi our saint is old and getting cold
and, and, and-the faithful began to get
impatient and to mutter; something sus-
piciously like ''maledetta' and Academic
a dreadful imprecation which comprehen-
siVely implies that you desire all the acct
1ar4tG .Tfra IL. nf m ha hoo