The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-28
Inhabitants of the fountain Sides
May Share the Fate of Many
Thousands Before Them.
NAPLES NONE TOO SAFE
From Nine Craters Flows Lava Forming a Stream
Half lille Wide-The Pillar of Fire and Cloud
Great Eruptons Since 70, A. d.

and despair.
The figure Of woman Of old Pompeii
preserved in the museum Of Naples in
spired Theophile Gauthier to write one OF
his most beautiful and imaginary stories.
The ashes which overwhelmed the an
cient Pompeiians enveloped their bodies
without destroying them. The flesh dis
solved with years but the surrounding
material hardened into stone, preserved a
perfect mould of the body. When these
moUlds were discovered it was possible by
pouring plaster into them to obtain faith
full images of the dead men and women.
Since prehistoric time Vesuvius has been
drowning humanity in a sea of fire and
death. Beneath its awful slopes lie count
less thousands Of human beings-no one
can estimate theireumber.
For centuries the great eruption Vesuv-
ius was quiet 1t was active in a sense,
but not destructive. The memory of the
burned cities became a myth. Science
which investigates and fortells was yet un-
born. For six months the volcano beach
ed forth lava. stones and ashes. It was
the warning of another great eruption but
it was UNDECIDED.
On December IS. 1881, Vesuvius again
burst forth with awful fury The eruption
continued until February 1892. There was
a tremendous flow of lava mingle dwith
water, resulting from the melting of the
| snow and mud. Tore Arnunziata, Tore
del Greco. Resina and Portica were almost
wholly destroyed, and it is estimated that
| 5000 people lost their lives. There was
another eruption in 1860 but only ashes
came fortht.
One of the very grand eruptions occurred
in 1779. Huge stones were projected several
thousand feet in the air in a cloud of white
vapor withlarge masses of mou,ten rock.
| Huge streams of lava poured down the
mountain side carrying death and destruc-
| ton.
Vesuvius was quiet for few years, but
in 1894 it burst forth again. Tore del Greco
! was again destroyed by lava, which flowed
down in a fiery stream nearly a quarter
a quarter of a mile wide at Its base and
fifteen feet thick.
1t is a curious fact that the ashes of
| Vesuvius, which have revealed an ancient
city, still conceal a great medieval city
Zorro del Greco.
The outbreak which began in October,
1922, lasted nearly a month, rupturing he
tip of the cone and making a crarer tfree
miles in circumference and 1,U0O feet deep.
From that time Vesuvius has never been
wholly quiet.
In 1871 Ferdinand II established an OBJ
servatory on the volcano for the purpose CT
giving warning of probable eruptions.
When the eruption of May, 1855. came, the
]
again rent asunder, and the flow Of lava
continued for twenty-seven days destroy
| ing miles of cultivated fields and many
| houses.
In 1858 there was another ERUPTION. when
! lava poured from the crater. But it was
! slow-moving, progressing only few inches
/ a day.
The eruption of 1861 was violent for seven
hours. and Zorro del Greco was over
whelmed for the third time The intense
cold. which rapidly cooled the lava, was of
/ immense advantage in protecting property.
! In the iddle of November, 1867, a cone
! seventy feet in diameter which had been
! forming in the crater during the preceding
/ two years poured forth a great amount of
lava. Besides the main stream from the
! great crater, there was a flow from the
outside oridce. twenty feet in diameter
which formed a stream twenty-five feet
! wide. The TWO streams poured down the
! mountain side in a fiery torrent. Above
/ the crater was a great cloud of white vapor
! into which were projected huge stones with
a mighty roar. This eruption continued IN
/ I'll June 1858.
The eruption Of 1872 was preceded by
/ slight premonitory symptoms. Early in
/ 1871 the seismograph became unquiet and
! Professor Pa,mieri prophesied an outburst.
which gradually Increased IN intensity I'M
til April "A, 1872. Two days later there was
"a rern in the cone 1000 feet wide. Molten
( rocks, lava and ashes gushed down the
mountain on either side Of the observatory
F. joining at the base with third stream. In
the the words Of Professor Palmieri. the
/ volcano 'sweated fire"
The atmosphere was white with crystals,
clouds OF steam and formed miniature vol
/ canoes as they sped downward. The earth
tremhled and heaved like the ocean in a
storm. There was vivid lightning from the
1 intense electrical excitement and heavy
, downpour OF rain. The streets OF Naples
were covered inches deep with a black
sand. The flow Of lava was three-ffths of
a mile wide.
/ IN the observatory on Nesuvius there are
a great number Of se5smograph,c instru-
ments designed 70 record the direction.
/ force and length Of all movements occur
ring in the volcano. These invariably pre-
/ cede eruptions.
The principal instrument consists Of
helix o. brass wire suspended from q fine
metal spring. From the lower end OF the
helix hangs 8 copper cone with a platinum
point The latter Is kept close 70 the sur
face of the mercury IN an iron basin.
/ which rests on an Insulating column OF
marble The brass wire IS II connection
I VITA one pole Of an electric battery. ard
! the basin with the other pole. Any VERT
cal movement. however sight. causes the
platinum point % dip into the mercury.
and thus completes the circuit. This makes
an automatic record on A dial showing
mat an earthquake has t-}9n place.
One instrument records horizontal move
ment. and the time another force
To see NeSuvius a. the present moment
would be the most thrilling experience Of
lifetime Il could be done with perfect
safety from the farther SIDE CT the bay.
Many doubtless viii risk going much near
er - see chs lava streams and ashes. n
the eruption of 1S77 party ~ eight Amer
lean tourists vas aunihiated
The volcano plays strange pranks in fts
] destructive moods. Huadrsas OF nAaa'A