The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-04-15
VESJJVIJJS IN ACTION.
DMINoUs REPORTS coMEFRoM
THE VOLCANIC.
Threatens Destruction Fears That Towns
May Bo Destroyed BY the stream
OF Molten Lava Has Cost Thousands
of Lives. -4

The worlds most historic volcano is
going through one Of its periodical
eruptions, which from the ominous re-
ports threatens to be more violent and
destructive than usual Naturally the
event attracts worldwide attention
and hosts Of the curious are fiocking
to Naples. Since 1S41 the big volcano
has been under close inspection by sa-
wants, who have been able to pre-
dict eruptions but unable to predict
their force or extent. Vesuyius is
eight miles from Naples. It overlooke
the bay which itself is believed to be
the Immense crater of a prehistoric
volcano. At it's base Vesuvius is thir-
~ miles in circumference. It's height
varies after eruptions, but the average
is about 1000 feet. Its great crater
u some 1000 feet in diameter and son
feet deep. Vesuvius, as known to the
ancient world, was a truncated cone
with base Of eight or nine miles and
a height of 1000 feet. At it's summit
was depressed plain three miles in
diameter. That was the scene of the
Hight between Spartacus and Claudius
Pulcher. At the beginning of the
christian era the sides were covered
with fields and vines and the crater
was overgrown with wild grapes. It
was not known within human memory
TO have been in active operation. The
younger Pliny and Tacitus say that it
gave warning by earthquakes for. thir-
teen years before the great eruption,
but no heed was paid.
In the year A. D. 70 the famous cat
astrophe occurred. The steam con-
densed fell in torrents of rain, making
from the lava dust kind of cement
that poured down the mountain side
and buried Herculaneum, at the west
base; Pompeii, on the southeast base;
Stabiae, on the south side and beyond
that Castellamare. These cities were
covered and lost and forgotten. 1t was
a strange revelation when in modern
times those ancient cities were exca-
waited with their revelation of the man
ners and customs of Roman life at that
day. For many centuries after Vesu-
vlus slept. People living around for
got that it had buried cities and slain
its myriads. Vines again covered the
treacherous crater; the plowman titled
and the herdsman pastured his kline,
and the vineyards waved on it's slopes.
Again the mountain began to rumble
and shake, but the warning was I'M
needed. At last on Dec. 16, 1881, Vesu-
vius burst forth in tremendous fury.
The cities at the base were destroyed
by the lava and $4,000 lives were lost
Another grand eruption came in 1879.
when huge stones were hurled thou
sands of feet into the air in cloud of
white vapor with masses of molten
rock, while immense streams Of lava
poured down the mountain side carry
ing death and destruction. In 1894
there was a repetition Of the horror on
a smaller scale, and again in 1922 when
the top Of the cone was ruptured and
the great crater was formed Since
then Vesuvius has never altogether
rested. When the great eruption of
May, 1856, occurred the people fed in
time, having been warned by the oh .
servatory founded few years before.
At intervals of few years the erup-
lions have gone on ever since.