Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-25
VIRTUES OF VOLCANOES.
Latter Furnish Mankind With Some
Important Needs.
(Pearson's Weekly

(Pearson's Weekly)
The crops of the country round Fesu-
yius were spoiled last spring by rain
charged with hydrochloTic ACID. But II
is the first time such a thing has hap
pened for more than thirty years, and
this very acid in the small amounts
which the volcano usually gives OF mas
been largely responsible for the enor-
nous crops which this district usually
yields.
The slopes of Mount Vesuvius produce,
in fact nearly treble the crops which
other neighboring parts Of Italy can be
made to yield, and this is only one of a
hundred such districts which owe their
fertility to the soil being composed OF
crumbled lava.
Even the dust which volcanoes eject
is often extremely valuable to the farm
ers upon whose land it falls. In 1872 a
violent eruption Of La souffriere, the
great st. Vincent volcano which has re-
Gently given so much trouble, covered
the whole of Barbados with some two
inches OF ashes. At the time Barbados
was suffering from a fearful plague Of
red ants, which rendered some parts OF
the island almost uninhabitabie. The
dust absolutely destroyed these pests. and
not only that, but doubled the crop of
sugar cane the next year. The fertilzing
effects of that dust were visible up to
the year 1890.
TOMBORA'S ERUPTION.
Not even the great rivers of the world
can compare in fertili3ing powers with
volcanic outbursts. Torabora, at it's last
great eruption. emitted enough dust to
have covered the whole Of Germany two
feet deep, and the dust greatly improved
the land it fell upon.
But others besides farmers owe much
to the action of volcanoes. Does it occur
to you that warfare and sport as prac-
ticed during the past three Of four centu-
ries, would have been impossible but for
volcanoes? Gunpowdc~s most important
ingredient is sulphur. and sulphur is
purely a volcanic product.
Another most Indispensable product of
volcanic action is gypsum, better known
as plaster of Paris. Sculptors, cast
makers, and surgeons alike would be lost
without this substance. Builders too,
make great use of stones which owe
their hardness to having been brought
up molten from the depths of the earth
by volcanoes. The ..tuff'' of which Ma
pies is built is an old lava of Vesuvius.
Basalt is another volcanic stone
VALUABLE VOLCANIC PRODUCTS.
All those beautiful veined or semi
transparent stones known as chalcedony.
porphyry, and Jasper have been formed
by heat and thrown up into our reach
by volcanoes. Clay has been found turn
ed into jasper simply by the heat of a
lava stream which has passed over it.
Felspar and Hornhlende are other well I.
known and valuable volcanic products.
The domestic use of pumice stone is
100 we'll known to need description.
Pumlce is also employed in many of the
arts and crafts, for instance by paint
ers to remove old paint from timber.
Hundreds of people gain livelihood dig
sing pumice from the volcanic district
OF middle Italy. Mention must also be
made Of rock crystal. so valuable for
nne lenses This is sort Of by-product
OF the great volcano factories.
Mr.. Rhodes would probably never have
been millionaire but for volcanoes.
the great bed Of blue clay at Kimberley.
from which practically the whole of the
worlds supp'y of diamonds is now pro-
cured. is nothing but the core Of an an.
clent volcano. A diamond is only hit
or carbon which has been crysta,lized
by almost unin'aeirable heat and rres-
sure. The volcano has done easily what
All the arts of man can hardly succeed
in Initiating.