The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-01
LIVING ON A VOLCANO.

I ehtTCieO Dy railway AT tfiE base, ana
up 10 the height Of l 900 feet is covered
/ with cities, villages, farm-hOUses and
| vineyards. At least 5000 people live in
! the midst OF continual danger, 70 which
! they seem entirely indifferent. II seems
/ strange thas a section exposed 10 such
I constant peril should be so densely pop
/ ulated, and thousands among those who
! brave IL must nave witnessed the terrible
/ destruction from the disturbances Of IS72
| There were eruptions in 1895 and in 1899
which destroyed the roads but did no
I other damage, although they were q loud
warning 10 ali who occupy the great
amphitheater within the range of volcanic
catastrophe. Last May the machinery of
| the railway that carries people 70 the
| crater was partially destroyed. but little
| AVA was thrown out
From every window Of the white houses
which glare in the sun can be seen the
1 floods CT lava which have so often poured
! from the crater Of the monster and forced
| their way down TO the sea, burning ana
( burying everything IN their track. Yet
the peasants continue working in the
vineyards within few yards OF the sig
nificant streams, producing that popular
vine with the blasphemous name. La
crima Christi Ctears Of Christi The lava
Is intensely fertile, which is one reason
for the Indifference TO the danger. The
material thrown out from the bowels Of
the earth is composed Of elements espe-
c'ally adapted for growing of grapes.
But the volcanic soil is equally productive
of other crops.
The greatest security is assured. how
ever, by San Gennaro, the patron saint
OF Naples, who has repeatedly avertCd
earthquakes and relieved the anxiety Of
the frightened people. The remains of
this saint repOse in one Of the churches,
Wnere there is also crystal vial con
tanning 4 quantity of lis blood. Upon
certain anniversaries the priests take
this crystal from the depository. and.
III the presence OF thousands of people
as many as can crowd into the church. a
miracle is annually performed which in
oicates whether danger IS 10 be aDpre-
Tended during the coming year from the
Volcano and whether the crops are TO
be good or bad The sacred relic is first
conducted at the head OF a procession
70 different sections Of the city, in order
that as many people as possible may
share in the alteration. At the end of
the march high mass is celebrated by the
bishop or archbishop or some prelate
OF distinguished rank, while the crystal
vase stands upon the altar. Then at the
close OF the service comes the mOmen-
tous test. The bishop holds the sacred
vessel with both hands above his head
and IL the blood OF the saint congeals no
viii be good. II the blood melts and
grows warm the people are frightened,
and when ii boils, as II sometimes does,
they fall upon their knees with means
and walls of anguish and alarm and en-
treat the intercession of the saints Ere
quently this boiling occurs. and the result
is similar 10 that Of a religious revival
among Protestant communities. Crime
and vice are repressed; the contribu-
.4 OH
and the people behave themselves in an
exemplary manner until the danger is
over, in order TO conciliate the saint-for
San GennaIo controls the volcano and
no eruption can take place without his
consent.
sort OF an insurance certificate. an
image or picture of San Gennaro, is to
BE- found In every cottage on the volcano.
within reach of the danger, and pious
peasants viii tell you how often the good
saint has aveTted from their vineyards
torrents Of fire which had Crawled TO a
point wnere il seemed that not even
divine power could avert destruction So
great IS this faith that the thousands
OF people continue to live conscious Of
50 curity upon the ground where thous-
ands before them have persisted IL Is
true that there has been no great loss
OF life OF recent years. but Pompeh and
Herculaneum were entirely destroyed. and
=, 00O 4.G00 ard 1900 people have lost their
lives on three different occasions within
the last two centuries. The eruption
OF 1874 was the last in which many lives
were sacrificed. although in 1872 twenty
people were killed by their own folly be-
ing led by curiosity too near the point of
danger
PompeH and Herculaneum were destroy
ell on the Path of August in the yea
-. when tic country was devastated far
and wide and buried under showers of
Gsnes and vast streams Of lava. II was
then that the present cone OF the mount
ain was formed Previously il was a
Tor 9 low ridge. net more thar 900 feet .
ia height Now the peak extends nearly
! go feet above the sea and has in
creased from 1890 feet since 1915 and +
fIcTn ABS feet since 1853. II is gradu-
ally growing although with every erup~
ton few feet OF the crater Is usually .
knocked of. Last fall the height was
reduced 242 feet.
The great naturalist Pliny. who was
also a naval officer. was IN command OF +
ihe fleet in the harbor Of Naples during
the eruption OF ~. and lest his life. His
nephew, the younger Pliny. gives a vivid
description of the catastrophe in a let
ter TO Tacitus. the historiar-hOw the
earth was Shaken by internal cOnvul- /
SONS and the day turned into night, the
agitation OF the sea. the
dense clouds Overhanging land and sea
and broken by flashes of lightning and
terrific laundering; the terrible foods Of
FIRE and ashes, and the terror OF the peo-
rie who believed that the end OF the
y rid had arrived.
About once in twenty years these pho
romena reappear. although none has
S nee been so destructive. Near the foot
Fl the cone IS n meteorological obsery-
.dorv 2220 feet above the sea, percheJ
among the streams of dead lava. It q
EQUIPPED with seismcEraphs and other
apparatus Tor registering the movement
-f the earth. and the Observer can pre-
lict several DAYS in advance any unusual
disturbance But the cats. dogs AM
horses which live on The sides 81 the vol
-aHo are quite sensitive and never fail
-u perceive the approach Of DANGER as
soon Is the automatic Instruments
Tho crater which DESTROYED Pompeu
and Herculaneum Is extinct. It's work
,eas zone ara was wen dore. and ft has
cen Gradually filed up by The overflow
from other craters which have broken
,ut since. Every feT years there is
reak in she side Of the cone Today you
tan ses ths last one. which opeued "a
.>ee. and the yellow color ~ The surface
y the earth arou.5 z is de not IT, Eui-
-hur. as ueopic 1T first suppose. bat 10 thu
heat stil retained ~ the earth The
b suaEer Of tie railway tells IRE THAI
he ROCKS ana the lava have not yet cool
,l although two years nave passed anl
& is Impossible ~ approach nearer THAI
ftv or sixty yards or account ~ the
heat The tersuerature ~ the lava re-
corded 5v tee obs rvers in l,s9 vas -eif
iecrees Fanrenhs.t. i am rot ahie 90
understand how tho TsCor1 was taken.
,ut give the fact as stated % me
rar rr1- rr..f lrfr nd even r~rr.t