Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-27
.VESUvIUS ON FIRE
Terrible Volcano Again Belch-
ing Forth.
NO WARNING GIVEN
MOUNTAIN SUDDENLY OPENS
AND LAVA STREAMS OUT.
Great Mouth In side Of the Destroyer
Peasants About Base Panic
Stricken.
} WARNING GIVEN

moments warning Vesuvius was rent
asunder yesterday and one thousand feet
below the central cone the volcano opened
like huge mouth. out Of which belched
fiery stream OF lava, which ran down
the side Of the mountain.
There was no earthquake, defamation OF
rain of ashes; nothing but clear stream
of lava and red-hot stones, which were
thrown to a height Of 100 feet, producing a
terrifying but beautiful effect as seen from
Naples.
Lava Travelling Fast.
The stream OF lava, which is fifteen feet
broad, at II o'clock had covered a
distance of 2,7OO feet 1t deviated later
from the direction Of the observatory, and
now the only danger is for the new cleo
trio tramway up the volcano. which. how
ever, has thus far not been touched.
At first the lava seemed to menace the
observatory. This building, however, is
protected in the direction of the stream by
a mound Of lava 200 feet high, which was
thrown out during the eruptions of 1885
and 1900.
Spectators Alarmed.
The spectators far enough away not to be
frightened stood entranced at the spectacle.
but those nearer to the volcano were
seized with panic when the eruption began
and rushed down from the sides of the
mountain and from the adjacent country
to the villages of Portici and Resina, which
are built over the ruins of Herculaneum.
The alarm In these villages was some
what quieted by the mayors aff1xing no
tees declaring that there was no danger
and exhorting the people to remain calm.
Peasants Superstitious.
The chief of police of Naples has gone
personally to make tour of the villages
,,,xI ,l,..
peasants and superintend any measures of
protection which may be deemed necessary
The superstitious lower classes are agi-
tating for the expulsion Of Professor Krull
Of Munich. who predicted the eruption, de-
claring that he has the 'evil eye.''0
Her Terrible History.
vesuvius is the most celebrated volcano
Of the earth. 1t has been internationally
in eruption since the beginning of human
history and has wrought more damage than
any other. There are no records preserved
Of eruptions of Vesuvius prior to the terri
BILE destruction of Herculaneum and Pom
peii in 70 AID. It is. however, known that
it had long been the scene of volcanic dis
turbances.
Been Active Many Times.
The mountain is frequently mentioned by
old writer's. and Diodorus Siculus said 1t
showed in his time many signs Of having
been burning in ancient times. Its most
famous and disastrous eruption broke the
mountain into two cones. which still exist
Subsequent to the destruction of Pompeii
and Hercuianeum there were many fatal
lava flows. Some OF those OF which rec
2Q8, 472. -512., .6sa. 993. 1910. 113s, 1893 and
1906. .:--- 81.
Two Celebrated Lava Flows.
The eruptions Of AID. 472 and 1905 were
the most notable. In the former year ashes
from the crater were carried as far as
Constantinople and across the sea to Tri-
poll. In the last named year the eruption
was accompanied by terrible earthquakes,
which destroyed many lives.
From 1905 to 1881. with the exception of a
slight eruption in $780, the terrible noun
tain was quiet, but her neighbor, Aetna,
kept blazing sunward'' at intervals. The
Vesuyfan eruption Of 1881 lasted three
of lava and torrents Of boiling water, which
overfowed the towns at the base Of the
mountain. Thousands of lives were lost.
One Of Most Remarkable.
A number of other lava flows followed
before 100. The eruptions increased In
frequency in the eighteenth century. That
Of 1772 was remarkable. It has been de-
scribed as the grandest Of all these phe-
nomena. White smoke rose four times as
Asn ds TIC mountain anu spread out PRO-
portionately. Stones and ashes were
thrown ten thousand feet in the air. One
OF the rocks was one hundred and eight
feet in circumference.
Another eruption in 1874 DESTROYED a
town and threw great stream Of lava. es-
timated to contain forty-six million cubic
feet. y.
r, =. In More Recent Times.
The last century wassa busy one for tho
volcano. It was in eruption nearly thirty
times. The years 1922; 1855, 1853, 1867 and
1872 were the most disastrous. It closed
work for the century In 1895.
The present eruption Is second in the
record of terror for the twentieth century,
the mountain having been last active in
1900.