The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-04

S4SS ~ &Ak&
the history OF Pelee TO show that the
two events contained much that vas
similar. The cloud spread out and
was full Of lignungs: showers of stones
and sand fell; a black ~on-rushing fog
descended the slopes OF the mountain
like a deadly snake, and the people
fed before it. Torrents Of mud over
whelmed Herculaneum; sand aud
stones buried Pompeii and Stabbiae-
the latter place being not far from the
present site Of Castellammare. The
presence Of THE ruins of Pompeii be-
heath the surface Of its grave was frs.
suspected in 1713 when the sinking of
a well revealed the states of Hercules
and Cleopatra at the site OF the we'll
known theatre. There Is no reason to
suppose that any very large number
of persons remained in Pompeii when
il was overwhelmed, for the people
were in fight during several days.
Still there is a good reason TO believe
that a down-rushing cloud of dust-lad-
en- steam worked the same tornado like
devastation that was at St. Pierre.
The record Of Vesuvius for a thcus-
and years after 70 is very incomplete.
There were violent ash eruptions i'll
a. D. 203 and 472. The first lava re-
ported flowed down the slopes about
1896. Since then there have been many
flows and many explosions. II is COM
monty supposed that al eruption is
inaugurated with an explosion and
closed with a quiet outflow, but there
have been marked exceptions TO this,
the most notable Of which was the
eruption prior to the present one.
In January this eruption began with
detOnatiOns and the discharge OF in
candescent prOjecties. Abundant lavas
flowed out from the base of the Con
into the valley which is walled in by
the old half-crater on the north side of
the cone. Small craters formed and
reformed; in November OF 1872 copi-
Ous lava flows cOursed down the slopes
of the volcano towards the bay. In
March, 1873, at the time of full moon.
a great rift formed in the cone OF its
northwest side, and lava rushed out.
On the 23rd Of April (anOther full
mOOn) the craters all increased in ac-
tivity, splendid lava streams flowed
forth, and 'One of these, on the 26 of
April unhappily overwhelmed a party
of visitors from Naples. They were
enveloped in the cloud of fumes and
buried in a hailstorm of heated orC-
jectiles. The lava stream of this date
moved directly toward Naples, but
stopped somewhat beyond the village
of St. Sebastiano and Massa. Ire
mendous explosions took place from
the summit c~raters, sending bombs
four to five thousand feet into the
air. Tore del Greco on the shore was
,,rroiCo1 civ ond ono-ho1f foot and itS
houses were shaken down.
On the 18th of April, the explosive
phase reached its climax, following
the lava phase. Accompanied by thun-
der and lightning, ash-clouds darkened
the air. and the countryside was terror
stricken. Gradually however, the vio-
lence decreased, and by the first OF
May the eruption was over There
are some. singular resemblances in the
greatest eruptions recorded with re-
| specL to the season of their occurrence.
KragatOa in 1888 and Pelee in 1902
began ia the spring and cultivated late
lin August. POmpeii vas destroyed
late in August. The e%ruptiOns Of We
| suvius of this year 0906) and of 1872
both took place in April. h tidal
| pull of sun and moon during the syZig-
les seems to exert some influence in
stimulating eruption when conditions
otherwise are ~delicately balanced.
Water undoubtedly play, ar important
role in the mechanics of eruption, and
the biologists who have opportunity
to study the present happenings on
! Vesuvius, will be doubly interested TO
compare the steam phenomena with
Pelee and the lavas with what was
dissolved in the famous "spine.'-New
York Post.