The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-04-16

MoNuMENI oE nANoER-

MONUMENT or DANGER.
Most reeders at this distance are wholly unable
60 understi1d ne terrible stories that are coming
to us from Naples why should the people OF the
quaint towns and cities lowering about the foot or
Mount vesuvios, IN sight Of the ruins Of Pompeil,
actually covering psrt OF the beneath which, at
depth Of hundred feet sleep the ruirs OF Herca-
lancum, within brief walk OF stabae all Witnesses
bringing horse to them the facts and the dangers
and tie disasters-why should these people who
have leafned from actual and personal experience
just what vesuyius stands fsr. lnger when the hot
breath OF the destroyer bfn the air and the voice
Il the old old thunder Is heard 10 the bowels of the
earh2 Have they not been duly warned2 Why
should Il require more than day to croes the bay or
to escape andward from the deadly showers OF ashes
ana foods Of lava?
There Is certainly not on the earths surface e
more wonderful locality than tLe region round about
Naples Modern history and even recent disasters
unite with the events Of ancient history OF the most
startling character to emphasize the great dan
ger that stands today as the worlds most wonderful
monument
vesuyius and Aetna are believed by many Nea-
polilans to be twins-hyphenated by vast chasms
crossing underneath the beautiful bay and sea. This
theory is supposed 70 be borne out by the fact that
the violence OF the always relieves and rests the
other: and there nct wanting grounds to believe
that both formerly found common crater over the
area now covered by the beautiful Bay Of Naples At
al events, there was discovered in excavations at
Pompcii mural painting on a wall facing the bay
IN vhish there appears single peak from which
Sc, tanic lerrcfs arc bursting.
There are now two peaks or cones, one being
inactive It Is quite possible that this picture the
wall in pompel was outlined from the greater
vesuylua made up Of the two untaihs now standing
and q common cone above them, which was blown
away leayisg the gap and two mountains whore one
stood before, and burying the cities at its base.
The wonderful theories regarding this danger
point of the ages. as well tho historic facts and
object lessons, are certainly quite enough to warn
the most cailous and stupid, yet We have men, women
and children still gathering in stone churches to be
crushed and smotherea, just as men, women and
children were crushed and smothered on the same
spot thousand years ago
How like the incidents of the remote past are the
disasters at ottajano and the collapse OF Monte
Oli,ette market Even the exclamations Of the
beresved who rave about the ruins are apparently
copied from Bulwer or from more reliable his
tcraa The tales Of heroic rescue the old tales
repeated soldiers riding through hot ashes up to
the nanlss of their horses With The old cry, Who
wants halp?1 Faint responses IN the voices Of dying
women end children. Disasters eyetywherei Heart
ren1iug tragedies just Ike those for which vesuyius
has been celeDraltd centuries, perhaps tCoNih5
Dante and others TO model their heHs after this bot
tomless pit of iire and birthstone in whose vast and
awful furnace there may be seen unto this day the
parquetes balconies lofts and roosts tier above tier
ITO meet all the degrees and grades Of mans
onendfngl
Those who are accustomed to danger 90 not re
gard Il as those far away from It. Vesuyus II
eruption is nothing unusual or alarming to people
wha have heard the rumbling snufted the hot ashes
ana smeled the sulphur all their lives They hope
until too late that every pasm will turn out as usual
that slight danger VIII be wrought. The people o.
these little cities the victims OF poverty dense
and Immoyable They ignorant and helpless
They do not move about IS Americans move, The
means of getting away are limited. Some OF th'
places named have only single narro~ mountaii
road as the opening for escape The disasters hay'
come lsrgely rs results Of earthquake shocks which
have bsen severe at considerable distance from th'
volcano There are other reasons why the people
have adhered to their homes. their property, then
all entirely too long and have not made away as the