The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-09
Breathing Difficult Because Of
Poisonous Fumes and Smoke
From Volcano. q
SITUATION is GROWING
HOURLY MORE CRlTlCAL5
Churches Keep Open All Night
and Are Filled With Panic #
Stricken People - Much 5s
Misery But Few
Fatalities AS
Yet. VI s3
.lBy Associated Press.)

III S5. ~ (By Associated Prcss.) gS8
NAPLES, April s.-Tho hope that
Mount vesurius was becoming calm was
dissipated to-day when the. volcano be-
ceme more active than ever. 81 5 55S
Tho panic has spread to Naples. IWo Y
strong earthquake shocks which SS slln t-s845
tered windows and cracked the walls 9 i6#g
buildings we're experienced today. The Il
entire population rushed to the streets II
in terror many persons crying: & q ,5. 5a
Madonna has forsaken US II the Il
end or the world has come. n s l9 &S.figg
Commune Destroyed.
No trace remains Of Boscotrecase, q III
commune on thc Southern dcclivlt ty OF
the mountain, wherc, up to forty ght n
hours ago. ten thousand persons lived
and Tore Annunziata, on the shores o
the Gulf OF Naples, one mile to the SO tbs,
ward is almost surrounded by the in-
yading lava md has been evacuated Y by
Its thirty thousand Inhabitants. Tie
people We're tTougi.ttto Naples by trains,
street cars, 3t military carts and steam N
ships. 81 "a g;.s $Ss$
Sini!larEmeans Of transportation5sares
being employed to bring AWAY the people III
from Tore Del Greco. The police antlE$
5carbners arc guarding the aba ndonetl ts
houses, and several members of the gov
5crnment are also there. The telegra M
received from the mayor Of San Sebas- n
8tinno, n village near tho ohservat tory, i, on ~
the esnorthwcst decl itys ~ t,vlns. ri says
tho lava s appron cllln and VI hat
the people arc terrorist ricken.3 ,Dhey ave-
been for nights without sleep, he says ,!ajS
arc destitute and beg that assistance be-
given them. 5 Is 8{ iSS fSS5
Work Of Succor. 8t
& The work OF succor is hampered,& owing 54
to delays to the he$railway service. whichis z
Interrupted by rcd-hot stones thrown TO II
a height Of 5000 fcex calling on tho tracks.
AS yet 1t is impossible o8count the
lcrnters that have opened and from which
streams of lava have flooded the ebcauti-G
full prosperous and happy land lying on "
tho southeast shores of the Gulf OF Ma
pies. The atmosphere is heavily charged n
with electricity. and now and then the IL
flashes of lightning arc binding, while n
the detonntions from the volcano resemble IL
those OF terrible explosions. 5.a ~ VI NJ l5 Nj
Tho churches OF the city were open all a
Saturdnyanight and were crowded with
panic-strcIten people. Members of the&
clergy arc doing their utmost to CALM
their fears hut the effects OF their argu-8.
ments so almost for nnught when re-
newed earthquake shocks are cxpericnced.SF
With the danger and horror OF the slt-t
uatlon aside, Vesllvus presents ono OF "
the most splendid sights Imaginable. The
mountain of fire, whose speech Is by =
tdetonatlon. and whose acts arc dcstruc-
ton, seems like an enragcd giant deter-EE
mined to make the pigmies of earth feel 8s
the might Of his wrath. Here and there
on the mountain side stand the blasted M
trunks OF pine trees, their bare branches
ontstretcllcd as though In protest against
the devastation the volcano has wrought.
Observatory Destroyed.
The Duchess Of fsAostn, who always is
to be found where misery exists, Is mol III
spnring herself In her efforts to alleviate
distress. Tho people call hor m angel OF
mercy To-day she took several children 5s
from their weary mothers. and In her,
carriage conveyed them to the royal "a
dltions are brighter.
Tho observatory has been destroyed, n
and Slgnor Matteucci, the director, and e
the employees had narrow escapes. They HG
passed last night III tho darkness, save for 6
tho frequent flashes of lightning. as tho
gas works and electric lighting plant "
also were destroyed. Tho restaurant ps Ell
the funicular railroad, too, has been obs K
liberated.
Prisoners in Mad Panic.
Prisoners in jalls on the mounta Inside #
wont mad with terror and mutinied. and y
were only partially nuetcd by being
brought here, But their fears have been S
communicated TO the prisoners here, who X
may rebel at any moment The situation
Is critical
Breathing is momentnrily becoming
more difficult because OF tho poisonous
fumes and smokes while tho hot ashes,
which are stlll falling, tend to make life
q burden.
Much Misery; No Fatalities,
Contrary to expectations, tho sea has 4
not vet shown signs of being affected by NJ
the phenomena, but fears arc enter 5il55
tanned that tidal waves may yot come
ana many craft have put to sea- Vis-
itors to Naples are avoiding the hotels E
on the sea front and the people living
there aro beginning TO leave for higher
attitudes.
Though there is much misery. up to-.
the present time thero have been no
fatalities except at Portic whtre un old III
woman died, supposedly from fright.