New-York tribune., 1906-04-15
HORRORS OF VESUVIUS.
SCENE At OBSERVATORY.
director Natteucci and Mr. Perret
Describe EruptiOn.

Naples. April 14-After A. hard ride on horse
back up the side OF the mountain CORE
spondent to-day succeeded in reaching the high
est habitable point Vesuvius. where Signor
Matteucci. director Of the observatory has cour-
ageously held his post throughout the eruption.
For three days Signor Mattcucci and his little
band We're cut off from the outside world. Their
provisions low and their rations consisted
or cheese, bread and dried onions until urgent
geographic appeals led venturesome guide TO
push through on Friday with stock of supplies
Tor their relief. Meantime. the director had
NAMED at his instruments. taking observations
and making calculations day and night. while
an inferno ragged around him.
As he came forward to greet the correspondent
his hlaCkened face and dust-covered clothes tod
OF the ordeal through which he had passed. He
is Of medium height. stocky of build with ruddy
face and silver gray HAIR and mou.tache. He
wore tweed jacket a woolen shir.. which
was held together at the throat with cord. A
cloth cap trousers. leggings and heavy boots
completed his costume. The portico where he
stood knee deep in ashes. which had to be
swept aside to make footway From the OBJ
serVatory terrace. to which narrow paths had
been cut through the ashes the correspondent
looked out over ocean of ashes and twisted
rivers OF lava. while Vesuvius rose grirnly in a
mantle of ashes and shrouded with dark vapors
rising Ike a gigantic fan. Signor Matteucoi was
asked tell in his own way the story Of the
eruption. This he readily consented to do. and.
In good French, gave the following narrative:
first observed Mount Vesuvius giving un-
usual signs about a month ago, when the lava
began TO overflow taking a southwest direction
llhS gradually Increased as several small lava
streams formed into great current The
real danger began the middle of last week Then
an enormous stream OF lava came from the sum
nit meeting the otner streams which burst from
the lower strata II this that overwhelmed
Boscotrecase- Throughout the lava discharge
the volcano was comparatively quiet and without
electrical phenomena explosions. The only
ominous sign was the advancing wave of lava
and the cinders forming an enormous cloud in
the shape OF pine tree over the crater
Our really terrible period came at O'Clock on
Sunday morning and lasted until O'Clock The
mountain. which hitherto had been silent. sud
denly gave out delfening roar. and a great
rent was made In it's cone Huge rocks were
hurled skyward- Some Of them fell near tho
observatory. threatening 10 crush I'm the roof,
but most of them fell far outside the observa-
tory zone. There were scOrije in this first
discharge. but solid. bulletlike stones which cut
the roof and damaged the windows
At midnight on Saturday ordered the women
and children Of the household removed. This
was Just before The rain Of huge stones began.
and I was then left with MI Perrett. Of New
York, my American assistant and two doTres
tics There scarcely any eating. and all do
mestic order was abandoned We suatched a few
bites now and then. most ~ the time ] right
here at my desk
Throughout sunday enormous solid blocks %
STONE rose 10 heignf or -..H-l feet from the
crater. while ashes and sand were thrown much
higher but tow ard Monday the terrible shocks ~
earthquake gradually diminished. one 81 the
worst features OF the eruption WAS the unusual
extent of the Electrical phenomena, the darkness
being broken by vivid flashes of lightning. giving
Tbs. sky "a hoodlike color ySlth short heavy pcals
terrinle-vely terrible Yes IL a vcrtah hle
Asked II his scientific observations hnd yie'd-
ed valuable results signor Matteucri replied.
Observation vas extremely difHcut under such
disturbing Conditions The Instruments were
badly affected by the electrical intensity. each
explosion being announced by violent move
Heut ~ m" Instruments. which seemed ready
10 hurs; into Pieces
Sigror Maf'eucci sounded a long. rasping r"
Ike succession ot quick taps on a drum. which.
ne said. resenhed the ro;se made ry the seis-
mosraph when affected by a violent explosion
lie continued:
Compared with ether great erup,ious this IS
ore Of tho most important IA the history Of We
suyius. Its effects are loss terrible than those
% the eruption in the year -. when Pompeii
was buried but il equals I'm intensity tho great
eruptious Of 1881 and 1872 What results this
eruption viii "ield ~ science il not vet certain
You cannot count on Vesuyius. each ~ its
erupuons has its characteristics. This one vas
marked 10y an abundance Of electrical phenom-
"ra- have already collected quantities of Gin
derS ana scor'a' for comparison with similar
matter from other eruptions. and later will col
lect large stones.
The director pointed to the shelves in his lab
oratory where there were plates containing Gin
ders varying in size and bottles filed with ashes
Ther" were also large stones. each labelled with
the date OF It's election from the volcano
Asked concerning Mount Vesuvius IN the fut
ure. Sisno- Matteucc. replied
I unable 10 tell with anv degree Of Ger
talnty- | sincerely hope this eruption is over
but who can tell whether another terrible con
NulSloi may not come in the next minute All
my indications, however. point to a period Of
calm for the next few days. and therefore I
am hopeful. bu; ! was hopeful last night al
though a serious explosion occurred a, Ia ocIoc,
IL IN" evening. without any warming
SlGnor MatteucCi handed the correspondent n
stone tho size OF a 3-inch shell as a souvenir Of
ms WISH, saying. These are very precious
stones. some of them have hit me at one time
or another They represent my wounds AS
he returned To the portico Vesuvius gave an
other deep Groan. ending with a fearful anplo-
SION which blew off part OF its new cone.
see, exclaimed the director. The eruption
may bH resumed at any moment. That explo-
sion rent the westerly cone"
Mount Fesuvius presented n ma icstic spec-
tacr from this point of vantage at the observa-
tory. This far inside the outer circle OF
smoke which hides tho volcano from Naples
The great monster stood out clearly under the
bright sunlight. II was entirely white like a
SnoW-coV"red mountain. for the ashes had
tour had also changed The gigantic Jagged
cone no longer was there. and the top
formed graceful curve. The white surface
Of the mountain was silt here ana there rs with
which lava running. \ wrecked remnant
of the funicular railway lay at the bottom of
one Of these gulches. some of the twisted cable
protrudng from the asAes-
An American scientist IS the only one sharing
Signor Matteucci's opportunities of observation.
This ie Frank 4. Pcrret Of New York He said:
have been here only three months. / came to