The San Francisco call., 1906-04-10

they would be safer than in the towns,
defying the elements, though nearly
blinded by ashes, wet to the skin by
the rain and terrorized by the gigantic,
curved, flaming mass above resembling
scimitar ready to fall upon them
Only about 1000 out of $4,000 inhabl-
tants of Tore Anunziata dared to. re-
main in the town, which was patrolled
by soldiers.
GRATITUDE TO ROYAL PARTY.
When King Victor Emmanuel and
Queen Helena visited the towns and
villages in the path of the lava stream
the eruption of the volcano was most
violent. The royal party was received
with the most touching manifestations
of gratitude amid cheers and weeping
expressions of thanks and frantic ges-
ticulations of joy. The women kissed
the Kings hand and the Queens gown,
exclaiming:
God sent you to u.s."
One of the women addressing the
King, cried:
If thou art our King, order the vol
cano to STOP"
The sovereigns visited Santa Anas-
tasia, Cerola, Somma and Vesuylana.
arousfng the same enthusiasm among
the people at those places as when
they first reached the scene of the dis
aster. At certain point the King and
his suite, who occupied several auto
mobiles, were struck by a small cy-
clone of ashes. and cinders, which part
~ blinded. choked and stopped them.
AS the Kings motor car was the first
and was some distance ahead of the car
in which the members of his suite were
riding, 1T was lost sight of for some
time in the clouds of whirling ashes
and considerable anxiety was felt for
his Majestys safety. But it was dis
covered that the King had ordered his
automobile to be driven at full speed
ahead and had crossed the path of the
cyclone with great rapidity.
A short distance farther on however,
the ashes were four feet deep. making
1t impossible for-the royal party to con-
tinue their route in the motor cars.
Consequently the King and his suite
descended and continued their way on
foot. 81
Later in the afternoon the royal
party returned to Naples and visited
for the ifugitives from the Vesuvian
towns and villages.
ENTOMBING OF BBOSCoTRECAZ.
ROME, April 9-The Giornale d'Italia
this afternoon published q dispatch from
Naples giving an interview with Lieu
tenant Carrocchi commanding a detach-
struction of Boscotrecaz as result of
the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The
lieutenant is quoted as follows:
All was quiet in the town just before it's de-
struction, the people believing that they were
safe from the stream OF lava, but after mid
night fierce rumblings were heard, followed
by violent earthquake shocks, which shat
tered the windows and cracked the walls. The
lava then began flowing from Mount Cira-
meila, near where a fresh fssure opened a
few days ago. wild panic ensued. the people
rushing about in tho streets. shrieRing with
terror.
The Ciramella crater was by that time hurl-
I ing forth asses OF incandescent rock and a
| current of fire which. sweeping down the
mountain with terrible speed, flowed in two
/ streams One of them 200 yards broad. was
I moving toward the. center of the town. The
/ population fled in, terror to Tore Anunziata,
] while the soldiers visited the houses to see
that all the Inhabitants escaped. In so doing
| they rescued several bedridden old people, who
had been left behind by their terrified relatives.
Indescribable scenes Of panic were witnessed
| The people seemed to have lost all control
over themselves
| The town was hardly evacuated when a
| river of fire invaded the houses and soon after
| Boscotrecaz seemed to be enveloped in flames.