Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-04-07
new CRATER HAS BEEN FORMED

nv Associated Pr ss.l

NAPLES. ITALY. April 4 Streams
Of lava which are diffnsing great heat
are progressing with considerable ra;
pidity down Mount Vesuvius, in the.
direction of Pompeii.
From he new cratcr. which is'
twenty feet in circumference. The lava
has already gone two miles and a
half 81
Hot mud and ashes ana black sand
are also elected which. miX,,l with
rain. produce tho so-called caustic raiit.
which is most damaging 10 vegetntions
Although the showers of cinders
here have diminished, people may lie
seen holding up umbrellas as protec.
ton against the falling ashes
Two Streams Are Flowing. q
On the Pompeii side The maiii
stream of lava has divided into two,
Ione threatening Ottajano. commune,
.of 10000 inhabitants and The other.
threatening Tore del Greco, with y
population Of 10000. 4HM
The danger is becoming serious
and calls for the immediate evacrlas'
lion Of Boscotreca2, the nearestSYil!
lage 10 the crater. which has pnp,l-
lation OF 5000 souls.
The inhabitants of the villages IN
the vicinity. of Mount Yesuvius iarcsSiIt
on panic ~ M any
homes have been abandoned for the
npen air. although there has been Il
thick fog all day and the atmosphere
has been dense with volcanic ashes
and The fumes of subterranean fires.
Churches Crowded Night and Day.
Churches are crowded night and day
with people praying for deliver
ance from the impending peril. mani
festations of which are heard and
felt in explosions which resemble 4
heavy cannonading and in the trem-
blings of the earth which are con
stnntly recurring.
The main stream of lava proceeding
from Vesuvius Is two hundred feet
wide and il advances M times at the
rate OF q feet in a minute, the in
tense heat destroying vegetation ne.
fore the stream reaches il.
Many Towns Threatened.
The peasants Of Portici. at the west
foot of Yesuvius, cleared their grnunis
of vineyards and trees in the effort
TO lessen the danger from fire AMI
resisted the progress of the lava to
cotrecaZ. on the southern declivity II
| flight and Bosco Reale, To the east
ward is also threatened
| Women Of this village. weeping with
fright. carried statue of st. Anne as
far as they could go towards rhe flow
ing lava. imploring a miracle TO stay
| the advance of the consuming stream
Cemetery Covered NTH Lava.
The cemetery at BoscotrecaZ has
has been invaded by lava. The scene
at night is one Of mingled grandeur
and horror. as from the summit of
Veslivius there leaps column of fire
| fully a Thousand feet III height, TIE
glare, lighting the Sky and sea Ter
many. miles. Occasionally great mass
es of molten stone. some weighing
much as ton. are elected from The
crater.
The village of Tore Del Greco
which has been eight times destroyed
and as often rebuilt, is again threat
cned end the inhabitants are in eH.
IRENE terror
Danger Considered Not Great.
Signor Matteucci, director of the oh
servatory, IS working indefatigibly. He
has had military engineers establish
telephone connection between tic oh
seryatory and points within q ra:ins
of the volcanic activity.
The director. said this evening thai
although the eruption proved a grave
menace he did not believe It. would
reach the villages. Indeed he said the
present activity was not altogeth-
er unmlxed with good, for If 1t had not
come to pass a violent and sudden
eruption having far wider radius
might have occurred