The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1906-04-13
FURY OF VBSUYIUS
GRAPHICALLY TOLD
Eruption of MOunt0in the Most
Terrible on BecOrd.
by Volcano Destroys All i'm
Path.
GODS MALIGNANT UNDERWORLD

Naples, April IA graphs de-
scription OF the conditions surround
ing Mount Vesuvius has been written
for the Associated Press by Robert
| Underwood Johnson, associate editor
of the Century Magazine. Since the
Chicago fire he says he has seen
nothing so terribly impressive. Tween
ty years cannot repair the damage in
Guiding the destruction of four
whole villages. With a change of
wind or slightly greater proportion
OF the seismic force the same might
extend other segments of the circle
of which Vesuvius is the center. The
party caught a train from Tore An
nunziata three miles this side of
Pompeii and two miles from the
southern end of the wedge of lava
which destroyed Bosco Trecase. I'VE
had a magnificent view of the erup-
ton, eight miles away" he writes.
'Rising at an angle of fifty degrees
the vast mass of tumult roundness
was beautifully accentuated by the
full moon shifting momentarily into
forms and drifting south in low
black clouds of ashes and cinders
reaching to Capri. At Tore del
Greco we ran under this terrifying
pail, apparently hundred fee,
above, the solidity of which was soon
revealed by the moonlight. The
torches of the railway guards added
to the effect but greatly relieved the
sulphurous darkness.
1--WE reached Tore Annunzlata az
o'clock in the morning. There was
little suggestion of disaster as we
trudged through the lava to the sleep
ing town two miles away. The brill
liant moon gave us a superb view of
the volcano, a gray-brown mass ris-
ing expending and curling in with
profile like a monstrous cyclopean
face, but nothing in mythology gives
a suggestion of the fascination of this
awful force, presenting the sublime
beauty above but in its descent filed
with the mysterious malignance of
Gods underworlds.
eve reaa~>i the lava at pict-
uresque cypress-planted cemetery on
the northern boundary of Tore An
nunziata. 1t was as II the dead had
effectually cried out to arrest the
crushing river of-fiame which pitiless
" engulfed the statute of st. Anne
with which the people OF Bosco Reale
tried to stay it at Catania. The veil
of st. Agatha is said to have saved a
similar sream from Noun Ena.
eve climed on the lava. 1t was
cool above. but still alive with fire
below. At dawn We saw north what
was left of Bosco Trecase-a great
superb stone church and few houses
inland in sea sof dull brown lava.
North and east rose thousand
patches of blue smoke, like swamp
miasma. All was dull and desolate
Stag with nowhere the familiar ser
pentine forms of the old lava streams
In terrible contrast with the volcanic
evidences, were strong expresses and
blooming camellias in a neighboring
cemetery.
after sunrise. the great beauty OF
the scene was revealed. The column
now seemed higher and more massive
rising to three times the height OF
Vesuvius. Each portion had concen-
trio motion and new aspects.
"The south edges floating toward
the sea showed exquisite curved sur
faces, due to the upper moving cur
rent, 1t was like the decoration of
the side of a Greek sarcophagus. As
a yellow dust hangs over Naples and
hides the volcano count myself for
tunate 10 have seen all day from the
leeward side this spectacle Of chang
ing, undiminishing beauty.
81 left Pompeii in car expecting
to strike the edge OF the lava, but
what was my surprise to find no new
lava at San Giuseppe. Four towns
here were destroyed in different ways
by rain, cinders and ashes, which
could not be skirted for they lay |
everywhere in a mass which had
broken nearly every roof within the
area of thirty miles by ten. From
the lava, which was moving several
foot a ,,,;nu.a wa had no diffcultV in