Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-13
CONDITION AROUND VESUVlUS
Graphic Description Written for Associated
Press by Robert Underwood johnson.
AWFUL MAGNITUDE OF THE DISASTER
Hundreds of square Miles of Land
Covered with vineyards and VII
lagos Buried Beneath Laws,
Ashes and Cinders.

Vesuvius was written for the Associated
Press by Robert Underwood Johnson, asso-
ciate editor of theiCentury Magazine:
Il had the unexpected opportunity to re-
alize the maEnitude Of the disaster by per-
sonal observation in trip entirely around
Vesuvius.
Since the Chicago fire | have seen moth
ing so terribly impressive. Twenty years
will not repair the damage including the
destruction Of four whole villages. Arriv-
ing from Rome to hours late by train |
Joined partygof two Italian gentlemen and
two English women including Miss Under
wood, the Rome correspondent of the Lon
don Standard. We caught a train from
Tore Annunzista, three miles this side of
Pompeii and two miles from the southern
end of the wedge of lava which destroyed
Bosco Treease Rising at an angle OF
fifty degrees the vast mass of tumult
roundness was beautifully accentuated by
the full moon, shifting momentarily into
new 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 100 feet
above. the solidity Of which was soon re-
vealed by the moonlight. The torches Of
the railway guards added to the effect, but
greatly relieved the sulphurous darkness.
we IedCneQ iOIIG Aululi1ldAa at
O'Clock in the morning. There was little
suggestion Of n disaster as we trudged
through the sleeping town to the lava. two
miles away. The brilliant moon gave us
a superb view of the volcano, a gray
brown mass rising. expanding and curling
in with a profile like a monstrous cyclon-
pean face. But nothing in mythology gives
a suggestion of the fascination of this aw-
full force. presenting the sublime beauty
above. but in its descent filled with the
mysterious malignance Of Gods under
world.
Lava Flow stops In Cemetery.
1--WE reached the lava at picturesque,
cypress planted cemetery on the northern
| boundary Of Tore Annunziata. 1t was as
II the dead had effectually cried out to ar
rest the crushing river Of flames which
pitilessly engulfed the statue of Saint
Anne. with which the people of Boscoe
Real tried to stay it, as at Catania. the
veil Of Saint Agatha is said to have stayed
a similar stream from Mount Etna.
1--WE climbed on the lava. 1t was cool
above. but still alive with fire below. We
could see dimly the extent Of the destruc-
ton beyond the barrier Of brown which
had closed the streets torn down the
houses invaded the vineyards and broken
Cooks railways. -. ......
"a better idea of the surroundings was
obtained at dawn from the railway. We
saw north what was left of Boscoe Trecase
"a great square stone church and few
houses inland In sea of dull brown lava.
North and east rose 900 patches OF blue
smoke like swamp niasma. All was dull and
desolate Stag with nowhere the familiar
serpentine forms Of the old lava streams.
In terrible contrast with the volcanic evil
dences were strong Expresses and bloom
inc camellias, in "a nf1ghboring cemetery
owe ate hasty luncheon before sunrise
when 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
! coucentric motion and new aspects. The
south edges floating towards the sea,
| showed exquisite curved surfaces. due to
! the upper moving current. II was like the
decoration Of the side OF Greek sarcopha-
/ gus As a yellow dust hangs over Naples
| and hides the volcano. I count myself for
! tunate to have seen all day from leeward
this spectacle OF changing, undiminishing
! beauty. My companions left for Naples
after driving to Pompei.
Eastern Wedge of Destruction.
After three hours sleep l went 10 the
excavations expecting. TO return to Naples
| by the afternoon train, but here | met
f. A. Bowen Of New York. who gave such
an alarming account of his experience on
the train coming through on Monday in
the darkness at Tore del Greco that
concluded to return by the north. first
visiting the eastern wedge OF destruction,
which was central at San Giuseppe.
with Mr., Bowen I left Pompeii in a
! car. expecting to strike the edge Of the
! lava. What was my surprise to find no
new lava at San Giuseppe. Four towns
! here were destroyed i'm different ways,
namely. by rain, cinders and ashes, which
could not be skirted for they lay every
where in a mass which had broken nearly
! every roof within the area of thirty miles
/ by ten From the lava, which was moving
several feet a minute, we had no difficulty
in escaping.
AT Bosco Trecase the carbineers drove
! the people before the fiery avalanche, but
/ the himsly built houses were no protection
sgairst the blizzard of cnders and ashes
| tasking the roofs or strongly built wallis
all Saturday. The wedge east of the vol
cano thus destroyed extends ten miles AT
/ least with a width Of twenty or thirty
miles.
| Fancy a rich and thickly populated
country Of vineyards lying under three to
| six inches of ashes and cinders OF the
| color OF chocolate with milk, while above
to the west, the volcano in full activity
| is distributing 10 the outer edges OF the
circle the same fate and you will get an
! idea OF the desolate impression of the
scene, tragedy colossal and heartrending
| Like that of Calabria II enlists the sym
/ PATTY Of the civilized world. II takes time
! for such calamity to be realized
THE king, the duke of Aosta and Premier
| Sonnino have been on the ground. For the
present the roads are almost impossible
| even for automobiles.
Three Hours Walk Through Cinders.
! 1.-TWO miles below San Giuseppe we struck
cinders which the soldiers were shoveling
/ making narrow road for the refugees
Our wagon driver begged on from complet-
ing his contract to take us TO San Giuseppe
| We had not The heart to insist, so the
| rest of the journey TO the railway at
Palma, eight miles, was made laboriously
]