The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-13
NEVER TO
BE FORGOTTEN
Description of the Eruption of
VesuVius by One of the Edit
orS of the Century.
MAGNITUDE OF DISASTER
INCIDENTS OF A TRIP AROUND
THE VOLCANO.

Naples. April 12.-The following descrip-
ton of tho conditions surrounding Mount
Vesuvius was written for the Associated
Press by Robert Underwood Johnson, as
socIate editor of the Century Magazine:
Il had the unexpected opportunity to
realize the magnitude of the disaster by
personal observation in a trip entirely
around VesuViuS.
Since the Chicago fire I have seen
nothing so terribly impressive. Twenty
years viii not repair the damage, in
Guiding the destruction of four whole viii
lagos. Arriving from Rome two hours
late by train. L Joined a party of two
Italian gentlemen and two English ladies,
including Miss Underwood, the Rome cor
respondent of the London Standard. We
caught a train for Tore Annunziata.
three miles this side of Pompeii and two
wedge of lava which destroyed Bosco-
trecase.
View of the Eruption.
We had a magnificent view of the
eruption, eight miles away. Rising at an
angle of 50 degrees, the vast mass of
tumult around us was beautifully ac-
centuated by the full moon, shifting mo-
mentarily into new forms and driftine
ci1ders reaching to Capri. At Tore del
Greco we ran under this terrifying pail,
apparently hundred feet above, the
solidity of which was soon revealed by
the moonlight The torches of the rail
way guards added to the effect, but
greatly relieved the sulphurous darkness.
we reached Tore Annunziata at s
in the morning There was little sug-
Eestion of a disaster 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 curl
ing with a pro1ile ike a monStrous cy-
clonean face. But nothing I'm mythology
gives a suggestion of the fascination of
THIS awful force, presenting the sublime
beauty above, but in its descent filled
with the mysterious malignence of Gods
underw rid
Cemetery Was Spared.
we reached the lava at picturesque,
cypress-planted cemetery on the northern
boundary of Tore Annunziata. 1t was
as If the dead had effectuaIly cried out
TO arrest the crushing river of flame
which pitilessIy enZuIfed the statue OF
ST. Anne. with which the people of Bos-
cereal tried to stay it. as at Catania the
Yell of St Agathe is said to have stayed
"a similar stream from Mount Etna
we climbed on the lava 1t was cool
above, but still alive with fire below.
obstruction 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 Boscotrecase
a great square stone church and q few
houses inland in a of dull brown lava.
North and east rose a thousand patches
OF blue smoke, like swamp miaSma- All
was dull and deSOlate Stag with no
where the familiar Serpentine forms of the
old lava streams. In terrible contrast
with the volcanic evidences were strong
Expresses and blooming camelIias in a
neighboTing cemetery.
I'VE ate hasty luncheon before sun
rise, when the great beauty of the scene
was revealed. The column now seemed
higher and more massive, rising to three
tion had a concentTic motion and new
aspects. The south edges floating toward
the sea showed exquisite curved surfaces
TO the upper moving current 1t was like
the decoration of the side of a Greek
sarcophagllS- As a yellow dust hangs
over Naples and hides the volcano I count
myself fortunate TO have seen all day
from leeward this spectacle of changing
left for Naples after driving to POmpeii.
At the Excavations.
After three hours sleep went to the
excavations, expecting to return to Ma
piles by the afternoon train, but here met
L. A Bowen Of New York, who gave such
On 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 ] left POmpeii in
car. expecting to strike the edge of the
lava What was my surprise TO find no
new lava IT San Giuseppe. Four towns
here were destroyed in different ways,
ramely. by rain. cinders and ashes which
&C uld not be SkiTted because they lay
everywhere in mass which had broken
nearly, every roof within the area of thir-
~ miles DN tel ne Java winch was
moving several feet a minute we had no
difficulty in estimating
AT BOScOtrecaSe the carbineers drove
the people before the fiery avalanche. but
the flimsy built houses were no protection
against the blizzard of cinderS and ashes /
tasking the roofs or strongly built walls
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 q rich and thickIy populated
country OF vineyards lying under three
TO six inches of ashes and cinderS of the