Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-04-14

VESUV|US Is
NOW CALMER
MatluCCi from Brink of Volcano
ReaSSureS the World. Wild
Fury Is Ended.

NATL1sS, April 14.-No better evil
dence Of the improved condition of
affairs in the section affected by the
presented than the following special
message from Director Mattucci from
the observatory on the mount:
The activity Of Vesuvius and the
agitation ut the surface of the volcano
has sensibly diminished. Electric dis
charges have ceased, and the discharge
is less abundant. From the presumed
formation of the crater and other indi-
cations, and If the news coming to me
is true of the cessation of lava at Bos-
cotrecase, | predict with reserve that
in two or three days volcanic calm will
reign
Until the crater definitely assumes
its new s%hape-that is to say. when the
ridges have been smo0thed down.
there is a possibility of further dis
turbances.
For the present the light wind blow
ing will in all probability carry the
ashes in Il direction which will leave
Naples free from further annoyance of
this nature, and as it is the i'll wind is
blowing good to other places. for ashes
are the best fertilizer it Is possible to
use. 1t is merely a question just now
Of having too much of d good thing"
But in other quarters there is no es-
Gaping from the awful evidences of
the volcanoes fury. At Boscotrecase
the elimination of the dead is being
carried on by soldiers, who. owing to
the advanced state of decomposition
of the corpses, are unable to work
more than an hour at a time.
Many of the bodies are merely
shapeless. unrecogniZable masses of
flesh and bones, while others are but
little distgured. AS quickly as possible
they are buried in quicklime to less
ELI as far as may be the danger Of
epidemic. None but those engaged in
the work of recovering the corpses are
permitted in the vicinity. The weather
is fine, and the wind has shifted 50
that the clouds of ashes from the
volcano instead of enveloping Naples
were carried in the direction of Ca
serta.
After the last great eruption, which
occurred in 1872, the land covered by
cinders did not produce crops for seven
years, and the losses in this respect
alone averaged S~20,000,000 yearly. 1t
is believed that it will now take ten
years to bring the land under cultiva-
tion again.
The people as a demonstration of
their gratitude for the sympathy which
led to the French squadron being
sent here enthusiastically greeted the
French sailors when they landed.
Fol the first time for some days We
suvius is visible from here. A cloud
Of black smoke rises perpendicularly
from the volcano to about three times
the height of the mountain. The
height of the cone has greatly dimin.
ished, and it has become almost round.
Professor Mattucci, director of the
Royal observatory on the Nesuvius
slope. climbed up Nesuvius to a
point a long way above the observa-
tory at the imminent risk of his
life and ascertained that. unless the
cOlultlOIS cndnSe radically tuere VIII
be 40 further discharge of lava at
present. He added that it was impos-
sible to determine the quantity of
sand in the crater. but as the cone had
diminished considerably in height and
the showers of cinders thrown out had
been transformed into ashes, he be-
lieved the end of the disturbance was
near.
Nearly 5000 people are employed in
clearing the roofs and main thorough
fares. Gangs of men are engaged in
pillng the ashes in the middle OF the
narrow streets. which makes the pas
sage of vehicles exceedingly difficult
and adds to the discomfort of pedes-
TRANS.