The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-17
THE ERUPTION OF vEsUyIUs
Scientific Summary of. the. Outburst
and Its Results.

Among the earliest scientists 70 visit
Vesuvius after the late eruption was
DR.. V~enturino ~Sabatini. from whose
report the following description OF the
outburst and its results has been taken
The eruption brought TO a close a
phase in the activity OF the volcano
! which had lasted thirty years. during
which period the crater formed IN
1872 because gradually FL I'd by the
quiet yelling up OF lava in the interior
only a few OF the eruptions making
! their effects visible externally, though
in course of time the piling up of ma
terial changed the profile of the sum-
nit considerably.
Between 5 and 6 a. m. on April 1 a
assure opened on the southeastern Size
Of the cone at an altitude of 5000
feet, an avalanche Of blocks OF all
dimensions destroying the Albergo
Firoenza, while a narrow stream of
lava flowed down a gully of the noun
tainside. At 3 p. IN. the small later
al cone fell in. and a dense column OF
smoke rose above the orator, black
ashes falling at Naples in the evening.
On April 3 a second assure opened at
a lower level, and a lava stream flowed
two and one-half miles to within some
500 yards Of Bosco Trecase. On the
9Th a still more copiOus stream poured
forth, and by midday of the eth had
approached to about 500 yards from
Tore Annunziata. By the evening
the main crater began to hurl out
huge white hot blocks with the ac-
commandment Of loud detonations and
flashes of light, while at the same time
a rain Of lapilli and ashes began the
destruction Of Ottajanoj and a Gu1s-
eppe. Earthquake shocks were felt
Naples and elsewhere. On the Sth the
ashes, which continued to fall in great
quantities, were reddish gray, instead
Of black, as at first, and were some
times SO dense as to form a dark pail,
rendering artificial light necessary in
the daytime. This cloud extended to
a distance Of 100 miles, while a fall of
ashes took place at Venice, Paris, etc.
A rough calculation places the total
amount Of ashes and lapilli which fell
at 5000, 900 cubic meters, the place
most damaged being Ottajano. The
lava streams occupied a sector Of thir-
ty degrees, and evidently had their
source at various points of the crater.
The three principal ones reached a
height of ten to twelve feet, and IN
places double this amount. This lava
very rapidly d~isintegrated, probably
because it was formed of a chaotic
mixture of irregular blocks and frag-
ments.
AS regards the more general results,
DR.. Sabatini points out that, While
lesser outbreaks increase the height
Of the volcano, a catastrophe like that
Of April last tends to lower it. What
ever may nave been the case in ~
A. D., we know that this vas the re-
suit in 1881 and 1894, when the cone
appeared after the eruptions as II
truncated. Similarly, the pointed pro-
file of March last exists no longer, and
the present height seems below that Of
the crater Of 1872, though the reduc-
ton does not probably exceed $50 feet.
Besides this, the whole form and COM
, position Of the surface Of the noun
tain have been changed, the old ifs
? sures having disappeared, whole Sec
tons Of the crater wall fallen H. ana
the whole surface having been covered
:, with O. thick layer of ashes. These still
retained a high temperature on April
II, and, owing to their loose nature.
were constantly slipping down hill or
being raised into the air by the wind.
Except at the time Of the most violent
outbursts, the smoke rose quietly from
three assures in three unbroken col
umns, accompanied by puffs of smoke
much resembling balls of cotton wool.
Owning to their great density, these
rapidly fall to the ground. and as the
density and weight increase, give rise
to the avalanches Of hot ashes which
! the occurrence is now definitely estab-
lished. There are really nothing but
the so-called GLOWING clouds" of very
restricted mobility, and the phenome-
non may occur whenever the necessary
conditions are present, and may occa-
s~ionally lead to destructive results
These emissions may account in part
for the high temperature retained by
the ashes, which seems due also to
emissions Of steam at certain spots.
The emission Of nitrogen Or other
poisonous gas seems to have been
} quite an exceptional occurrence.
Although the accounts Of destruction
We're in many cases exaggerated, DR..
Sabatini considers that the damage
may be reckoned at certainly more
than 1000 600 pounds.-Georgraphi-
cal Journal.