Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-04-08
VILLAGE WIPED OUT
BY RIVERS OF LAVA
Inhabitants Of The Mountain Sides
Arc Panic Stricken and
Flee for Their Lives.
ONE town ALREADY DESTROYED
nv Associated Press !

IHNPltES, April Mount VcSlivt-
MS is q colossal hra2icr ana the town
Of BOSE oirecase. on i1s southern de-
civ, has been Transformed into gray
island III ruins by the ashes from Tie
volcano.
Torrents Of liquid fire. resembling In
The distance serpentS with glttering
yellow and black scales. are courSinS
in all directions amid rumbings, deiO-
nations AMI earth tremblings, while Il
pail of sulphnrons smoke that hovers
over all makes breathing difficult.
Tofrid Heat Destroys Everything
The streams of lava are rcsstless
They snan like pipe stems the trunks
Of chestnut trees hundreds Of years ola
and blight with tlieir torrid breath the
blooms Of The peach trees before The
trees themselves have been reached
The molten streams do moi spare the
homes III The pea SAINTS, and when these
have been rai7cd they dashed into tho
wells as though seeking to slack their
thirst and having filed them con.
Iinne their course down the mGuniain
side.
+Ptfui@ Scenes Enacted.
EveryN here in the vicinity of the
volcano pitifnl scenes are Witnessed
women tearing their hair In their grief
and old men crying aloud at the loss OF
their beloved homesteads, while in the
distance. in striking contrast. lie the
snpphirecolored Mediterranean, the
Vinlethued mountains OF the Sorrento
peninsula and the Island ri Capri IN
The tranquil sea.
4
assistance Of tho fleeing peasants ana
the Duke of Aosta. Cardinal Joseph
Frisco and all the authorities, despiie
The rain, Today went to the portions OF
The mountain most threatened Ia she.
cor or Ia comfort the people.
Previously Cardinal Frisco ordered
special prayers to be said for those
In danger BoscO Beale. the village
which is most In danger of destruction,
is Tie liih place OF the cardinal am,
lie home at most of his relatives
Peasants Are Terror Stricken.
These pcrsonages talked with The
peasants in endeayors TO pacify them
ana the Duke Of AOsta was especially
active. lie explained the means hi
thought best to save lives and proper.
" ana had The engineers AMI soldiers
erect naratets and dig trenches In or.
der 10 cilange The course Of tho lava
streams, and at times gave IN example
OF his energy by working himself.
Cardinal Frisco distributed neces.
snrieS Of life to the peasants and even
went so FAR rs 10 give away the rings
he wore on his fingers Repeatedly he
exclaimed Ia the frightened peasants.
pray, ny children; yom may he sure
God will not desert YOU"
Lave Nc Resoector of Things.
the statute Of st. Ann which was
taken to tie mountainside 10 confront
the lava is frequently moved backward
as The tide advances.
Considerable apprehension is felt no.
cause of the earthquake shocks, which
are growing stronger and are fell even
at Castellammarc. fifteen miles south.
east of this city. Each shock Is accom-
panied ~ deep and prolonged detona-
lions
OttajanO. at the nOrtheas! foot of
the mountain is threatened BY stream
of lava and the people are beginning
10 desert The town.
Other Towns Are Threatened.
The populace of Tore Annunziata,
at the south foot. have requested thaG
night trains be run TO the Town. This
rennest has been granted and trains
are now ready 10 proceed tnither in
case of need.
SignOr Mnlleucci. director Of the Oh.
scrvaiory IN Nesuvius, still! continues
TO occnpv most dangerous position
With him is an American engineer.
named Ferret
New orators have opened at different
points on the mountain. but II is i'm.
possible To ascertain their number o.
where they are situated.
One Place Thrice Destroyed.
Tcrrn del Greco is a fonrishing- town
standing on one of the LAVA streams
of 1851, which destroyed two thirds OF
tho older town. The lava streams 81
1887 and 1901 also caused tho town
great damage. The earthquake of 1887
and the eruption Of 1861 were even
more destructive. Every April large
fleet of boats leaves Tore del Greco
for the coral fishing off the coast of
Africa and Sicily. returning in No,