Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-13
4 SPECTACULAR RUIN
EFFECTS OF THE ERUPTIoNs OF
vEsUvIUs AROUND NAPLES.

The scenic effects around Naples vary
from hour to hour. Now in the north the
sky is chocolate colored, lowering and
heavy, under which men and women. with
their hair and clothing covered with ashes
move about Hike gray ghosts. Fort san
MARITIME, as 1t towers above the town, can
only just be seen, while Castel Dell 'Ovo Is
boldly marked In light. seeming like silver
against the brown sky.
To the south, beyond the smoke zone, lies
smiling, sunny Posilipo and It's peninsula,
while far away glistens the sea, a deep
blue on which the islands seem to float In
the glow of the setting sun. Adding to the
strange picture, one of the French men-oi-
war. which arrived in the Bay of Naples
today, is so placed as to be half In the grow
and half obscured by the belt OF faitins
ashes
An Impressive Scene.
At the Observatory of Mount Vesuvius,
where Director Matteucci is continuing his
work in behalf OF science and humanity.
the scene is one of great impressiveness- To
reach the observatory one must walk Tor
miles over hardened but hot lava covered
with sand until he comes to point whence
nothing can be seen but vast gray reaches,
sometimes fiat and sometimes gathered INTO
huge mounds, which take on semblances OF
human faces Above, the heavens are gray
like the earth beneath. and seem just as
hard and immovable.
In all this lonely waste there Is no sign
of life or vegetation, and no sound is heard
except the low mutterings of the volcano.
One seems almost impelled to scream aioud
to break the horrible stiffness of a land
seemingly forgotten. both by God and man.
The King Deeply solicitous.
Every Jay that passes gives new evidence
of the magnitude of the catastrophe. Yes
terdays visit of King Victor Emmanuel to
Ottajano revealed new tragedies. At GER
tain point his majesty was Obliged to apah-
don his motor car and went forward on
horseback amid constant danger his horse
Laundering through four feet OF ashes.
stumbling into holes, blinded by the fall or
large cinders. and the target for failing
basaltic masses.
In the presence of the king 100 more bod
les were extricated from the ruins, the Wnlie
ashes and red sand falling though they
were determined not to relinquish their vic
Tins. The dead at Ottajano are said TO
number $50.
The king was deathly pale To priest
who came to him he said:
How did you escape?
II put myself In safety replied the
priest.
what do you mean?" asked the king
Realizing the danger" was the priest s
reply, II had left for Nola.
Rebuked a Priest.
The king flushed with anger. What!
he cried you. a minister of God were
not here to share the danger of your peop-e
and administer the last sacraments! You
did very wrong"
Queen Helena was with the king when he
started for Ottajano, but she was obliged
to turn back, as the task was not one suit
J,1 ha oct Mt
the day In visiting the injured in Naples
hospitals and inspecting the housing pro-
vided for refugees.
The Princess of Schleswig- Holstein set
out in her automobile this morning to visit
the hospitals In the desoated towns, but
after time the motor car became disabled.
and she was forced to return on foot dis
lance of twelve miles, walking through
three feet of ashes. The princess endur-
ance surprised the Neapolitans some OF
whom declared that she must have been
aided by the saints, for never before had
a woman accomplished such task.