Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15
mid LAVA AND SMOKE
Fearful Ordeal of Three Daya
on VesuviuS.
BYMATTEUCCI AND HIS BAND
Who Are in Command of the RovaI
Observatory.
8YMATTEUCCI AND HIS BAND
AT HIGHEST HABITABLE POINT
ocean of Ashes and Rivers of Lava
on Every Side-Terrible Ex-
periences Recited.

NAPLES, April ii. - The Associates
PIess today succeeded in reaching the hiah-
est habitable point on Vesuvius. wbere
Prof- Matteucci, director of the rova1 Oh
servatory, has courageously held his most
throughout the eruption. The noted sci.
enlist was found to be comparatfveIv calm,
and undisturbed by his recent fearful ex-
perfences.
for three days Prof Matteucci and his
little band were cut off from the outside
world. Their provisions ran low and their
falohs consisted OF cheese. bread and dried
onions until Prof. Matteuccrs urgent tele-
graphic appeals led a venturesome guide TO
push through on Friday with a stock OF
supplies for their relief Meantime the
professor had kept at his instruments. tax
Ing observations and making calculations
day and night while a perfect inferno
ragged around him.
AS he came forward to greet the CORE.
spondent his blackened face and dust-coy-
ered clothes told of the ordeal through
Whch he had passed. He is of medium
height, stocky of build with ruddv face
ana sllVer-gray hair and mustache His
appearance combines the intellectually of
the savant and the hardihood of the ath-
lete.
His rough garb seemed to belle his pro-
fession. for he looked like a western cow.
boy after a hard ride in "A dust storm. He
wore a rough tweed jacket over a wooden
shirt. which was held together at the
throat by a rough cord. A cloth cap,
trousers. leggins and heavy boots COM
pleted his costume.
Ashes on Portico Knee Deep.
The portico where he stood was knee
deep in ashes. which had TO be swept aside
to make small footway. From the OBJ
servatory terrace, to which narrow paths
had heap ont ha p.
respondent looked out over an ocean of
ashes and twisted rivers of lava while
Vesuvius rose grimly in mantle OF ashes
and shrouded with dark vapors rising like
a gigantic fan. Prof. Matteucci was asked
to tell III his own way the story Of the
cataclysm from the outset. This he readily
consented to do, and, speaking in good
French, gave the following detailed narra-
tive:
II first observed Mount Nesuvus giving
unusual signs about month ago. when
the lava began to overflow taking a south
west direction. This gradually increased az
several small lava streams formed into one
great current.
'aThe real danger began the middle of
last week. Then an enormous stream Of
lava came from the summit, meeting the
other streams which burst from the lower
strata. 1t was this that overwhelmed Bos-
cotrecase. Throughout the lava discharge
the volcano was comparatively quiet ana
without electrical phenomena or explosions
The only ominous sign was the advancing
wave of lava and the cinders forming an
enormous cloud IN the shape OF pine tree
over the crater.
Terrible Period on Sunday.
"Our really terrible period came at
O'Clock Sunday morning and lasted until
o'clock. The mountain which hitherto had
been silent, suddenly gave out deafening
roar and a great rent was made in its cone.
Huge solid rocks were hurled skyward-
Some of them fell near the observatory,
threatening to crash in the roof. but most
of them fell far outside the observatory
zone. There was no scoria in this first dis
charge but solid bullet-iike stones, whicn
cut the roof and damaged the Windows.
Prof Matteucci employed his hands az
well as his voice in order to depict the
continuous mass OF stones rising like bombs
and roman candles.
..At midnight of Saturday" said Prof.
Matteucci, IT ordered the women and chii-
dren of the household removed. This was
lust before the rain OF huge stones began,
and ! was then left with Prof Perret or
New York, my American assistant and two
domestics. There was scarcely any eating
and all domestic order was abandoned We
snatched few bites now and then; most OF
the time / ate right here, and the OBJ
server pointed to the remains of a recent
meal on the desk In his study.
Enormous Rocks Thrown $500 Feet.
Throughout Sundsy enormous solid
blocks of stone rose to height of $500
feet from the crater while ashes and SAND
were thrown much higher, but toward
Monday the terrible shocks OF earthquake
gradually diminished. One of the worst
features OF the eruption was the unusual
extent Of thu electrical phenomena tho