Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-04-23


Of municipal layer cake, as it were.
When an earthquake once opened d
seam through the town man descend
ing into the chasm found himself in
a church. The human animal is a dar-
ing brute, after all.
1t is a saying in the Vesuvian region
that NAPLES sins and Tore del Greco
pays the penalty" The smaller city
is sort of buffer against the divine
wrath. Yet through the ages has per-
sisted a prophecy that at last Naples
would have to pay her own debts, for
she herself would fall victim to the
Ire of the mountain.
Millions Lost In Money.
The great loss from the recent erup-
ton, the total destruction of Bosco-
trecase, city of nearly 10000; the
partial destruction Of Ottajano, Sarno
and many other cities and villages.
the wiping out of little farms and
vineyards, the hundreds killed and the
tens of thousands driven. from their
homes, the terrors and discomforts of
the half million people living in the
vicinity-of these things it is impossi-
BILE for cold type to tell. The money
loss alone is estimated at over $2QOOO,-
600. There are over $4,000 homeless.
The falling of the roof of the great
market at Naples, killing or injuring
nearly 200 people, caused the citizens
to shovel the ashes from their roofs to
prevent other like catastrophes. AS
the ashes sifted down the necks of the
pedestrians the language grew quite
as lurid and volcanic as the mountain
itself. The fights that resulted rather
relieved the tense strain.
There have been few greater exam
pies of modern heroism than that Of
Professor Mattucci, in charge of the
observatory of Mount Vesuvius. The
loss of life would undoubtedly have
been much greater had it not been for
the timely warnings sent out by this
soldier of science. Through all the
frightful days of the eruption he re-
manned at his post dispatching mes
sages of cheer to the distracted in
habitants, taking records and observ
ing the phenomena of the terrifying
upheaval that constantly threatened
his own life. Associated with Profess
or Mattucci is an American, Frank A.
Ferret, formerly of Brooklyn.
Vesuvius has been in a state of more
than Wonted agitation for a year, but
without doing any especial damage, eX-
cept to the railroad that leads to the
cone. 1t is as though the ancient noun
tain was not entirely devoid of SYM
pathy for the human ants that swarm
about its base and had given long
warning of the disaster to come. The
ants failed to heed the sign, however,
having grown familiar with the i'm
pending doom.
Where Poets Seek Inspiration.
A few weeks ago the Neapolitan dis
trlct was glowing into all the lowell
ness OF a southern Italian spring.
Grass was growing green, buds were
swelling to leaf, the earlier flowers
were in blossom, birds and bees hlled
the air with music, and oyer all arched
the soft, blue sky of Italy. Nature
there puts on so fair seeming that
for over 1000 years this region has
given birth to some of the worlds
: sweetest songs. Even the poets OF
England and America go to Italy for
inspiration. And why not? For IN
that cline nature herself is a poem
that only needs to be translated into
the music of words. No country of the
earth has been so hallowed in poetry
and romance, and of all Italy no sec
tion is more enhancing than that sur
rounding the sparkling bay of Naples.
To-day that earthly paradise is vast
Sahara desert. Over all the region as
far as the breath of the monster couid
reach there is left no green thing.
The villas are swallowed up, the
cities are dead, the smiling valleys and
plains are a desolation, the vineyards.
bowers and gardens are waste places.
In all the march of science and prog
| ress Nature comes to remind US OF our
weakness. While we boast of our
mastery over her, she overwhelms US;
while yaunting ourselves that we have
learned her secrets, she presents to US
her ancient mystery. and while sitting
secure in our little happiness she swal-
lows it all In one red night of earth
| quake and destruction.
Yet in the end it is we who triumph,
for after her night there comes another
morning, and We arise and rebuild our