Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-05-01
OF MT. VEsUVIUs.
Very Interesting Descriptive Letter. Written for the Pilot by
Miss Ethel Roberts, Of This City, Who is
Travelling in Europe.

| beautiful every moment. While we
watched it, fascinated, it seemed as If
the mountain grew impatient; and sud
denly we saw new burst of lava from
another opening in the side fartherest
from US, but still within our range of
vision. For few moments this seemed
to relieve the pressure at the cone, but
soon it started more violently than ever
and now the fiery mass was bursting
from three outlets.
Suddenly, we gave a gasp of horror,
for fourth opening, lower than either
OF the others, appeared and a
molten stream rolled with what
seemed marvellous rapidity, at our dis
tance, toward the little town we had so
lately left. The last sight | had of the
volcano showed the three streams, now
somewhat spent and red rather than
white-hot, winding, coiling, down the
mountain side, while far above glowed
the red cone still throwing up its stones
and flame. Through the thick cloud of
smoke above it, lightning flashed in
zig gag, Jagged streaks and every now
and then the mountain thundered in
furry. Like the poor women on their
knees, we prayed for that little Italian
village. This morning we heard it was
overwhelmed but we do not know GER
tainly yet.
Today we drove to Paestum, thirty
miles, as no train came from Naples
aud we feared they were all cut off
One came through several hours later
however and got to Paestum before us,
but strange to say brought no tourists;
so we had the temples practically to
ourselves. The sunset sky, on our re-
turn journey, was marvellous. In fact
the smoke from the volcano has caused
most unusual and beautiful sky scenes
ever since we arrived. We found, when
we returned 20 our hotel here at Cava,
that no tourists had been allowed in
Pompeii today; so they must fear some
thing. 1t is the worst eruption in forty
years, we are told. Today being Sun
day we could get no newspaper ac-
counts of last nights destruction, what
ever it was. Later: Our little town
Bosca Ire Caya, was completely de-
stroyed by the last lava stream which
we saw burst forth, and, not content
with leaving no stone upon another
there, the torrent continued into Tore
Annunziata to the very spot where we
had left our carriages and started to
walk the rest of the way to she noun
tain, two hours before The inhabi-
tants fled and escaped with their lives.
80 much the Madonna and Saints
granted to their prayers. AT the hotel
in Pompeii the landlord, who had
laughed at our fears in the evening,
aroused his guests at three in the
morning and hurried them out of the
town. The ruins at Pompeii are still
april 9TH closed to tourists and re-
ports this afternoon say that the noun
tain which had grown quieter, is again
showing signs of great activity. At
Naples the smoke is so dense that the
streets are dark; ashes fill the air and
are driven against the carriage windows.
On the railroad journey between here
and Naples, some people who came
here tonight told us, it grew SO dark
from smoke they could not see their
hands before their faces Here We are
entirely away from it all, and we go to
Brindisi tomorrow to take the steamer
for Greece. But we are all sending
cablegrams tonight to reassure our
families, fearing that accounts in the
home papers may alarm them. We
were very fortunate in seeing the ruins
at Pompeii; we were the last party
that were permitted to enter
ETHEL ROBERTS.