The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-15

lll1l = - lll1
Photograph Taken at Naples .
pear to hover over the base Of the noun
tain, while tho peak IS flooded with sum
4 light. 8 HUI "a "a 81. 5% Esl st,5
Lava Spared Scientists.
1t Yan5interesting study toatrace with
the eye the va rious courses OF the lava
streams In the recent eruption q; Above Z,
the goverrm ent ii bserNat tory, which Is
about hall, wa yis up the mountain, every
thing appears Il to have been completely
submerged by the lava streams. y But at,
this point, fortunately the streams sep
5arated, leaving the observatory unsiib-
merged. though, Of course. doing some
damage to the building. TO the casual
observer, IL seems ttle| short OF an act Of.
Providence that the lava streams should
have d lyided x at this point and flowed vt't
around the obseryat tory, thus spa rlng the
building and the lives ofsthc daring de-
voted sc entlsts Il stationed 4. there t.to The
world Was thrilled BY the courage and
bravery Of. these / two men yiwh o 4 Ike the
Roman sentinel OF old atithe destruction
Sofs SPompeil by this same Eesuvius, dared
4to stand at their$post though moment ari-}
ly threatened with DEATH u,
5E1 isE said, indeed, to- behold the wan-.
ton destruction recently wrought by We
suvius. fortunately, the loss OF life was
small but the loss Of property, especially
vineyards, wa 8, no doubt, very grea:.
Moreover, a number, OF houses We're de-
stroyed iii the villages In the direction
Of Naples These villages were on the
slopes in the Vicinity d Tore del Greco
and Tore del A:nnnu zlhta. I'll Il; &.
The country about the sba Sc of Vesu-3
Evlus is very fertile and n thtckl ~ settled.
Along the electric road from n aples 10
Porticoa Is a succession of towns, SO that
1t appears to be continuous city. Earth
er up the nlountain slopes and beyond
those towns, there are numerous Villages
and 5humlets. Now,ait was the inhabitants
of these small. tplaces on II the in,o uni ain
slopes that Uttered most %lnathe eruption
a few months ago S Many Of the farmers
and peasants had their homes and farms
entirely ruined, tile people themselves
barely escaping with their lives.
ES The 6red-hot lava came rushing down
tho fountain sides, weeping everything
before IT. and ,burying the green Vine,
yards andBnelds many feet und er Is sur
face. Luckily, there weFe no large VIII
lagos or towns In its course, and for this
reason tho destruction Of life and prop
sertyt was not greater, 1io Weyer, the dam
nge and destruction We're considerable
Much damage resulted from the collapsng
OF roofs under the heavy wei ght 8 E ashes
and cinders which We're driven by5 the
wind to great distance. It4cost the city
of Naples quitel a large sum or money
to sweep UP, and cart away the clndcrs3
and scoyial which were fshowcred upon
1t. You may stilli See here and there in
the city traces 81 the saasheE; and in the
suburban towns the ashes are still piled
up In large heaps along the streets, re-
manning to be carried away. IN d ut the wor,:
of clearing away the cindsEs and cleaning
the streets Is proceeding gradually, and
Is wcllnigh finished. Little trace re-
mains In Naples. 1t requires a drive IN
Vesuvtus to reveal fully the dismal con-
dillon OF the afflicted country.
"A Since the recent eruption, however, no
ono ventures to ascehd Sto the crater.
You may 60 only up TO the me e illogical
station, about half way up the II ouiltain,
4 1t being unsafe to go farther, lib Ut this;
halfway ascent is sufficient u to- enable
one to form "a somewhat ACCURATE and
adequate, idea Of tho terror and dlsmay
the recent eruption must have inspired
In the minds OF the witnesses and actual
sufferers. Ia The ruins are still shoulder
Ing. Some OF the houses nppea r partially
submerged by lava, and q church
Is pointed out with the lava hea2ed up
around It.. 1t some places youilnay walls
upon the hard crust Of the cooling lava,
which has not yet entirely solidltied. In
other places the lava Is Still In such
state that H. you throw bits OF paper upon
1t, they Will ignite and burn. d.
+ VesuYius appears now TO- have vented
all OF Its spleen and Is perfectly. quiescent,
In vain; do you strain you eyds to descry
a faint column of smoke issuing from tho
crater: but none can he seen. 1Tor tho
present, at lenst, the wrath OF the vol
cano has subsidized and 1t seems as inno-
rent as a lamb. But the distressing rec
ord Of it's shocking conduct and OF lts
recent ruthless destruction of life and
property stands written upon Its frignt-
full lava covared slopes, extending we'll
night to Its basel and threatening the
cities of Tore del Greco and Tore Am,
muziata. k
Risk Life for Gain.
These same dismal and barren lava
covered slopes however, will, In ft,w
ears, be again clothed with yeruure and
covered over with smiling vineyards; for
the ashes OF tYesuyius are said greatly
TO enrich the soil. and the soil itself about
Naples Is so fertile and responsive that
=. You hut tickle It, It will smile In a
harvest" Moreover the people are M
able to resist the temptation to cults
waite sucli inviting mountain slopes and,
therefore, they will gradually venture to
plant vineyards farther and farther u.l
the mountain, thus encmaching upon the
legitimate territory Of the volcano In the
| zdne OF danger 3.
| 1t Ia passing strange how men Will;
| court danger, risk!ng both life and prop
| erty, for the sake OF gain The past hiss
| tory OF Yesnylus offers abundant and
striking Illustration OF this fact For tiino
! and again In tho past this volcano has
belched forth death and destruction upon
| the slopes below Sand yet, no sooner are
| the desolate slopes again clad with yeSa.
| tation than man begin once more to Gull
tiyate the rich, inviting soil and build
themselves homes and plant vineyards.