The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1906-04-14
Volcano Slowly Falling Into
State of SOmnOlence.
There Is hut Slight Discharge From
the Crater and Activity Is
Dying Out.
WORK OF RESCUE Is VIGOROUS


that the period of danger from Vesu-
vius has passed and slowly declin-
ing panic remains. Vesuvius has ceas-
ed to give any sign of life. The vol
cano seems to have spent itself in
one enormous CONFUSION. Director
Matteuccl, who heroically holds his
place in the observatory, believes the
eruption has ended, and every out
ward indication confirms this view.
No more rumblings come from the
bowels of the earth. giving terrify-
ing warning to the inhabitants. The
volcano Is hidden behind thick cur
tain of smoke. which rises from the
crater and then spreads and falls en-
yeloping a vast circle in semi-dark-
ness.
Naples is just beyond this circle,
and yesterday the city was bathed in
sunshine while an ugly black pail
hung to the westward over the belt
midway between Rome and Naples.
vesuvius today bellies all popular pic
lures which represent the mountain
clearly outlined against the sky, vo-
hitting smoke and ashes by day and
fire by night. Today not the slight
est outline is visible of the crater, no
crest or foot hills, all being swallow
ed up in the dense mass of smoke.
There is the same obscurlty tonight
unrelieved byfiashes of reflected light
such as are seen during quieter pc
RODS.
The Associated Press correspond
ent travelled yesterday in the belt
over which ashes continue to fall.
This lies north OF Naples as the wind
now carries the discharge away from
the city. At Rome was sunshine. but
90 miles south a thin veil of smoke
made the nearby mountains .dimly
visible, their snow-peaks soiled.
The zone of semi-obscurity began
20 mixes above Naples. Here there
was an uncanny phenomenon. The
sun, though shining, was invisible
its light seemed to come through a
smoked glass, shedding sickly
glare upon the whitened vegetation.
Everything was covered with pow
der. Locomotives were coated as
though they had plowed. the air.
Pretty white villas were daubed and
drifting with mud. and people were
busy on roofs shoveling off ashes.
Crowds at stations rcsembled
millers, their clothing covered
with graphite powder. The Campania
presents the appearance of Dakota
prairie after blizzard except that
everything is gray instead of white.
Ashes lie in drifts knee deep. Villas,
trees, and churches have been beaten
with gray mud on the sides exposed
to the volcanic storm.
Ten miles north of Naples the
train entered an area of semi-night.
Billows of thick smoke roll from the
direction of the mountain. Railway
telegraph poles become invisible ~
feet away. The train moved with ex-
IRENE precaution to avoid collision.
Breathing was dfficult and smoke
made the eyes water. The obscure
ty lasted until short distance north
of Naples, where the sky cleared and
normal conditions were resumed
After the last great eruption in 1879,
the land covered by clnder did not
produce crops for several years and
losses In this respect alone averaged
s2O, 900. 900 yearly. 1t is believed
1t will take ten years to bring the
land under cultivation again.
At Bosco Trecase exhumation. OF
dead is being carried on by the SOL
diers. who, owing to the advanced
stage of decomposition of the corps
es are unable to work more than an
hour at a time. Many bodies are
merely shapeless, unreeognizabie
masses of flesh and bones, while 9TH
ers are but little disfigured-
As quickly as possible they are
buried in quick lime to lessen, as Tar
as may be the dangt of an epidemic.
None but those engaged in the work
of recovering corpses are permitted
in the vicinity.
.