Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-26
ZONE OF TERROR
WlDENS AS LAVA
FLOWS SEAWARD
Peasants Implore Aid in
Moving from Farms
Near Destruction
FOUR CRATERS OPEN
Villages of BorellO and
BelpassO Are Believed
to Be Doomed

NATANIA, Sicily, March Is
I Mount Etna continues to
~ lombard the heavens with
red-hot rocks, ashes and molten
lava. The zone of terror is
spreading. Thousands of peas
ants are fleeing from the neigh
borhood of the belching volcano.
Hundreds of them have sent out
appeals for carts to aid them in
removing their household effects.
Thousands in Catania passed a Sleep
less night. Many refugees are arriving
here, and public buildings and churches
are being used to shelter them. Many
found shelter in the cathedral here.
Frank A. Perrett of Brooklyn, N. Y,
who is attached to the Royal observa-
tory on Mount Vesuvius. VINO is at the
scene of the eruption, sent the follow
ing telegram to Catania tonight:
1.-THE eruption continues unabated.
The craters are constantly throwing
out liquid fire and rock to a height of
twenty meters. 1t is a magnificent,
though terrifying spectacle. The lava
has flowed ten kilometers (about seven
miles) in two days. The lower end of
the stream is 200 meters broad and five
meters high. The stream is advancing
six meters an hour. destroying vine-
yards and houses.
Enormous damage to property has
been done. The Alpine clubs refuge
has been destroyed. The lava will
reach and partly destroy Borelle and
Belpasso within three days if present
conditions continue. Nicolosi is not in
| danger
"There Is now little smoke from the
eruption. The center of the crater is
inactive, but there are prolonged rum
blings from within. The explosions
from the side craters are very terri
flying.
81 have measured the surface tenn
perature at the lower end of the lava
stream and it registers 800 degrees cen
tigrade. The lava does not form
crust around trees. but ignites them.
Crowds of visitors are enjoying the
wonderful spectacle. The present
eruption is the sequel to the abortive
outbreak in April 1908, and was ex-
pected and even predicted.
Burning Lava Everywhere
"I hope soon to visit the mouths that
have not as yet been visited by any
one. The entire path of the ascent OF
the volcano is covered with burning
lava, in some places shallow and others
deep. 1t is 600 meters broad.
'"rhe final result of the eruption cam
not be predicted, all depending upon
the duration of the phenomenon. The
latest observations show a slight re-
duction in the intensity of the erup-
ton.
From Catania and along the railway
surrounding Etna thousands of persons
are watching the progress of the
eruption.
The streams of lava already have
surpassed in volume those of the erup-
tion of 1892. Changing their courses
just before they reached Belpasso they
have followed the main roads around
the village. The people are still fear
full, but soldiers are encamped in the
squares to avert a panic, while the
mayor and parish priests are minister
ing to the needy.
Cardinal Francisco Nava, who re-
turned today to the scene of the erup-
tion, promised to bring back to the
people of Nicolosi and Belpasso the
veil of st. Agatha, which they believe
has the power to stop the advancing
lava.
Professor RiccO, director of the OBJ
servatOry on the volcano, despite a
narrow escape from death today, has
returned to the lava fields To those
who advised prudence he replied:
MY post is there"