Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-10
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
MOST STORIED VOLCANO

Line iuSu wiz 0AS
writing hastily about Etna these
days were scooped some years ago
by at least three rather well known
fellew craftsmen Homer, Pindar
and Plato" says a bulletin from the
Washington, d. c., headquarters oil
the National Geographic Society.
"For this volcano, greatest in Europe
ana ranking with the greatest In the
world, has been pouring out laVa
and ashes, destroying farms and VIII
lagos and interesting philosophers
-and scientists since the world was
young, Pindar was the first writer
to mention Etna's fires, in 474 B. G.
and since that time more than 100
eruptions are said to have axe
place.
"a much more remote history of
Etna has been pieced together ny
modern biologists who look upon
the whole island of Sicily as a con-
tribution from the great reservoir
of molten material under the mouh
tain. They picture a time when the
sea rolled over the site of Sicily.
Then. presumably in the Pliocene,
Etna's tip emerged; and through
the ages it has steadily built Itself
and Sicily up.
Both Creator and Destroyer
''Ictna might be described in the
terms of an eastern religion as both
the Creator and Destroyer. 1t mas
created Sicily; it's d~isintegrated laVa
has given O SOIL OF matchleSS leFta-
itv which rich vineyards
and orchards; and it has drawn TO
its slopes, in spite of obvious dan
gers. hundreds of thousands of till
ers of the soil and their towns and
villages, AS one writer puts II
towns succeed towns along It's pase
like pearls in a necklace and Wneh
a stream OF lava effects q preach IN
the chain of human habitation, II 10
closed. up again as soon as the lava
has had time to cool. Many OF tne
yilIage on the mountains slope arc
huilt almost exclusively from blocks
of black lava and have a somber
depressing aspect In consequence.
ut is on the lower slopes of Etna
where time and weather have most
completely broken up and washed
down the ancient lava, h a the ere
alive side of the volcano Is best seem
Virtually the whole circuit is a gar
den spot of date palms,
oranges, lemons. olives hgs ana al
monds. Farther up are nut trees
Notably the beautifully ordered I'LL
bert orchards near Castiglione-and
a forest zone of chestnut, cork, pine
! ana oak. Above $500 feet Is the re-
eion that fire has kept for its own
Somain-a dreary rough, black des-
ert Of lava and ash. Down from
| This region and into the forest and
| orchard and farm zones OF
| molten lava have encroacned at Ire
ouent intervals. These are leIC' sig
nihcant warnings of Etna,s potent
tislities for destruction, only so ions
es thev must be, Some enterprisln6
PLANTERS have blasted holes in fairy
recent lava flows and have MADE
the artifcially fractured material
sunnort olive and almond and citrus
trees.
One Town With Charmed Lie
"frew of the towns and villages
near Etna have escaped destruction
or serious damage from one or more
of the numerous eruplons. One
town that seemingly lives a charm
ed existence is Randazzo whlch,
though less than ten miles from the
crater. has always escaped. Ihe
civ and port of Catania, about
twenty miles from the crater mas
on the other hand, been Etnas cnlsI
victim, and is reputed to nave SUI,
Tered more from eruptlons anu
earthquakes than n other pace OF
importance in the world.
! of partial destruction in 122, Rome
re"lII6u Dali VI 80
| cade. There in 1869 the cathedral
was overwhelmed by lava and its
worshipers and Bishop destroyed.
In 1860 a river of lava rose above
tho 60-foot walls, poured into the
streets, destroyed a large part of
the city, and, flowing into the sea,
ruined the harbor.
1.-THE streams that nave poured
down Etna's sides during the past
few days can hardly be dlrIerent
from the numerous preceding flows
hat have been been so frequently
described. The typical river of fire
from Etna flows Nm a relatively mar
row stream. It moves sufficiently
slowly so hat men and animals may
keen out OF it's path, and large
crowds of people assemble to watch
its progress. 1t is a crowd of mixed
emotions. Beside the small farmer,
trembling lest the stream destroy
his valuable orchards, may kneel
peasants from a threatened village,
weeping and praying that the flow
be detected, and tourists from a far
land viewing what can be to them
a magnificent activity of Nature.
Priests head professions Of the pious
country folks; candles are lighted,
relics exhibited and affairs set Up.
Beneath the rays of the sun
the stream seems black except when.
like the crest of a breaker, n edge
of the oncoming wave breaks dis
closing the angry, red interior and
sending aloft sparks as the falling
material skaters on the ground.
When night falls the same activity
seems tremendously increased. The
stream is now a river of fire, a thing
OF fascinating but cruel beauty"