The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-08-03
Etna's Eruptions Have Engaged
Attention Of Writers Since
the World Was Young.

who are writing hastily about Etna
these days were scooped some years
ago by at least three rather we'll
known fellow craftsmen: Homer,
Pindar and Plato" says bulletin
from the Washington headquarters Of
the National Geographic society. ."For
this volcano, greatest In Europe and
ranking with the greatest In the world,
has been pouring out lava and ashes,
destroying farms and villages and in
teresting philosophers and scientists
since the world was young. Pindar
was the first writer to mention Etna's
fires, In 474 B. c., and since that time
more than 100 eruptions are said to
have taken place.
"A much more remote history Of
Etna has been pieced together by mod
ern geoiogists who look upon the
whole island Of Sicily as a contribu-
tion from the great reservoir Of molten
picture time when the sea rolled
over the site Of Sicily. Then, presum-
ably In the Pliocene. Etna's tip
emerged; and through the ages 1t has
steadily built itself and Sicily up.
Both Creator and Destroyer.
"Etna might be described in the
terms Of an Eastern religion as both
the Creator and the Destroyer. 1t has
created Sicily; Its disintegrated lava
has given a soil of matchless fertility
which supports rich vineyards and
orchards, and 1t has drawn to its
slopes, in spite of obvious dangers,
hundreds Of thousands of tillers of the
soil and their towns and villages. AS
one writer puts II towns succeed
towns along Its base like pearls in a
necklace, and when a stream of lava
effects breach In the chain of human
habitations, It is closed up again as
soon as the lava has had time to COOL
Many Of the villages on the mountains
slope are built almost exclusively from
blocks Of black lava, and have a
somber. depressing aspect in conse-
| quence.
1T is on the lower slopes Of Etna
where time and weather have most
completely broken up and washed
down the ancient lava, that the crea-
tive side of the volcano is best seen
| Virtually the whole circuit is gar
den spot Of date palms. bananas,
oranges. lemons, olives, figs and al.
monds. Farther up are nut trees
notably the beautifully ordered filbert
orchards near Castiglione-and for
est zone of chestnut, cork, pine and
oak. Above $500 feet is the region
that fire has kept for its own domain
IA dreary. rough, black desert of lava
and ash. Down from this region and
into the forest and orchard and farm
zones, tongues of molten lava have
encroached at frequent intervals
These are left, significant warnings of
Etna's potentiallties for destruction,
only so long as they must be. Some
enterprising planters have blasted
holes In fairly recent lava flows and
have made the artificially fractured
material support olive and almond
and citrus trees.
One Town With Charmed Life.
"Few Of the towns and villages
near Etna have escaped destruction or
serious damage from one or more OF
the numerous eruptions. One town
that seemingly lives charmed exist.
ence Is Randazzo which, though less
than ten miles from the crater, has al
ways escaped. The city and port of
Catania. about 20 miles from the
crater, has on the other hand, been
Etna's chief victim, and Is reputed to
have suffered more from eruptions and
earthquakes than any other place OF
Importance In the world. Because OF
partial destruction in 100, Rome re-
mitted part Of Its taxes for deca de.
There in 1859, the cathedral was over
whelmed by lava and its worshipers
and bishop destroyed. In 1869 a river
Of lava rose above the G0-foot walls.
poured into the streets, destroyed a
large part Of the city, and. flowing into
the sea, ruined the harbor.
rhA etrA