The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-08-17
Along a Mountain Path Near MoIa; Etna in the Distance.

GeOlogically, Sicily is a newborn
babe among the land masses, even If
It is a Methuselah Of human history. 1t
all but halves the Mediterranean into
two great bowls. Biologists look upon
the island as in large part a contribu-
ton from the great reservoir Of molten
material under Mt. Etna. They pic
ture 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 up and has poured out
molten material on the portions Of the
island which rose from the sea-bed.
Etna might be described in the
terms of an Eastern religion as both
the Creator and the Destroyer. 1t has
largely created Sicily; its disinte-
grated lava has given a soil Of match
less fertility which supports rich vine
yards and orchards; and it has drawn
TO its slopes, in spite Of obvious dan.
gers, hundreds of thousands Of tillers
Of the soil and their towns and vii
lagos. AS one writer puts it, towns
succeed towns along its base like pearls
in a necklace, and when a stream OF
lava effects a breach in the chain OF
human habitatiOns, 1t is closed up
again as soon as the lava has had time
to cool" Many Of the villages on the
mountains slopes are built almost eX-
clusively from blocks 81 black lava.
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 Gre
alive side of the volcano is best seen.
Virtually the whole circuit is a garden
spot Of date palms, bananas, oranges,
lemons, olives, figs and almonds.
Farther up are nut ~trees-notably the
beautifully ordered flbert orchards
near Castiglione-and a forest zone Of
chestnut, cork, pine and oak. Above
$500 feet is the region that fire has
kept for it's own domain-a 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 en-
croaChed at intervals. These are left,
significant warnings Of Etna's poten-
t~ialities 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.
Towns Often Destroyed.
Few of the towns and villages near
Etna have escaped destruction or seri.
Gus damage from one or more of the
numerous eruptiOns. One town that
seemingly lives a charmed existence is
Randazzo, which, though less than ten
miles from the crater, has always es-
capped. The city and part of Catania,
about twenty 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 122, Rome re-
mitted part Of It's taxes for a decade.
There In 1859 the cathedral was over
ALI w IuNo uAku IIS WOISlllDeTS
and bishop destroyed. In 1869 a river
Of lava rose above the GO-fOot walls,
poured into the streets, destroyed q
large part Of the city, and, flowing into
the sea, ruined the harbor.
The streams that have poured down
Etna's sides recently can hardly be
different from the numerous preced-
ing flows that have been so frequently
described. The typical river OF fire
from Etna flows in a relatively narrow
stream. 1t moves sufficiently slowly
so that men and animals may keep out
OF its path, and large crowds Of people
assemble to watch it's progress. It 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 defiected, and tourists from q
far land viewing what is to them a
magnificent activity Of nature. Priests
head professions of the pious country
folk; candles are lighted, relics ex-
hibited and affairs set up.
Beneath the rays Of the sun the
stream seems black except when, like
the crest Of q breaker. the edge Of the
oncoming wave breaks, disclosing the
angry red interior and sending aloft
sparks as the falling material skaters
on the ground. When night falls the
same activity seems tremendously in
creased. The stream Is now a river of
Ere, a thing of fascinating but cruel
beauty.