The Coolidge examiner., 1932-06-17
prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. C1
(WNJJ Service

CICILY goes back to work as
the summit Of Mt. Etna, ia
nous landmark Of the Medi-
terranean island, resumes its peace
.'ul. eternal steaming. Recent rum
blings and explosions within the
mountain have preceded devastat-
ing lava flows in the past.
The present threat" recalls the
eruption of the huge volcano in
1923 when a lava stream, flowing
like a 2,500-foot ribbon from one of
its craters, flooded the eastern
slope, one Of the islands most fer
| tile regions.
Orchards, vineyards and forests
were destroyed; also the villages
and towns that thrived on their
products. More than a quarter mil
lion people live on the slopes of
Mount Etna. The eastern slope is
the most thickly populated with one
town almost adjoining another. AL
most every foot Of ground not used
for dwellings is cultivated, yield
ing abundant crops.
Etna has terrorized this district
many times before. Whether the
traveller goes by train or automo-
bile down the east coast of Sicily,
he passes flow after flow of lava.
Some Of them are centuries old
others more recently deposited
from some of the two hundred era
ters that pepper the side of the
coneshaped mountain. The town
Of Acireale perches on a 300-foot
cliff formed Of seven distinct lay
ers of lava.
Within the Christian era, Mount
Etna has boiled over its crater rims
more than hundred times. 1t has
wiped out cities, towns and villages
and spelled doom to thousands Of
homes. Almost daily Mount Etna
rumbles, and it's summit constantly
emits steam, but it takes more than
these suggestions" of action even
to arouse the Sicilian's curiosity.
The homes of their ancestors are
sandwiched between two Of the
lava flows, and many of the pres
ent generation, like those Of Mas
cali and Nunziata, chief sufferers
Of the last decade, have watched
| their homes sink beneath a new
molten bed.
catania, Birthplace Of BeIIini.
Catania, lying at the foot of the
mountain, has been destroyed and
rebuilt many times. Catanians
know Mount Etna so we'll that the
famous volcano has to spit fire and
boil over it's rim before they seek
| shelter.
To the Catanian who loves his
modern city, Etna has been bene-
factor. To the traveller in search
Of antiquities it has been a despoil-
er, for ancient Catania Of Greek,
Roman, Saracen and Norman days
is buried, save for q Greek theater,
a Roman amphitheater, some baths
and a few unimportant monuments.
Catania is more interested In its
wide thoroughfares. public squares
and parks, and in honoring her IL
lustrious sons than in digging up
| ancient relics of a restless past.
Rellini the composer was born there
in 1902 and Catanians are not
allowed to forget it. A statue of
the composer adorns Villa Bellini,
one Of the city's finest parks where
on summer evenings one can sit and
listen to Italian melodies played by
fine Sicilian band.
Another statue of the composer
adorns the Piazza Stesicoro through
which runs the Via Etnae, Catania's
main street from the southern part
Of the city to the foot Of the great
mountain. A third statue stands
among those Of kings and great
italian and Sicilian patriots in the
cathedral. There is also a Bellini
theater, once the finest in Italy, and
the Catania guides point with pride
to the tablet which marks the house
| in which the composer was born.
The cathedral, and a lava ele
phant atop a tall marble base at
its front door, are two of the most
popular popular monuments of
early Catania. The elephants orr
gin is unknown but the cathedral
is credited to the prosperous reign
of the Norman King Roger. Built
in 1901, was badly damaged by
successive earthquakes and erup-
tiOns of Mount Etna, but each time
it has been restored and used.
Agatha, the Patron Saint.
More hOnored than even the
kings monuments in the cathedral
is that of st. Agatha, Catania's pa
tron saint. The head of her statue
is said to contain the head Of the
saint who in defense of her virtue
was tortured by Roman praetor in
the Third century. Among her rel
les Is a veil which Is said to have
| miraculOusly diverted a lava stream