Year: 1865

just Witnessed but the best account | cat


possibly give will convey but faint idea o


the most sublime spectacle ever beheld b


mortal eyes, and which had never even dare,


to hope that should be so fortunate as [,


see. | arrived at Messina on the morning o
| Wednesday, February J st, and there Learned


that the volcano had burst out with tremen


dous violence the evening before, jan, 3Ist.


Immediately joined a party for visit to the


mountain, and the next morning started for


the scene in Que of the most violent thunder


and rain storms ever witnessed.


w arrived IN the evening at "Pauromo


ma, the ancient Tauromineum Of the Greeks.


now small city Of four or fve thuum1d ia


habltants, situated on rock some eight hun.


dred feet above, and almost over the sea. -


Here we came directly in view Of the crater.


which is on the east side of the mountain, aud


about four thousand feet from the TOP, imme.


dlately in front of us, and in an mir line about


twelve miles distant, with nothing 10


obstruct the view The spectacle was


grand beyond description The immense
crater, which is alt Of half a mile
in diameter, aud very likely full


mile, was beching up vast columns of fire to
the hight of at least fifteen hundred feet.
some estimate its hight at two thousand.
There were four distinct places where these
volumes Of fire were being thrown up con.
tlnually, and there always were two or ihrce Of
them in the air at the same time, ANA the vol
ume was so immense that the sides of the col.
umns mingled with each other. The smoke
which was not very great, considering the
amount Of fire. was blown away by the wind
nearly on a level with the crater, and formed
a vast cloud, extending far out over the sen
There was no flame visible at all, but these
tremendous columns were one close mass OF
red hot stones which appeared TO be ofiall
sizes, and were perfectly distinct to the naked
eye,


In the centre of the Jets, which were in
the form OF a cone, the red stones of seyrie
could be seen ascending to an immense hipht.
the large ones outstripped the smaller, and
seemed to waver or stand still in md.air an


instant, when they had reached their limit,
and then fell back into the seething vortex,
beneath which, at the sides Of the columns
they we're thrown out in all directions, some
appearing to be landed outside the crater. An
this time the mountain gave out one continu.
ons and incessant bellowing exactly like dis
tant thunder, which never ceased, one pea
following another, instantly causing one in
cossant and never ending roar, 5.


The glass, OF course brought the scene
much nearer and more vivid to our eyes, and
we all stood mute with wonder and astonish-
ment. The burning streams OF lava could be
seen on llsides vending their fiery way down
he mountains in all directions, and one stream
vas entirely unobstructed for distance of
sight miles. They looked precisely like |
powerful stream of molten IRON, now and
hen breaking out with white heat in spots
where the melted lava burst the outer crust
which had partially cooled


The crater being situated so low, the noun
ain towering far aud high beyond made a
most splendid background for the eruption,
'nabhng us to Judge much more accurately |
'l its height and magnitude The very top
If the mountain was sending out a volume of
moke and vApor, and II had the appearance
'f being chimney to the crater


The next day we started to see the large
tream of lava mentioned above. After a l
ide OF three hours we arrived at the village
" Mascala directly at the foot of the noun.
ain, and then proceeded on foot up the base
After walk OF four hourJ wo came to the Lawn


expected to find il liquid torrent and un.
il is when it leaves the creter, but
cools Ia coming down the noun ntain, aud al
be end OF the stream where we saw il. il was


~,
rom dust to rock Of a ton or more in weight.


The physical condition Of torrent of lava
3 precisely like that Of glacier, the forward
movement being caused by forces behind and
iRherup


The stream comes down deep rayine. h
ONE two or three hundred or more feet wide
I the top, and filled il two-ihirds foil, so il
must have been in the centre a hundred or /
lore feet deep, and was moving forward at
he rate Of about three feet a minute, lust az
teady, and almost az silently as river, all
ne llYid mass OF red hot Goals BY daylight, q
lost OF the mass looked dark, except in ,
laces where the hot rocks were tumbling +
own the sidea, and the top where the descent 2
'as steep; but at night il was all iiery red, II
terally river OF FIRE. At The 'front.' where &
10 reached the stream it had arrived at the :
OF the ravine, and as there was .
othlne to oonins it, It had spread out latter.
I over space mile in width The ground
ere offered no obstruction to the lava, andit
as piled up on all sides precisely like a rail
1ad embankment, from twenty to fifty feel =
lgh, as steep as rough matter would lia


There being so much room here for the lava
spread about no forward motion could be
lscerned, except that all along this front the
OF stones were continually tumbling down
ON the top to the boitom. So that in au
ours time we could distinctly perceive that 4
he embankment had advanced considerably \
t the sides OF the embankment where the tt
'rward motion had entirely ceased, we could
pproaeh directly up to the lava and the out N
de stones were black aud only warm-yet at o
Vo feet inside they were yet red bot, aud
armed the end OF my cane in tha IRE, and
oked out red hot piece OF lava, and brought


away as q souvenir.


The extent Of the eruption can be partially
timated by the fact that the stream Of lava 3
at have described is one of seven whose II
.fiad lauofh al a,