VESUVIUS OUTBREAK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1747, 12 May 1906, Page 3

VESUVIUS OUTBREAK.

GRAPHIC DETAILS,

OY EK W HELMEI ) WITH LAY A,

By telegraph, Press A*s’n, Copyright Fremantle, May 11. Files of English papers received by tho 8,8. Ortona give an interesting account of the earlier stages of the Vesuvius eruption. At one period of tho empbon enormous quantities of salt b’anched the country for miles round the mountain. This was followed by an eruption of sulphur, which painto.l the country yollow.

From tho crater poured immense columns of smoke and red-hot stone.

(Tho debris was hurled high into tho air, forming a mngniticout spoctaolo. When tho lava stroam invaded tho towns and villagos around tho mountain, a wild panic onsuod, pooplo rushing through tho stroots shrioking with torror. Soldiors, under tho command of tho Duko d'Aosta, did mngnilicont work in tho oarlior stago. 1 hoy woro employed trying to dam tho stroam of lava invading tho centros of population Thoy visitod all housos and holpod tho inhabitants to oscapo. Thoy romovod tho sick, and wont where housos woro tottoring to unearth tho dead. Thoy comforted tho dying and buriod tho dead. Torriblo scenes woro witnossod at Ottajano and other places noarost tlio volcano, which woro ovorwholmod with

lava ami debris. Tho position of tho bodies rocovorod showed tho pooplo suffered groat four boforo doatb, thoir faces rotaining tho look of terror.

Throughout tho wook Naplos appeared a groy city, its inhabitants grey ghosts, a perpetual rain of warm ashes and sand covering tho streets 'to a depth of two to throe foot. People went about Naples wearing masks, to enablo them to respirato in tho dust-laden atmosphere. Owing to tho woight of tho dobris accumulated on it, the roof of tho Great Central Market collapsod when business was in full swrng. A scono of wild consternation took place. It is estimated that two hundred people wero buriod in tho ruins, and but for a premonitory cracking o£ beams, tho death roll would havo boen much larger. Crowds of women and children sought the sanctuary of various churches, in some places tearing down doors to gain admission. In religious foivor women carried images from the churches about tho surrounding country, chanting hymns and prayers, until obliged to retreat by the advancing lava. At San Guiseppe the roof off a church fell, burying a great number of women and old people. The last accounts stated tnat one hundred and ten dead bodies and many injured had been extricated from the ruins. It is believed that altogether two hundred were buried in the ruins.

King Victor and the Queen had a splendid reception when visiting tho afflicted districts.

No satisfactory explanation as to the cause of tho eruption is forthcoming.