THE VESUVIUS ERUPTION.

Grey River Argus, 25 September 1911, Page 5

THE VESUVIUS ERUPTION.

DESTRUCTION OF ; CLOUD-BURST

STREETS FLOODED THREE AND FOUR FEET DEEP.

APPALLING SIGHTS

DESTRUCTION AT TERRO dil GRECO.

(.By 'Electric Telegraph — Copyright

CPer Press Association.)

(Red. 5.5 p.m.)

ROME, Sept. 23. A cloud-burst: did incalculable damage in the neighbourhood of Vesuvius'. Resina was engulfed in .mud rieaching to the : first floors. An impetuous mountain-side tor:cent bearing huefa boulders shatteatad a numbmeor of houses, and the; women and children were transfenied. It was an appalling sight, as they made no 'effort to escape. Many of this bodies were "{swept scawaird. Twenty were rfecovered. Several palaces of the. Neapolitan nobility at Te!rro del Greco collapsed, burying the occupants. (Red. 5.5 p.m.) ROME, Sept 23. The disaster of the population is popularly attributed to the failure of th© miracle of the blood of SaintJanuairius. The hurricane lasted twenty-four 1 hours continuous. Details are lacndinig owin,gto thei interruption of communications. Hugj^ deposits of volcanic ashes on slopes of Molunt Vesuvus weone washed into naging torrents. RIVERS OF MUD.. Despite the vast concrete constructions, the mud avalanches began a devastating descent. It submerged cultivated fields, uprooted trci&s, dehigied low-lying villages, particularly Toiire del Gre;cos, wheire the torrent rushed to the second floors *and washed away the railway line. Oither villages ware buried. A slough six feet wide spread in the. darkness and scones of houses collapsed. In many cases the terrifiad a*niliat>itants were unable to escape before the cottageis were engulfed or batte:rd to pieces.

In many cases the terrifiad a*niliat>itants we.Te unable to escape before the cottageis were engulfed or batte:rd to pieces. Giant fctaiulders were carrkid fr»m mountain-sides, together with trees and caflcases of aniimails. Twen-ty corpses wore recovered that belong to two families. Hundreds ,of villages are still cut off. The people a:ie in danger of peritshing. Naples sent soldiers and firemen as rescue parties, but it was difficult to meach the centre of this disaster. Great damage, was done by floods at iNa.ples and ibo trains were stopped A cloud-burst also occurmed at Volteirra and Leghorn. Many workmen at Rome were in danger of drowning by the sudden flooding of the basements of the houses. The water was three and four feet deep in the streets.