PATER’S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3862, 20 March 1928, Page 10

PATER’S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

ERUPTIONS AND A BURIED CITY. It was reported a few weeks ago by some Maori that Mount Egmont would burst forth into eruption about the end of last month. The dire or frightful prophecy was not fulfilled, but within a reasonable amount of time after the prophecy was made, a very serious earthquake was experienced at New Plymouth and in the neighbourhood of that town. Before Vesuvius, near Naples, blew its head oft in 79 a.d. there were earthquakes and rumblings in the regions about the part of Italy where Vesuvius is situated, and there was a particularly bad shake 16 years before the big eruption of that now active volcano. Pre-, viously to the eruption it was what is known as a quiescent or dead volcano, and that is what Mount Egmout now is. The geographical situations of Mount Vesuvius and Mount Egmont are almost similar, or rather analogous, both being isolated peaks in countries subject to earthquakes; but there is this difference: that, while the North Island has a safety valve for subterranean explosive forces in Ngauruhoe and in the regions about Rotorua, the peninsula of Italy has nothing of the kind, though it may be claimed that Etna in Sicily and Strornboli in the Lipari Islands, both active volcanoes, should have acted as safety valves for Southern Italy. It is also to be kept before the mind that the seismic or earthquake forces that exist in and about Southern Italy are much more energetic than those that exist under the North Island of New Zealand. Moreover, it is to be noted that Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli are much more active than Ngauruhoe, and that fact denotes also that the explosive forces are much stronger in Italy, and therefore much greater and much more dangerous than they arc in northern New Zealand. Nevertheless, it is a fact that isolated Voleonic peaks like Egmont are not to be trusted, but there is this consolation to be ta'.An into account, that New Zealand is much older, geologically speaking, than Italy, and therefore much safer from very serious earthquakes aud fromthe danger of great volcanic eruptions. Moreover, Mount Egmont is very much bigger than Vesuvius, and its great size and weight is another factor of safety. 'Also, it is not now in the line of weakness or least resistance to subterranean forces. Volcanic activity in New Zealand is dying and weak, so the people of Taranaki near Egmont may rest quietly in their beds. There is neither profit nor knowledge to be gained from guesswork about how the powers of Nature are liable to act, so we shall hark back to some history of what took place in Italy nearly 1900 years ago, when Rome was at the zenith of her world power and all the then known civilised countries of the West paid her tribute in gold and produce. In that period of history three towns the slopes of Vesuvius were much fre-

quented as Holiday resorts by the wealthy people of Rome. These were Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabia?. In summer the nobles and the wealthy men of Rome resorted to those towns, lived luxurious lives, and held high festivities. There they built great theatres and magnificent palaces furnished with the art treasures of the civilised countries which they had conquered: so a brief account of one of those cities may be interesting. In our school books we have read something of Pompeii, but little of Herculaneum, so a little about that city may make an appeal to readers.

Herculaneum got its name from Hercules, the mystic god of strength, revered and often prayed to by the warriors and athletes of ancient Greece and Rome. The town was situated on the north-western base of Vesuvius, about five miles east of Naples. Not much is known of its early history, but it is believed to have been of very ancienr origin and older than Rome.

It is said that it was a merchant city of those wonderfully enterprising traders, the Phoenicians, who founded Carthage’ Marseilles, and many of the chief ports of Spain. Before the days of Rome, it was taken and held by the early warrior tribes of Italy, firstly by the Pelasgians, then by the Ascans, then by the Samnites from the north, and finally by the Romans, who made it their summer resort for pleasures both innocent and wicked.

In 79 a.d. it was buried under sand, ashes, mud, and volcanic lava, to the depth of from 40 to 100 feet. The sand, ashes, and mud, in the course of a long lapse of time, became consolidated by lime and silica, and the covering matter grew so hard that it was believe ! for a long time that the lost city was buried completely by lava or molten rock from the crater craeks of the volcano. On account of the thickness of its covering and its hardness there have not been so much excavation and exploring of its ruins as has been carried out at Pompeii, and another cause of its site being left comparatively untouched is that above its ruins have been built two villages, Portici and Resina, suburbs of Naples. In 1706, when doepening a well in one of those villages, the decorated floor of an ancient building was struck, and fragments of the mosaic pavement brought up. Though that created some astonishment, it was not till 1738 that any systematic exploration was carried out, and what was done was ordered by the then King of Naples. It was then discovered that the floor of the building at the bottom of the well from which the first relies were.obtained was a part of a Roman theatre.

This ancient building was further explored and cleared, and many relics discovered, chief of which were statues in bronze and marble. Exploration was afterwards carried out to a very limited extent for two reasons, one being the hardness of the volcanic tufa (deposit) and the other the fear of undermining the dwellings on the surface. Hence to-day visitors to Herculaneum see very little excavation compared with what can he seen at Pompeii. Most of what can be seen of the entombed city is still chiefly the excavated Roman theatre, which

must have been of considerable size, for it has round it 18 rows of stone seats and could accommodate 8000 persons. Signs show that it was built only a short time before the great and fatal eruption. Later on a little more excavation was done, and a part of the Forum (public meeting place) was uncovered. There were also found several small temples and a Roman villa, nd from these buildings many beautiful statues and paintings were unearthed. Though not nearly so much excavation and exploration have been done at Herculaneum as at Pompteii, art relics discovered far exceed in beauty, value, and interest those found at Pompeii. These treasures can b e seen to day in the National Museum at Naples. Greater and more interesting discoveries are soon to be made at Herculaneum, for the present energetic and powerful director of Italy's destiny, Mussolini, is making the thorough exploration of the buried city the work of the State, and much will be learned from th e discoveries of the life and culture of Rome in her days of luxury.

CHINA’S GREAT EARTHQUAKE. When the present civil war-in China had been going on for about half a year a vague report was received that a great earthquake had occurred in some part of Northern Chinn. It is a notable fact that seismologists (men who study the movements of the earth’s crust) recorded the quake, and placed it either in the extreme north of China proper or in Mongolia, a province immediately to the north, before news by word of mouth was received by th e outside world. Now some news has been received from the stricken area telling us that a terrible . earthquake, almost as terrible as any in history, occurred in and among the Nan Shan Mountains. It devastated an area measuring 300 miles by 100 and it is believed that at least 100,000 people perished. One would suppose that the world vyould instantly be ringing with th e news of such a catastrophe, yet it took over two months for the world to hear a word of it! The seismographic instruments recorded the tremors, but did not say where they came from, and so the observers, from data given, made the guess that th e occurrence took place somewhere in Central Asia. The disaster occurred in the extreme north-west of China, in the province of Kansu, _ and Kansu, • with its teeming population, i s approachable only by caravan route. Travel and communication there are almost a s primitive as when Marco Polo walked across Central Asia with his father six centuries ago. Ihree cities on the northern slopes of tlie Nan-bhan Mountains, south of the Hobi Desert, were completely destroyed, as well a s countless villages. On e village was literally buried under falling mountains. A similar disaster occurred only seven years ago. Monsignor Buddenbrock, a missionary who sent the news, said the misery of the survivors was indescribable. ’The niissions were all destroyed. The Sister Superior at Sisiang was attending Mass when th e mission chapel collapsed upon her. When her body was removed it yas found to be protecting two children were still alive.