News by the Mail.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3873, 14 May 1906, Page 4

News by the Mail.

THE VESUVIUS ERUPTION.

Fb.emantle, May 11.

Files by the Ortona give an interesting account of the earlier stages of the Vesuvius eruption. At one period of the eruption enormous quantities of salt blanched the country for miles round the mountain. This was followed by an eruption of sulphur, which painted the country yellow. From the I crater poured immense columns of ■smoke. Red-hot stone debris was hurled high in thu air making a magnificent spectacle. When the lava stream reached the towns and villages a wild panic; set in, people

rushing through the streets shrieking in terror. Soldiers under command of the Duke d’Aosta did magnificent work. In the earli er stages they were employed in to dam bfeck the stream of lava from invading the centres of population. They visited all the houses and helped the inhabitants to escape, removed the sick, went w’nere houses

WfMre tottering to unearth the dead,

rjomforted the dying, *r jd buried the .dead. Terrible scem.g were witnessed at Ottajano ar ,d other places nearest the volcano , which were overwhelmed by h *va and debris. The position of the bodies recovered showed that they a offered great fear before death, the faces retaining a look of terror. Throughout the week Naples app wared to be a grey city, the perpfi* ual rain of warm ! ashes and sasadj covering the streets to s> depth of itw o or three feet. 1 p <: r.pio vciari't about Naples weat)og masks. Ovi/iug to the weight of debiis the roof of the great central mai ket c.'Uapsod v. hen business was in full swing. A scene of wild consternation followed. It is estimated that fully 2000 were buried in the ruins. Bat for the premonitory ClMCkillg "f tl>» beams I he d- ii'i roll W"Uld have been much . il'i r, Crowds of women and c. ildivn sought sanctuary in the various churches, in some places teaimg down the doors to gain admission. In religious fervour wotm-n carried images from the churches about the, Hummndingcountry, chaining hymns and prayers tv • il hbg- <• »“ by the adva 'L’Mig lava. At S in Guiseppe I he I . t nf a church fell in, burying a great number I a omen and old people.

The lust, accounts stated that 110 dead bodies and many injured had been extricated. It is believed that, altogether 200 people were buried in the ruins.

King Victor and the Queen had a splendid reception when visiting the afflicted districts. No satisfactory explanation as to the cause of the eruption is forthcoming.