The Virginia Gazette

Letters from Naples of the 17th Instant, bring some Particulars of the Late dreadful Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, not yet mention'd. It began on the 8th in the Afternoon, when there issued Stones from the Volcano, with a terrible Noise, like that of the smartest Thunder-Claps. In the Evening, Flames burst out of it to a prodigious Height in the Air, accompany'd with such a vast Quantity of burning Sulphur, that the Mountain and the neighbouring Country, for Five Miles round, were cover'd with it, which forc'd the Inhabitants to quit their Houses, and retire to the City of Naples: The Flaming Shower spread as far as Torre del Greco, and set Fire to the Church and Vestry of the Carmelite Friars, who had much ado to save the Consecrated Vessels, and the Holy Virgin's Image. The Village of Ottajano was quite cover'd with Cinders and Gravel; and the great Number of Stones that fell, beat down Two Churches, particularly one of the Nuns, of whom Five were kill'd, and several others wounded. Above 100 Houses were also damnag'd. The Towns of Nola and Livori suffer'd likewise very much from the great Storm of Ashes, Sand, and Stones, which extended as far as Avellino, Ariano and Benevento.

The Smoak was so thick, and there was such a Cloud of Ashes, that the Sun was not to be discern'd in some Places for some Hours. All this Time his Neapolitan Majesty durst not stir abroad; but the People made a Procession thereupon, with the Head of St. Januarius; and expos'd a Piece of the Holy Cross, brandishing it towards the Mountain: Upon which they fancied the Storm abated, but it broke out again the next Day as bad as ever; tho' it was much diminish'd when the Letters came away. It is not an improbable Conjecture, that had it not been for this Eruption, there would have been a violent Earthquake.

The last Letters from Naples say, that the Torrents of flaming, bituminous, and other Matter, from Mount Vesuvius did not stop 'til the 22d of last Month, and that the principal Torrent was just upon the Point of swallowing up the large and fine Borough de la Torre Greco: It had fill'd up a very long, broad, and deep Drain, gain'd the great Road, swallow'd up the Church call'd the Church of Purgatory, and also a Part of that belonging to the Carmelites. The Mischief had been still greater, if the Bridge over the Ravine had not been cut, to give the free Course to that dreadful Torrent of Fire, which tumbled itself with a furious Rapidity into the Sea. The Thickness of the flaming Matter was 30 Feet in the Plain, and 120 in the Drains and hollow Ways: It resembles the Skimmings of Iron, and is composed of Sulphur, common Salt, Saltpetre, Salt-Ammoniac, and calcin'd Stones. When the Flames were at the greatest Height, whole Provinces were enveloped in entire Darkness, and the Terror of the Inhabitants was increased by successive Shocks of an Earthquake, and a most frightful Noise under Ground. At Naples, all the Harm they received was that of being almost terrified out of their Senses. The Borough of Attojano on the Declivity of the Mountain has been very much damaged by a continual Shower of Cinders and Stones of an astonishing Bigness; almost all the Houses are rendered uninhabitable. All the Farms in the Neighbourhood of Somma, which furnished excellent Fruit and exquisite Wines are entirely ruined, and the Crop lost this Year. The King has sent a Body of Troops to take Care of the Houses that are abandoned by the Inhabitants.