Winchester Gazette

From the London Courier of the 1st of April, we have extracted the following account of another eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which took place on the night of the 24th of February, exhibiting a spectacularly grand and awful: [Balt. Pat.]

NAPLES, March 8.

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius.—Mount Vesuvius, which has been for several months in a state of total inaction, on Friday, the 22d February showed signs of renewed vigour; on the following night it was in a very great activity, and on Sunday night, (the 24th Feb.) the volcano exhibited a very grand eruption. A broad stream of lava descended the cone, and seemed to turn off in an angle, and run down the mountain towards Resina and Portici; the flames above the crater were lofty and continued; an unremitting discharge of fiery masses, which were thrown up in the air to a great height, issued from the mouth, and the groans of the mountain were heard in Naples, like distant thunder—About two o'clock on that evening the view of the city was particularly striking—the wide river of fire ran on in majestic slowness: in innumerable pale torches were seen coasting its sides, on which some bold and curious persons seemed every now and then to be treading; the flames were reflected across the bay, and threw a strong glare on the buildings and on the faces of thousands of spectators who had gathered on the Molo, Santa Lucia, and other open places, to gaze at the magnificent conflagration.

On Monday (25th Feb.) the eruption was much less considerable; in the evening, the Princess of Paranoto, the King's wife, ascended to the hermitage of San Salvator.

On Tuesday the (26th) loud rumbling noises were heard in Naples, at very short intervals, during all the day; the quantity of smoke which issued from the volcano was so great that the sun was quite discoloured; its reflex was of a murky red tint, and the atmosphere was heavily clouded. Religious processions were made in the little towns at the foot of the mountain, which have so often suffered from their dangerous neighbour. Towards evening, as appearances promised a good night's work, we set off from Naples to view the operations nearer. The road to Resina was covered with people going and returning, like a fair: when we reached the spot where strangers are, on common occasions surrounded by guides, and asses and mules, to conduct them up the mountain, we found that no animals were to be procured, and it was with difficulty we could get a stupid old man for a cicerone, who rendered us no other service than carrying a torch. The ascent was thronged with people, some pushing on eagerly to the object of their curiosity, and others returning and discussing what they had seen; far below San Salvator we saw the stream of fire rolling along a wide hollow, and approaching the path by which we were going up: it was then, however, at a considerable distance, its course was very slow.

On reaching the hermitage we refreshed ourselves as well as the crowd there assembled would permit; we then continued, and for shortness traversed the lava chiefly formed by the eruption of January, 1821; we reached the foot of the cone just where the stream was descending; we found it about thirty feet wide; it was not liquid lava, but composed of ashes, ignited stones, and old masses of volcanic ejections, swept away in its course and heated again; these lumps rolled over each other, producing a strange clinking noise: some of them were of very great size, and the whole stream, tho' descending a steep cone, moved but slowly.

Beyond this principal stream, midway up the cone, was an opening, whence very large stones and other burning matter were continually thrust out; this mouth fed a scattered stream, beyond which was another narrow stream, proceeding, (like the principal one) from the crater; they both united with the main body in the deep hollow below, and rolled on towards the road which leads from Resina up to the hermitage:

The quantity of spectators standing by this burning river was astonishing; we, with a great many of the more adventurous determined to ascend the cone; we therefore passed a little to the left of the great stream, and began to scramble through the deep loose cinders and ashes which cover this part of the mountain, and render it at all times a most fatiguing climb. A little path or tract formerly existed, in which the guides had laid masses of lava to facilitate the mounting, but it was just in that line that the present eruption descended, and we were in consequence obliged to go up over the sand and cinders, in which we stuck up to our knees, and at every three steps lost one on an average. After a most breathing toil of an hour and a half, we found ourselves with a few others, on the edge of the grand crater; hence the coup-d'oeil was terrifically sublime; the flames rushed out of the mouth and threw themselves in the air in a broad body to the elevation of at least a hundred feet, whilst many of the fiery stones flew up twice that height; the flames fell back into the mouth and then burst out again, as though impelled by a fresh impulse, like the blast of a bellows; in the descent some of the stones and lumps of cinder returned into the mouth, but the greater part fell outside of the flames like the jets of a fountain.—While we were standing on the exposed side of the crater, very intent in observation, all of a sudden the volcano gave a tremendous roar, it was like the crash of a long line of artillery, and was instantly succeeded by such a discharge of stones as we had never before seen, at the same moment the wind which was very high, gave an irregular gust, which directed a good part of the stones towards where we were posted; our situation was a minute or two very perilous, but there was no shelter near, and we stood still, looking at the descending shower which fell around us; we however, happily sustained no other injury than a short alarm, and having some ashes, dashed in our faces by stones which fell near us. Two or three gentlemen who were ascending the cone after us, were not quite so fortunate, for many of the stones falling outside of the ridge, rolled down the side with great velocity, loosening and carrying with them lumps of cold lava, &c. some of which struck those persons on the legs with great violence, and nearly precipitated one of them headlong to the foot of the cone. After this, we had seen enough, and turned to go down; the descent is as easy as the ascent is difficult: the cinders and ashes slide away beneath the feet; nothing is necessary but to step out (the quicker the better) to keep one's equilibrium and avoid the fixed or large stones and pieces of lava—we were not ten minutes in reaching the point, whence it had taken us an hour and a half to mount. In coming down we were struck with the strange appearance of the torches of companies ascending and descending; they formed a pale wavering line from Resina to the hermitage, and thence to the cone they were scattered about in thick and fantastic groups. On reaching the hermitage we found it so crowded that we could not enter; the large flat around was covered like a crowded fair by people of all nations and of all ranks from the beautiful and accomplished Countess of Fiquelmont, wife of the Austrian Ambassador, to the Austrian sergeant and his wife who had come to see that blazing mountain; numbers of people had come from the towns and villages below with bread and wine, and fruit and aqua-vitae, all of which articles seemed in very great demand.—The motley scene was lit by the silvery moon, and the red towering flames at the summit of the volcano. We took some slight refreshment, and repaired homewards in the midst of as gay groups as ever returned from scenes of festivity and joy.

When we got lower down, we found that the lava had approached very near to the road, and had already seized upon a fine vineyard, which was blazing very brilliantly. After our return we learned that the lava traversed the road. On Wednesday, the 27th, the eruption was in a great measure tranquilized; still, however, crowds of people continued going up the mountain, and an Austrian officer, who had come from Naples to see it, was unfortunately killed on the ridge of the cone, by a large stone striking him on his head—On Thursday scarcely anything but smoke issued from the crater, and it has continued in this peaceful state ever since.