GRAND ERUPTION OF MOUNT ETNA.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1698, 30 July 1879, Page 4

GRAND ERUPTION OF MOUNT ETNA.

The telegrams from Italy have for many successive days described the progress of the eruption of Mount Etna. A correspondent of the “ Times,” writing from Taormina, in Sicily, on May 29th, says :—“ On the night of May 25th there were continuous murmurings from Etna, but, this not being an uncommon occurrence, it attracted but little or no attention. On the morning of the 26th these xnurmuringa increased, and I called the attention of a servant of mine to the fact, but he positively denied that the sounds proceeded from the mountain at all ; he rather thought the noise was made by the surf boating on the seashore 800 feet below, a dull sound which it much resembled. Somebody called attention to the glass rattling in the windowframes, and somebody else suggested earthquake, a suggestion which was mot with derision. However, at about half-past 12 p.m., a dense cloud of smoke was seen to be issuing from the great crater of Etna—that is as well as its origin could be traced amid the clouds with which the mountain was covered. It was a broad cloud which stretched over the land and over the sea until it was lost on the horizon. It had a very red, or rather it might be described as of a burnt sienna, color, and minute specs of ash began to fall, hut not in any quantity ; wo could trace it in its course far into the night, and, in fact, nntil we wo all went to bed. On the morning of the 27th all seemed in repose—not a cloud was upon the mountain, save the flat cloud with a lump in the middle which often overhangs the crater in the summer months, and which the Sicilians call “ the Cardinal’s Hat." But at half-past eight a dense cloud was observed to issue from the earth upon the northern slope of the mountain, as well as could be judged about half-way between linguagrosaa and Randazzo, but much higher up the mountain. This cloud grew and spread, and became so dense that the whole mountain became perfectly invisible ; the light became so much obscured that it resembled the darkness produced by a total eclipse of the sun, and a rain of fine black ash, like powdered emery, commenced. So heavy was the fall that the promontory of Naxos, but two miles distant, became perfectly invisible. This black rain continued the whole of the day, loud reports could occasionally be heard from the mountain, and no doubt now remained that an eruption on a grand sceile had commenced. No positive information could be obtained as to its exact locality, for nobody could ascend the mountain under such circumstances. Etna is so enormous, and so precipitous and rugged, that a voyage of investigation in such a rain of ash and such darkness would have been almost on impossibility. We did all wo could to obtain news, but very little that could be depended upon was acquired. All night this black rain went on. About midnight huge fires could be seen looming through the dense clouds. In the morning a most extraordinary scene presented itself; the whole face of nature was black, the hills and plains were black, the seashore was black, the usually dazzlingly white roads were black, the roofs of the houses wore black. My garden is just now a mass of flowers, but every leaf, every petal, every cup, was loaded with black, the edges of the petals giving a bright lino of the color of the flower. If a breath of wind passed, a black shower fell from the trees, and still the black rain went on. The effect upon the mind was most depressing. This ash penetrates everything; it is found in closely-shut linen drawers, in close boxes ; it is all among my paper as I write; and it seems to take delight in inserting itself in one’-s Toed—for two days I have been chewing grit. The effect of troeo and figures in this universal black is very strange, the colors-standing out with startling brilliancy. At two o’clock in the day I started on horseback to Piedmonto to try and gain some positive nows, and heard that three craters, each about a mile apart ar d situate like the points of a triangle, hud opened in a valley about six miles above a postal station called Pussapescaro, a place nearly midway on tho road between Linguagrossa and Randazzo —a most difficult place to reach, as lodging of any description could not be obtained within fourteen miles, over precipitous and rugged ground, with every path obliterated by tho ash, tho mountain thundering and vomiting lire in unknown directions, with the terrible darkness and eternal rain of black ash, and general consternation everywhere. Tho lava was said to ho flowing, but only its reflected light could be seen at night, cs it was in a valley, which, as far as I can ascertain, must he next tho “ Valley -del Bove." My eyes were most painfully inflamed by the fine ash as I returned, as wore those of my horse. My pockets were full, my boots were full; it was down my neck, in my hair and beard, and my ears wore blocked up with it; tho polished surface of my saddle was ground away with the grit. On tbc road homo I came across a priest enlarging upon the eruption to a select audience of contadini, and ventilating his knowledge by describing the destruction of Pompeii, and among other accuracies described the sentinel at tho Herculaneum gate sticking to his post through it all, and being found with his gun 1800 years after. At night tho scono was magnificent ; a tremendous stream of lava, many miles long, descended in the apparent direction of Randazzo, while from tho new craters great balls of fire were thrown high in the air and burst into showers of fire, like gigantic rockets, , accompanied by thundering explosions. This f morning tho explosions are still going on ; the stream of hva seems more active than ever; but tho ash has much diminished, and although much of the mountain is obscured, it is by a cloud apparently of vapour rather than of ash, and this gives indications of clearing away, when tho whole scene may become visible. Two English gentlemen left here this morning to try and reach the craters.