A REMARKABLE VOLCANO STORY. SHOWERS OF RED-HOT STONES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 318, 21 November 1888, Page 4

A REMARK ABLE VOLCANO STORY. SHOWERS OF RED-HOT STONES.

Tue following is a copy of a letter descvibiug the recent volcanic eruption in tho Is mid of Vulcano. Tho letter is signed " A. E. Naiiiau," and dated Lipui, August 30:— "On the 3rd inst. wo had an outbuilt in the crater, wiih stones, flames, thunder (regular lightnings). It was t Irony; enough to throw stones of consideiablo bize to the sides of tho mountain. We had often been such eruptions during 12 to 13 yeais I have been on the island, and I hoped it w ould end like tormer eruption?. Towaidb evening, however, the rushes ot bmoke, steam, and ashes (which used to be projected into theair I to about twice the height of the mountain) had completely ceased. As tho night approached the le iding jama role (which was ' very active, giving- off an offensive smell for months before the event) had beeun to show a clear high flame, much paler than She flame.s produced by the burning of wood, and somewhat greenish or bluish. This phenomenon, together with the sudden stopping of the smoke, was not evidently a good omen. Consequently, I spent all the night dressed on a sofa in the drawing room. Towards morning I was overpowered by sleep, and went to the littlo bedroom which looks towards the mountain, lested on tho bed, and soon was evidently sound asleep. Soon afterwards I was awakened by a fcremendou« din, which can hardly be described. "As I jumped up trovn my bed I felt stones falling on the roof as hail — such cannonading going on, I understood what was the matter, ran to the opposite room, where I had made my children sleep that night. The) r were also up in consequence oflin indescribable noise ot thunder, rush of gases, flames, falling of huge boulders, rocks, etc. 1 took them to the di a.wingroom, but as soon as the door was opened a big stone, red hot(all these stones were quite red with heat), fell through tho roof, ceiling and floor a few yards from us, smashing all, setting fireto everything. Now I took my children back to the beclioom, which looks on to the verandah, and tried to gain the terrace by that side. The house doors weie shivering and shaking, so that ifc was a difficult matter to open them. At last I succeeded, but before we were out in the verandah another stone fell at our feet, was smashed to fragments, and burned the feet and legs of my boys. Now we passed through the verandah, regained the hoube at the top of the stairs : heie another stone fell very near us (none of these stones were less than two feet in diameter). This lasc stone (which is the fourth that struck the house) has nearly blocked our way out in the rubbish that ifc brought from the roof. We passed through over the heap of rubbish, and were now out in the open to the north of the house. By this time (not many minutes after all) the whole place was lighted up ; woods, grass, buildings, hedges— all on tire : the huge boulders and stones weie literally rainingeverywhere about us — what confusion 1 Natali, the faithful, boy had by this time come to the help of my little boys. We all began to run to Vulcarello and away from the dreadful thundering mountain. Towards noon boats of rescue reached us fiom Lipari, and we thus ended one of the most eventful days of our life. On revisiting the spot I saw the whole of the plains below the mountain to the di&tance of one and a-half mile literally covered with bouldors and rocks of ail sizes. One three-quarters of a mile from the crater is ten yards in diameter, and is imbedded 11 ieet in the ground.