The lava of Vesuvius

Lava continued to move, but its motion was so slow that it can be seen only at the end. Solid core covered stream, and the surface heated mass has cooled very quickly: twelve hours after the death of many of its unfortunate residents ventured traveled to his victims dwellings to pick up all that spare the lava. We even managed to save many people who fear locked in a monastery, and prayed in vain so far for help. In many places the lava cracked, out of these cracks rapidly climbed a pair of saturated sodium chloride, and the edges of them could see the bright glowing flame. He could hear the continuous noise, like peals of distant thunder, and mozhii, penetrating black clouds of rain falling from the volcano, violated the darkness of the night. In their view it was evident that these huge masses escaped from a large crater at the top of the mountain. They rose a dense black cloud and misty at altitude. Heavy pieces of stones padazh back into the crater. After the first cloud followed the second and third - with no end, they all rose to incredible heights. Wonderful, glorious sight! At times, the mountain seemed to be wearing a crown of clouds, nestled in some peculiar manner, they are gradually blurred, and heavy stones were falling back and rolling down the slopes of the cone wind caught the fine ash and carries it throughout the neighborhood. Several hours later, the ashes once again covered the entire sky, and again it was impossible to distinguish day from night. During the day felt somewhat weak tremors. But under the influence of past horrors people do not pay attention to these weak manifestation of volcanic forces. On the night of the 18 th, about two hours, all were scared a new strong blow. It was felt mainly in Portici, rubber and other places located vbzhzi Vesuvius. In the morning the ashes began to fall in smaller quantities and at dawn, people were surprised to see that the top of the volcano failed: instead formed an oblique rolled to the sea. Due to continuous eruptions of ash inside the mountain was so ruined that I could not bear the weight of the vertices: it collapsed into the abyss of the crater. But this phenomenon did not end with the majestic gray rain. True, in Naples, Portici and around the ash fell less than before, and for several hours through the thick clouds of dust could be seen red disk of the sun, but in areas located east of Mount Vesuvius, gray rain intensified. Swift whirlwind bore ejected from the crater of the masses and with the fury of their overthrow of the Somme, Ottayyanu, Nola, Caserta. Throughout the country to the Apennine Mountains was black night, it seemed the whole Vesuvius smashed to pieces. Torrents of rain mixed with ash and mud fell to the ground, like a dough. She lay on the grass and tree branches, all of this fertile corner of the gardens perished, burdened by its weight. In some places, the roofs of houses collapsed and frightened residents fleeing, fled into the mountains. Likewise killed: former Pompey and Herculaneum. New disaster threatened the country. 18 th and 19 th mud and ashes fell thick clouds, do not let the daylight and suddenly, threatening flood waters rushed up the steep slopes of the mountains, with towering force they were breaking rocks and tore trees, the whole area was covered with huge slabs of stone. On the night of June 20, swept five of these streams, three times during the day they made their devastation and the last time with a vengeance. All the neighborhood of Vesuvius covered breakdown, every little cloud seemed to possess unusual powers, whenever he clothe the top of the volcano, and immediately rushes down streams of water, crushing forests and cities, bridges and broken homes, devastated fields. Overcome with horror, impending death, the unfortunate inhabitants fled. In Bosco, Somme, Ottayyano, Torre dell Annunziata irretrievably lost human labor, and the devastation produced by lava in the Torre dell Greco, have hardly been more extensive and terrible. Amount of ash emitted gradually decreased. Along with them are now flying clubs and fumes were dispersed through the air. In Naples, the darkness of the night broke the bright lightning, always escaping from the ash clouds. They were accompanied by great thunder, but without the peals. 24 and especially 26 ash began to fall in Naples stronger, but at the sight of it from people involuntarily cry of joy: it was no longer dark gray and black ash, and very light, almost white. The experience of previous years shows that this phenomenon precedes the end of the eruption. People are not disappointed, since that time Vesuvius just steamed, ash was falling for several more days, from July 8, the sky over Naples cleared. Torre dell Greco soon be built again, thanks to the inexhaustible diligence of its inhabitants. Thousands of people were scattered over the fields, cleaning the ashes from the branches of fruit trees and vines. Again, people began to flock to Naples on gay representation, and "Punchinello" their jokes again gathered at the intersection of crowds. " In the following decades, several eruptions occurred, but none of them were not particularly strong. Only in 1822 again saw the terrible eruption, which, however, did not have such fatal consequences, as in 1794 further eruptions occurred in 1839, in 1850, in 1855 and 1861, the year. The last big eruption happened in 1872. We describe it, guided mainly data Heym and Rath. First, the crater was filled in November 1868 gave the northern side of the crack, the lava flowed to the atrio and walked the same path as in 1855, then formed a cone inside the crater, reaching 100 m in height, he moved from another small cone: a similar phenomenon, as reported by Hamilton in his work on Flegreyskih fields have been observed in the middle of last century. In 1871, the night from 12 th to January 13, on the north side of the cone at 65 meters below the summit, formed a new hole. Huge chunks of lava piled around him and formed the so-called Bocca, where hot lava bubbled and boiled, approximately every 6 - 8 minutes with a noise flew out chunks of slag - volcanic bombs. Of a similar nature were explosions of volcanic activity in 1871 and early 1872 Nothing hinted at the possibility of a large eruption. April 24 for a full day volcano threw stones, and the evening came the lava, 25, repeated the same, but with a vengeance, the lava flows poured in atrio. On the night of 26 th in the gorge were a lot of people who admired the magnificent play of fire flow; suddenly between 3 - 4 am cone gave a huge crack from the top to the atrio, lava burst into the gorge, and piles of red-hot stones flew from the crater, thick clouds vapor enveloped atrio, hail volcanic bombs rained down on viewers fluttered, and lava overtook them, most were killed, and only a few, scarred and wounded, escaped into the observatory.