The eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which began to attract attention
towards the end of last week, developed formidable activity on Saturday, and soon spread panic and disaster throughout the villages of the Vesuvian littoral. On Monday Bosco-Trecase and Ottaiano were reported destroyed by lava and earthquake ; even Pompeii INIUI feared to be in danger ; more than fifty people were overwhelmed by the collapse of a church at San Giuseppe, and twenty thousand panic-stricken refugees were in flight from Torre Annunziata, Torre del Greco, and other Vesuvian villages. The panic. spread to Naples itself, which was smothered in ashes and cinders; twelve people were killed by the collapse of a market building at San Oliveto ; but by Wednesday the violence of the eruption had sensibly abated, and it is hoped the worst is over. The mischief appears to have been done at close quarters by streams of lava, showers of incandescent stones, and a dense rain of volcanic ash. To aggravate the horror, the
atmosphere was asphyxiating, and a thick pall of darkness enveloped the district. Yet the intrepid Professor Matteucci, of the Vesuvius Observatory, with a guard of carabineers, has remained calmly at his post, minimising his own danger, and taking the earliest opportunity to restore confidence by tele- graphing more hopeful news of the state of the volcano. An excellent impression was also created by the King and Queen of Italy, who at considerable risk visited many of the devas- tated villages.
