VKSUVIUS. 



The remarkable activit}' of Vesuvius at the present time is 

 noteworth}' and confirms the observation that the volcano has 

 been much more active in recent than in early historic times. 



Vesuvius is situated on the eastern shore of the Bay of 

 Naples, its summit reaching some 4000 feet above the level of 

 the sea. It consists of two portions, the present active volcano 

 and a semicircular cliff to the north, the remains of a prehis- 

 toric crater of vastly greater size than the present one. At the 

 time of the Christian Era nothing was known of previous 

 eruptions of Vesuvius and its volcanic nature was not sus- 

 pected. The sagacious geographer Strabo, however, discovered 

 its true character and called attention to it. From his account 

 and from other references it is known that for hundreds of 

 years before his time (born about 63 b. c. ) the sides of the 

 mountain had been cultivated and only the loose ash on its 

 summit was a witness of its volcanic nature. 



After centuries and centuries of rest the volcanic energy of 

 the mountain for the first time in history made itself manifest 

 in a series of earthquakes, beginning A. d. 63, and culminating 

 in the destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii, A. D. 79. 

 This was, perhaps, the greatest exhibition of volcanic activity 

 ever known. Following this, V^esuvius rested practically dor- 

 mant until the great eruption of 1631. Since then subsequent 

 eruptions have occurred from time to time, the years 1766-67, 

 1779 and 1822 having been marked by special activity. Again, 

 to-day, after a restless sleep of three-quarters of a century, 

 comes the present eruption with its enormous destruction. 



The Institute has just added to its mineral collection a par- 

 ticularly beautiful sample of carborundum, obtained from the 

 Carborundum Company, of Niagara Flails. Carborundum, or, 

 chemically, carbide of silicon, is obtained by heating coke and 

 sand, with salt as a flux, in the electric furnace. It was dis- 

 covered by Acheson in the attempt to make artificial diamonds. 



