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THE ILLINOIS FA.IIMEII. - 



* .: 



109 



Correspondence of tns London Times. 

 The Great Sruption of V^esuvius. 



Account of the Commencement of the Eruption, by an Eye 

 Witness, 



It was now nearly five o'clock, and we went 

 quite close up to the largest crater, which we 

 were enabled to do, as the wind blew steady 

 and strong down the valley, and thus we got 

 within eight or ten yards of the next opening. 

 From this we counted five or six distinct foun- 

 tains of fire, the largest putting forth volumes 

 of smoke, stones and lava. From another a 

 literal fountain of burning matter was ejected, 

 and from all lava and smoke poured forth in 

 greater or less quantities, tlie whole torrent of 

 lava uniting into a regular stream of red burn- 

 ing liquid pouring down the inclined side of 

 the valley. 



We remained here observing this wonderful 

 sight for over an hour, then determined to aS" 

 cend to the top of the great one; our guide wa-^ 

 most unwilling to go up, wishing to return to 

 the Hermitage — spoke of danger, late hour, 

 &c., — eventually we persuaded him to advance. 

 After a most severe walk by a path seldom 

 traveled, we toiled to the top, where we arrived 

 to see the last streaks of day-light gilding the 

 distant horizon. 



It was now sufficiently dark to see accurately 

 the trace of the fire from all the fissures we had 

 left below, and standing on a projecting piece 

 of lava the scene lay at our feet; the eruption 

 was evidently on the increase, and acres upon 

 acres seemed putting forth in fire. The stream 

 of burning lava now in the twilight became 

 awfully visible, and rolled along at a rapid 

 pace to the bottom of the valley, up to the very 

 sides of the Monte Somma. We were perfectly 

 amazed at a sight no pencil could portray or 

 pen describe. 



Our guide now urged us to descend; the lava 

 was running exactly towards the path close to 

 to the Monte Somma on which we had travel 

 ed, and it was quite evident that the smoke, 

 which was blown down the valley towards the 

 sea, would, in the event of a change of wind, 

 leave our only path of return in a most im- 

 passable condition. 



We therefore hastened to descend the cove as 

 well as we could, the conflagration lending us a 

 partial glary light. The descent was difficult 

 and dangerous; sand up to our ankles, inter- 

 mixed with large lumps of old lava. Every 

 moment we were in fear of tumbling head fore- 

 most down the precipitate descent. We, how- 

 ever, got safe to the bottom of the cone, and 

 had now to pass the oarrow space between the 

 burning lava and Monte Somma, which here 

 presents a face of perpendicular rock, perfectly 

 inaccessible, and we became quite aware of the 

 fact that the torrent of lava might intercept our 

 passage totally; we could not possibly get up 

 the side of Monte Somma. 



[ must confess I telt here considerably ner- 

 vous, and I saw the double danger of the lava 

 stopping our path and that of a change of wind, 

 which would certainly have smothered us inau 

 instant; and as we pressed on over the rugged 

 road, we saw the eruption increasing momently. 

 In one place the lava was rolling down the val- 

 ley in an enormous burning wave, perfectly red 

 hot, and a few yards from us, and at our point 

 of exit we could see little or uo room to pass; — 

 and although the sight was one of wonder 1 

 never expected to witness, yet we were obliged 

 to press along smartly for our departure through 

 the fiery gate, and when we did arrive at the 

 point of exit, not ten feetremained between the 

 side of the rock and the mass of burning lava. 

 Our guide, however, pressed on briskly, and we 

 passed the ordeal, not without feeling, I must 

 say, excessively uncomfortable from the great 

 heat and the near approach of this fearful burn 

 ing mass, and, having passed, we rested to see 

 the wonderful sight, now rapidly increasing. 



Naples, May 31.— Last night the spectacle 



was peculiarly grand and imposing. The lava 

 was poured in increaged quantity along each of 

 the streams already established, and being in a 

 high state of incadesence, presented a peculiar 

 splendid appearance. 



At about eight o'clock an immense torrent of 

 lava broke over the ridge which confines the 

 basin of craters, in the direction of the Somma; 

 it flowed down the declivity of the Somma as an 

 immense torrent of liquid fire, and with such 

 extraordinary rapidity than in less than an hour 

 it had descended through a considerable portion 

 of the mountain. Its progress was then retard- 

 ed, partly by the diminished steepness of the 

 ground, and partly by transverse ravines, which 

 must be filled before the fluid can advance. — 

 Kothing could exceed thesplendor of this torrent 

 of liquid fire, forming the fourth principal 

 stream of lava; but the most extraordinary burst 

 of splendor which has been presented siuce the 

 coma encement of the eruption took place eoon 

 after nine o'clock, when all the mouths seemed 

 to be simultaneously called into violent action, 

 and to vomit forth such torrents of lava that 

 the entire mountain seemed one blaze of fire; 

 the varied colors produced in difierent parts, 

 owing probably in part to reflection, presented 

 a beautiful and striking appearance. The lurid 

 light diffused from this enormous burning mass 

 rendered visible the subjacent country, the 

 town, the coast and the bay. 



On each night several thousands of persons 

 of all ranks, from the pear to the peasant, 

 urged by curiosity, repair to the scene of this 

 extraordinary spectacle. The darkness being 

 complete, and the route in many parts difficult, 

 each party is furnished with a torch, and the 

 view of these hundreds of torches flitting about 

 between the streams of lava, is most curious, 

 presenting the appearance of multitudes of fire- 

 flies. 



June 1. — The eruption is splendid ! There 

 are three streams of lava, which begin just 

 between Vesuvius and Somma ; we went as 

 near as possible ; we climbed to the top of a 

 ridge of lava which had begun to cool, but it 

 requiied all the carefulness of our guides to 

 prevent us burning our feet off. On our way 

 down we went to the top of the Observatory, 

 whence the view of the lava was splendid ; the 

 middle was flowing as fast as water ; there was 



a rayed reflection in the smoke, which said 



was like the Aurora Borealis in Scotland. The 

 eruption began last Wednesday night ; the lava 

 begins where it did in 1855. There were thou- 

 sands ot people on the mountain ; it was an 

 extraordinary scene. At the end of one of the 

 streams of lava, that on the Castellamare side 

 of the Hermitage, there was a ceremony, I 

 suppose to stop the lava. There was a saint 

 and some priests in attendance. 



-«•»- 



Jolin Smltb. 



Have we a John Smith among us? If so, 

 let him read the following from the New York 

 Evening Post, and learn by how many different 

 methods his omnipresent patronymic is ex« 

 pressed. Here arc his various designatione, by 

 which it will be seen that he has a habitation 

 in all lands: 



Latin — Johannes Smithius. 



Italian — Giovanni Smithi. 



Spanish — Juan Smithas. 



Dutch — Hans Schmidt. 



French — Jean Smeets. 



Greek — Ion Skmitton. 



Russian — lonloff Schmitowski. 



Polish — Ivan Schmittiweiski. 



Chinese- — Tahn Shimmit. 



Icelandic — Tahne Smittson. 



Welsh— Jiohn Ssmidd. _ * 



Tuscarora — Ton«.Ta-Smittla. 



And if he has ever felt an inclination to dis- 

 own his appellation, and become plain Mr. 

 Brown, or Jones, then let him read the foUow- 

 iDg, and we venture to gay he will be ready to 



throw up his hat and shout "vive la Smith !" 

 It is a harangue reeently delivered in one of our 

 neighboring cities, by Smith the rasor strop 

 man, who evidently glories in his title: 



"Gentlemen, my name is Smith, and I am 

 proud to say I am not ashamed of it. It may 

 be tfllit no person in this crowd owns that very 

 uncommon name. If, however, there be one 

 Each, let him hold up his head, pull np hia 

 dickey, turn out his toes, take courage, and 

 thank his stars that there are a few more left of 

 the same sort. 



Gentlemen, I am proud of being an original 

 Smith; not a SMITH.^ nor a SMFTH, but a 

 regular, natural, original SMITH, Smith. 

 Putting a Y in the middle, or an E at ihe end 

 won't do, gentlemen. Who ever heard of a 

 great man by the name of Smyth or Smith- e? 

 Echo answers who? and everybodys says no- 

 body. But as for Smith, plain SMITH, Sviiih, 

 why the pillars of fame are covered with that 

 honored and revered name. 



Who were the most racy, witty and popnla 

 authors of this century? Horace and Alber'' 

 Smith. 



Who was the most original, pithy and hamor* 

 ous preacher? Rev. Sidney Smith. 



To go farther back, who was the bravest and 

 boldest soldier in Sumpter's army, in the Revo- 

 lution? A Smith. 



Who palavered with Powhattan, galivanated 

 with Pocahontas, and became the ancestor of 

 the first families in Virginia? A Smith, again. 



And who, I ask — and I ask the question se- 

 riously and soberly — who, I say, is that roao, 

 and what is his name, who has fought the most 

 battles, made the most speeches, preached the 

 most sermons, held the most offices, sung the 

 most songs, written the most poems, courted 

 the most women, kisses the roost girls, run 

 away with the most wives, and married the 

 most widows? History says, ,you say, and 

 everybody says, John Smith. 



«» 



Food~Potatoes. 



The untoward rains in May and the first part 

 of June, cut short the potatoe crops. We pre- 

 sume that not one half of the corn groand has 

 (been planted with corn in Central Illinois. The 

 sudden change of weather has baked the soil of 

 much of the flat prairie, so that it will produce 

 but little if broken up and planted. 



Much of the early crop of potatoes — especially 

 on level ground — has been destroyed by wet 

 weather. If the whole planting had turned oat 

 well, we should not have had a large crop. — 

 Much land can now be found, if planted within 

 a fortnight, that would bring large crops of 

 potatoes. We believe that there will be a good 

 market for this indispensable article of food 

 next fall and winter, and would therefore sug- 

 gest to our farmers to plant all the potatoes 

 they conveniently can. 



There is more reason for doing this, from the 

 consideration of the fact, that the large potatoe 

 fields in the American Bottom, will yield no 

 crops the present season. These fields 60pplied 

 the lower country with potatoes, the wants of 

 which, in this respect, must be supplied from 

 the Upper Mississippi. This state of things 

 alone will seriously affect the price in this mar- 

 ket. . , .>..,;.■. ,/■"••;. ■:^;. .-:.•;■•.■>■ ';:-■ 



We again suggest this matter to the consider- 

 ation of our farmers. They can lose nothing 

 by putting in all the potatoes they can put ia 

 well. ■ : . - ' 



JI^Myriads of locusts have made their ap- 

 pearance in the southern part of Misiissippi 

 and the northern portion of Louisiana: 



