sides by lava. Immediately overhead the great crater
was belching incandescent rock and scoria for an incredible distance.
The whole scene was wreathed with flames, and a perpetual roar was
heard. Ever and anon the cone of the volcano was encircled with vivid
electric phenomena, amid which a downpour of liquid fire on all sides of
the crater was revealed in magnificent awfulness. In the evening there
was a frightful shock of earthquake, which was repeated at two o'clock
on Sunday morning. Simultaneously the lava streams redoubled their
onrush, and men, women and children fled precipitately toward the sea.
The lava had invaded the road behind them."

A REIGN OF TERROR.

The great loss of life was due to the vast fall of ashes, which crushed
in hundreds of roofs and buried the occupants within the ruins of their
homes. In all the neighboring towns buildings were destroyed in great
numbers, an early estimate being that fully 5,000 houses had been partly
crushed or utterly destroyed. On the Ottajano side of the mountain,
where the ashes fell in greatest profusion, all the houses of the
villages were damaged, and Ottajano itself was left a wreck, several
hundred dead bodies being taken from its ruins. In Naples the ash fall
was so incessant that those who could afford it wore automobile coats,
caps and goggles, while the people generally sought to save their
eyes and faces by the aid of paper masks and umbrellas. The drivers of
trolley cars were obliged to wear masks of some transparent material
under the vizors of their caps.

DISASTERS AT SAN GIUSEPPE AND NAPLES.

There were two special disasters attended by serious loss of life. On
the 9th, while a congregation of two hundred or more were attending mass
in the church at San Giuseppe, the roof crushed in from the weight of
ashes upon it and fell upon the worshippers below, few or none of whom
escaped unhurt. Fifty-four dead bodies were taken from the ruins and a
large number were severely injured. The Mayor of the town was dismissed
from his office for leaving his post of duty in the face of danger.

The second disaster, one of the same character, took place at Naples.
This was on Tuesday, April 10th. Just previous to it the people had been
marching in religious processions through the streets, to render thanks
for the apparent cessation of the activity of Vesuvius. Motley but
picturesque processions were these, headed by boys carrying candles,
which burned s