The Recent Eruption of Etna

Abstract

PROF. A. RICCO, Director of the Etna Observatory, informs us that on July 19, at 8 a.m., Mount Etna threw out from its central crater an enormous mass of vapour, stones, lapilli, and cinders, which were lifted to a height of several kilometres, and afterwards covered all the south-east slope of the volcano as far as Zofferana Etnae (altitude 600 m.), where the roads are covered by nearly a centimetre of volcanic ash. A number of stones struck the dome of the Etna Observatory (which is about a kilometre from the central orifice), so that about thirty holes were made in the iron plates, six millimetres in thickness, which cover this dome; five of these holes have a diameter of 30 centimetres, and the stones causing them fell into the observatory containing the refractor. Two stones also pierced the floor, and embedded themselves in the basement; and one broke three steps of the observing chair. Another pierced the wooden base surrounding the foot of the refractor; fortunately, this and the other apparatus of the observatory received no damage. Two other stones passed through the roofs of the side-rooms.