Vesuvius, Italy
Vesuvius is a volcano that has erupted over 50 times since 79AD. In 1630 this unpredictable volcano killed over 4000 people Work is ongoing to uncover the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. We will now interview Pliny the elder on what he saw .
The day the volcano erupted it split open and monstrous cloud as well as ash and stone covered Pompeii and Herculaneum. I tried to rescue some of the people close to the shore says Pliny.
Its general appearance best expressed to look like a pine than to any other tree. It rose to great heights and looked like a trunk that had split into tiny branches says Pliny.
I imagine it was because it thrust upwards by the first blast and this left it unsupported. The pressure subsided or it was worn down by its own weight so that it gradually dispersed. It sometimes looked black and white. The ground was covered with huge amounts of ashes and soil that were carried from the volcano says Pliny.
Ashes were already falling hotter and thicker than before. Our ships drew near the shore followed by pumice and charred blackened stone. Meanwhile on Mount Vesuvius flames blazed out lighting up the dark night sky. The flames smelled of sulfur as animals fled. A man arose quickly than he collapsed and died! says Pliny.
My mother and I left where we had been staying to get away. We went across country to avoid the crowds of people on the roads says Pliny. That is all I can remember from that day.
Information Source:
www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vmtvesuvius.html
By: Devon and Darcy
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