The New York Times (March 20, 1944)
Vesuvius erupts in violent action
Emits four great streams of lava – endangers village damaged 38 years ago
By Milton Bracker
Boscotrecase, Italy – (March 19)
Mount Vesuvius put on the greatest “show” since 1906 last night, and today this village on the south slope of the angered giant was the subject of an official visit by Prof. Giuseppe Imbò, expert on volcanoes, and American Military Government authorities, with a view to possible evacuation of some of the families.
Prof. Imbò, who maintains an office in the Royal Vesuvian Observatory halfway to the crater, said unqualifiedly that the display, which reddened the sky and sent four streams of lava down the valleys, was the most impressive since the April eruption of 38 years ago that destroyed a part of Boscotrecase and threatened the important town of Torre Annunziata, 10 miles southeast of Naples.
But pending worse developments, it appeared that no large-scale evacuation of the population here was yet indicated. While the green-trousered and excitable little professor toured the area after having crawled in the darkness to the edge of the lava stream last night, it was possible to stand on the outskirts of this rather broken-down community and watch the hot vapors rising from the slowing but unhalted lava streams barely a mile above.
In the village proper, there was more interest in the funeral of an 84-year-old patriarch than in the threat; an ornate hearse rolled heavily through the main street while beyond the furthest rim of houses, Vesuvius quaked and sputtered. The sound was exactly like artillery fire.
The only damage known to have been done so far was to a 100-foot stretch of the famous cable railway that has carried countless tourists to the verge of the “Valle dell’Inferno” and that recently has become virtually a “G.I.” railway.
Staff Sgt. Frederick Drake of Elmira, New York, accompanied Prof. Imbò on his precarious tour last night, during which they saw lava overflow the trackage. Sgt. Drake said the breakthrough came about 8:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. Saturday ET) and that the fiery, molten stone seemed to be flowing from 25 to 30 miles an hour.
He said:
It was a lot faster than you could ruin. It was flowing just like water.
Meanwhile, in the Naples sky over the brooding volcano was an awesome red – red in an evil, hideous sort of way. Yet the beauty and the fascination were there, too, as they always will be.
One stream put a golden edge on the inner slope of the higher of the two summits. Another forked down in front and made a huge glowing “L” against the darkness.
Tonight’s display indicated the lava streams were splitting up while the garish glow over the cone somewhat lessened.