Mt. Vesuvius still attracts residents 69 years after eruption
Written by Crow's Nest Staff, Mar 18, 2013, 0 Comments
Mount Vesuvius erupted for the last time on March 18, 1944. Three local villages were leveled, and a fourth lost major sections. A nearby United States Army Air Force group lost 78 to 88 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, which were melted and pulverized by hot ash and debris. The area around Vesuvius today is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.
“Ash was falling onto the ships now, darker and denser the closer they went. Now it was bits of pumice, and rocks that were blackened and burned and shattered by the fire. Now the sea is shoal; debris from the mountain blocks the shore. He paused for a moment wondering whether to turn back as the helmsman urged him. ‘Fortune helps the brave,’ he said, ‘Head for Pomponianus.’ ”
-Pliny the Younger, writing about Vesuvius’ eruption in a letter to a friend in 79 AD
