Show EVIAS ISLAND sicilian boys boy pressing the essence from lemon rinds prepared by Na national tiona son society lety W D 1 C service iee ICILY goes back to work as the S sh summit sual lIt of 0 mt alt etna famous J landi nark of 0 the mediterranean island resumes its peaceful 12 eternal steaming recent rumblings gs and explosions the mountain have preceded devastating lava flows in the past tle present threat recalls the eruption of the huge volcano in 1028 1018 when a lava stream flowing like ilk a 2500 foot ribbon from one of its craters flooded tile the eastern slope one of the islands most fertile regions orchards vineyards and forests were destroyed also the villages and towns that thrived on their products more afore than a quarter million people live on the slopes of mount blount etna the eastern slope Is the most thickly populated with one town almost adjoining another almost every foot of ground not used for dwellings Is cultivated tiva ted yielding abundant crops etna has terrorized this district many times before whether the traveler goes by train or automobile down tile the east coast of sicily he passes passe 13 flow after flow of lava some of them are centuries old others more recently deposited from some of the two hundred craters that tant pepper the side of the cone shaped mountain the town of adreane Acl reale perches on a foot dirt cliff formed of seven distinct layers of layn lava within the christian era mount blount etna has boiled over its crater rims more than a hundred times it has wiped out cities towns and villages and spelled doom to thousands of homes almost dally mount blount etna rumbles and its summit constantly emits steam but it takes more than these suggestions of action even to arouse the sicilians curiosity the homes of their ancestors are sandwiched between two of the lava flows grid and many of the present generation genera tion like those of mascall and nunziata Nun zlata chief sufferers of the last decade have watched their homes sink beneath a new molten bed catania birthplace of Bell bellini catania lying at the toot foot of the mountain has been destroyed and rebuilt many times Catan lans know mount etna so well that the famous volcano has to spit fire and boll over its rim before they seek shelter to the catablan Catan lan who loves his modern modera city etna has been a benefactor to the traveler in search of antiquities it has been a despoiler des for ancient catania of greek roman saracen and norman days Is burled buried save for a greek theater a roman amphitheater some baths and a few unimportant monuments catania la is more interested in its wide thoroughfares public squares and parks and in honoring her illustrious sons than in digging up ancient relies relics of a restless past bellint bellini the composer was born there in 1802 and Catan lans are not allowed to forget it A statue of the composer adorns villa bellint bellini one of the cites finest parks where on summer evenings one can sit and listen to italian melodies played by a one fine sicilian band the vine clad slopes and the white head of mount blount etna form a magnificent background another statue of the composer adorns the piazza mazza Stes leoro through which runs the via ednae cabanias Cat anias main street from the southern part of the city to the foot of the great mountain A third statue stands among those of kings and great italian and sicilian patriots in the cathedral there Is also a bellini theater once tile the finest in italy and the catania guides point with pride to the tablet which marks the house in which the composer was born the cathedral and a lava elephant atop a tall marble base at its front door are two of tile the most popular monuments of early catania the elephants origin Is unknown but the cathedral Is credited to the prosperous reign of the norman king roger built in 1001 1901 it was badly damaged by successive earthquakes and eruptions of mount blount etna but each time it has been restored and used agatha the patron saint More honored than even the kings monuments in the cathedral Is that of st agatha cabanias Cat anias patron saint the head of her statue Is said to contain tal n the head of the saint who in defense fen se of tier her virtue was tortured by a roman praetor in the third century among her relies relics Is a veil which n la Is said to have miraculously diverted a lava a va stream that menaced catania in I 1 arlo once a year in february Feor uary catania turns out en masse to honor her the statue mounted on two long poles poleg Is borne through the streets front rom church to church by willae robed men the route of the procession la Is jammed to suffocation old balconies groan under the weight of humanity and every root roof has its quota of spectators at night there are torchlight processions professions process ions which brilliantly light up tile the city and in nearly every window a candle or two throws throns feeble beams the jelling and whistling anil aall confusion ol of tile the day continue augmented by the booming of colorful fireworks the toll of church bells and the occasional roar of a cannon the st agatha celebration Is only once a year icar defore before and after catania Is busy with its commerce and industry tile the harbor Is filled with ft ath commercial craft whose flags add a ca colorful touch to the view from the flora delta della marina a narrow but beautiful parkway near the waters edge catania Is not only the second largest city in sicily but one of tile the islands chief gates of export through w which aich some tons of merchandise pass annually sulphur fruit and wine have made fortunes for catan lans and these and other industries keep many of the cites inhabitants employed attractive to travelers Tra veltra interest in mount etnas moods Is not entirely confined to the immediate neighborhood all sicily feels the death dealing blows of lava flows as much as all america feels the lash of a hurricane sweeping florida normally however sicily Is an island garden spot which nature has endowed with a warm sunny climate and all the charm that might go with it its wild mountain scenery ancient history and picturesque inhabitants make it a mecca of european winter tourists travel in the interior was formerly considered unsafe because of brigandage such conditions however have long since been eliminated now the visitor Is safe and in addi addition tio to native inns comfortable pensions are conducted by french german and english landlords of many years residence in the country provincial towns of sicily are famous tor for their situation high up on picturesque hillsides hill sides or on rocky pro mon montor torlea lei jutting into the blue waters of the mediterranean many of these towns are built on greek foundations and contain ruins of roman saracen and norman origin A few greek temples and theaters tire are practically intact natives are a cheerful lot racial types among the peasantry vary from classic greek and swarthy arab to blond norman and haughty spanish in spite of his mixed ancestry however the sicilian of today Is distinctly a latin product in matters of disposition culture and religion travelers unite in testifying to his cheerfulness quickness of perception and hospitality stable government and education are said to be doing much to stamp out superstition and secret vengeance and terrorism tills this movement mo ement for better conditions Is exemplified by wholesale prosecutions against outlaw pings gangs now taking place at the old roman bathing resort of 0 termini imerese in roman times the island ot of sicily wis was called tho the granary of italy and while no longer specializing in wheat it Is one of Eu ropes mainstays main stays in the production of citrus fruits only california rivals sicily as a grower ot of lemons A part of the lemon crop Is 13 marketed in the form of citrate of time lime end and lemon extract for thousands of years this football at the too of italy has been the melting pot of many races its early inhabitants the aikels who gave gae the island its name were ere conquered by greeks whose great cities such as syracuse dominated the land for five hundred years next came the rising power of rome during whose heyday sicily was given over to the tha plunder of successive governors roman oppression pres slon grew so cruel that gangs of 0 plantation slaves twice rose in revolution succeeding centuries saw saracen conquests norman kingdoms and bourbon misrule FIn finally nIly treed freed by garibaldi sicily became a part of the kingdom of italy during the last halt century indus treal conditions and political relations have not always been to the liking ot of the sicilians so that the island has been called tho the ireland of the south many thousand sons of tile the racial melting pot emigrated to america some districts being stripped hare bare of men of working age one town whose present population Is tins has sent emigrants to the new country |