European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 05, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A is i 1 s sailors from the aircraft Carrier Forrestal tour the remains of Pompeii s Amphitheater. After a Long hike up the Mountainside the tour group walks along the rim of the Vesuvius Crater. From Pompeii the sailors made their Way up up up to the Crater of Vesuvius. The Volcano is on the outskirts of Naples and looms Over 2 million people living in greater Naples one of Europe s most densely populated areas. In no place else in the Western world do so Many people live in a Volcano s Shadow. Vesuvius has Broad and Fertile slopes crowded by 14 towns. Some or All of those towns May be living on borrowed time. Scientists Monitor the Volcano around the clock. They say Vesuvius s next eruption is overdue and it could be a beaut. The Road up Vesuvius winds past enormous lava flows evidence of past eruptions before halting in a parking lot. From there visitors must slog through soft Ash up the great Cone to reach the Crater s rim. The Steep 15-minute ascent leaves most climbers huffing and puffing but it does t seem to bother 80-year-old Vincenzo Cardozo. Cardozo a guide has been climbing to the Crater s rim daily for More years than he can remember. I smoke two packs a Day. Today we live tomorrow we die he told the sailors. The Volcano worries Cardozo. Vesuvius is very dangerous now. We have gone too Long Between eruptions he told the sailors As they gazed nearly 700 feet Down the Volcano s Throat. Steam wafted from vents just below the rim of the nearly circular 2,000-foot-wide Crater. Vesuvius snooze silently. Chief Petty officer Mike Gagnon 32, a storekeeper aboard the Carrier was awestruck by the volume of matter Vesuvius blasted Forth to cover Pompeii. Mount St. Helen s must have been a baby compared with Vesuvius said Gagnon a native of Manchester . Sollazzo 64, the itt guide has escorted sailors More than 100 times on Vesuvius related Tours. For the Fleet Pompeii and Vesuvius Are the top attractions Sollazzo said. The tour definitely has been the top attraction on our cruise Martin said. A lot of sailors say of Naples again and they shortchange it. They Don t see what Naples has to offer Scranton said. They re missing out on Petty officer 3rd class Jeff Samuels takes a snapshot of Petty officer 3rd class James Sanders amid the ruins of Pompeii. Is photos by Gary Miller april 5, 1990 stripes Magazine 5
