Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-01
Gt6tortGnl.
POlllpeii.
BY REV. ROBERT TURNBULL.

one O'Clock OF the day, the whole heavens were
suddenly covered with dense cloud Of smoke
and ashes from the crater of Vesuvlus This,
however, had been preceded by many porten-
GUS signs in the earth and sky which the super
ston OF the people magnfed into the most
appalling supernatural appearances The at
mosphere was hot and heavy, the wells became
dry, and the whole Campagna "boed and bub-
bed" with internal heat. The mountain heaved
and groaned, as if torn by intense emotion
Low shlvcrings were felt, and appalling sounds
heard in the air and among the hills. But a
deah-like stiffness succeeded till all at once, a
a huge mass of smoke and ashes shot up from
Vesuvius, and in a few seconds darkened the
whole heavens The earth shook the buildings
totercd the sea changed its level, and rushed
back upon itself; the atmosphere was filled with
choking vapor, and lurid flames burst with ter
rlbIe explosions from the crater of the heaving
mountain, rushed upward amid the smoke and
darkness in immense spiral columns, the red la
va swept like the surges of an ocean down its
craggy sides, wave increasing upon wave, and
overwhelmed the region below with its burning
tide But the clouds of smoke and ashes n-
creased to snch degree as to envelope every
thing in impeneuable darkness, and prevent all
further observation of the peculiar appearance Of
the eruption. Then day." says Don Cassius,
who wrote above century afterward, "was turn
ed into night, aud light into darkness, and some
thought the giants, were rising again, (or many
phan0ms of them were seen III the smoke, and
blast as Of trumpet was heard), while others
believed that earth was to return to chaos, or to
be consumed by fire. Therefore men fled, some
from the houses into the ways, others that were
without into their houses some quilted the
land for the sea- some the sea for the land, being
COMPOUNDED in mind, and thinking every place
at distance safer than where they were
Meanwhile, an nexpressbe quantity of dust
was blown out and filled the land, sea and air
which did much other mischief to men, fields
and cattle, and destroyed all the birds and fishes,
and besides burned two entire cities, Herculane-
um and Pompeii, while the population was sitting
in the theatre for the dust was SO abundant
that it reached Africa, Syria and Egypt, filled
the air above Rome, and over clouded the sun,
which caused much fear for many days, men
neither knowing nor being able to conjecture
what had happened; but they thought that every
thing was to be thrown into confusion, the sun
to fall exlinguished to the earth, the cath to
rise to the sky"
The younger Piny, whose father lost his life,
near StabaG, on the coast, while attempting to
h,, ,,r1o
those who were fleeing from the eruption, is the
only eyewitness who has given US an account of
the catastrophe. AT that time he lived at Mis-
enum distance Of near twenty miles from We
suvius Accompanied by his mother he endeay-
ored to escape from the impending ruin. "The
ashes, he says, "now began to fall upon us,
though in no great quantity. turned my head
and beheld behind us thick smoke which came
rolling after us like torrent, proposed
while we had yet any light to turn out of the
high road, lest she (his mother) should be press
TO death by the crowd which followed US. We
had scarcely stepped out Of the path, when
darkness oversprcad US, not like that of IA cloudy
night, or when there is no moon, but of room
when it is shut up and all the lights extinct
Nothing then was to be heard but the shrieks of
women, the screams of children and the cries
of men, some calling for their children, others
for their parents, Others for their husbands, and
only distinguishing each other by their voices
one lamenting his own fate, another that of his
family; some wishing to die from the very fear
of dying, some lifting their hands to the gods
but the greater part imagining that the last and
eternal night was come, which was to destroy
the gods and the world together"
"At last, he adds, "this dreadful darkness
was dssipaed by degrees like a cloud of smoke,
the real day returned, even the sun appeared
though very family, and as when an eclipse were
coming on. Every object that presented itself
to our eyes, (Which were extremely weakened)
seemed changed, being covered with white ashes
as with deep snow"
But where were the busy thousands of Pom
peii, HerculaneUm and Stabae Many, doubt
less, escaped, but never more to return to their
homes others were caught by the ashes and
lava, and buried deep in their suddenly formed
and silent tombs; others we're drowned in at.
tempting to escape by sea, and others lost their
reason in the appalling darkness and horrible af
fright In most of the buildings of Pompei
some skeletons have been found, though not SC
many as one might have expected In one house
was the skeleton of a young female with orna
ments, and purse of copper coins in her hand
In another mother and child were discovered
and in others several groups, one or two of which
were locked in each others arms. In the wint
vaults of the house of Diomede seven skeletons
were found doubtless having fled for shelter t.
that part of the building.
All, me, what hurrying to and fro in the dark
ness of that fearful time What confusion ant
disorder, what shreks and wailings,-what fear
What agony and dosnn;r l. NIL. Ill - ..;m