Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-03-22


- In,aireine out the ruins Of PemPeii, every turn
Z Of the spade brings opy some reiis Of the abcient
+ liza. some witness of imperial luxury. For far
: The eteater part, these relics have merely Curl
Gus interest; they belong to archaeology, and find
svurouriats resting places in historical museums.
But there are some exceptions. Here, for in
stance, the excavStor drops uninyited guest up
on the banquet--there he unexpectedly obtrudes
himself into tomb. in one place he finds mis-
er covering on his heaps-another shows him
bones Of dancing girls, and broken Instruments
Of music living on the marble Aoor In the midst
of painted chambers, baths, halls, columns foun-
tains--among the SPLENDID evidences OF materi-
al wealth-he sometimes stumbles upon simple
incident, touching story, such as strikes the i'm
agination and suggests the mournful interest OF
the great disaster,--ss the sudden sight OF
wounded soldier conjures up the horrors OF
field Of battle. Such, to our mind, is the latest
discovery of the excavators in this melancholy
field. It is group of skeletons in the act Of
fighting, accompanied by dog. There are three
human beings, one of them young girl with
gold rings and jewels still on her fingers. The
fugitives had bags of gold and silver with them,
snatched up, no doubt, in haste and darkness
But the fiery food was on their tract, and vain
their wealth, their flight, the age of one, the youth
of the other. The burning lava rolled above
them and beyond; and the faithful dog turned back
to share the fortunes of its MISTRESS dying at her
side. af
Seen by the light of such an incident how WV
idly that night Of horrors looms upon the sense!
Does not Imagination picture that little group, in
their own house, by the side of their evening
fountain, languidly chatting over the days events
and of the unusual heat! Does it not hear with
them, the troubled swell the waters in the day.
See, as they do, how the night comes down in
sudden strangeness, how the sky opens over head
and flames break out, while scoria, sand and mol
ten rocks come pouring down! What movement,
what emotion, what surprise! The scene grows
darker every instant,-the hollow monotone Of
the bag is lifted into yells ash shrieks,-the air
grows thick with dust and hot with flames and at
the mountains foot is heard the deadly roll OF
the liquid lava. Jewels, household Gods and sill
yer coins, are snatched up on the instant. No
tins to say farewell; darkness in front, and fire
behind-they rush into the streets-streets chok-
ed with falling houses and flying citizens.
How find the way through passages which have
no longer outlets!-confusfon, danger, darkness
uproar everywhere!-the shouts of parted friends
the agony Of men struck down by falling columns;
fear, madness, and despair unchained:-here
penure clutching gold it cannot keep,-their
gluttony feeling on its final meal, and phrenzy
striking in the dark to forestall DEATH Through
all fancy hears the young girls screams,-the
fire is on her jeweled hand. No time for thought,
no pause; the flood rolls on,-aud wisdom,
beauty, age, and youth, with the stories of their
lives; their hopes, their rank, wealth. greatness,
all the once affiuent life-are gone forever
When unearthed after many ages, the namelesS
group has no other Importance to mankind than
it may serve "point moral or adorn a tale"-
London Ahhenenm.