Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-02-12
DISCOVERIES IN POMPElI.

N. Marc Mounier. in an article in French
journal, gives the following graphic account
of the discovery Of human bodies in Pompei
by NJ. Fiorelii:
One day in little street, under heap Of
stones and rubbish. a vacant space was dis.
covered, at the bottom Of which appeared
something looking like bones. NJ Fiorplii
was summoned in haste, and he conceived q
luminous idea. He poured in some liquid
plaster, and the same operation was perform.
ed at other points where bones have been
likewise discovered and as soon as the plas.
ter was hardened, the mould was lifted with
the greatest precautions, and on the hardened
ashes and lava being removed, four corpses
appeared. They are now at the museum,
and no more striking sight is it possible to
behold They are not statues, but human
bodies moulded 10y Ncsuyius, and preserved
frem decay hy that envclopcd lava which re-
produced the clothes, the flesh, nay almost
the appearance Of life The bones protrude
here and there where the molten LIQUID did
not completely cover the limbs. Nowhere
does anything like this exist. The Egyptian
mummies are naked, black, hdeous. They
appear to have nothing IN common with hu.
manity; they are dressed out by the Egyp-
tian undertaken for their eternal repose--th the
exhumed Pampoiaus are human beings in the
act Of dying. One Of the bodies s that Of
woman, near whom were found ninety ono
silver coins, two silver vases, some keys, and
a few jewels. She was flying, carrying her
most valuable commodities with her, when
she fell in the little narrow street. Her head
dress, the tissue OF her clothes, and two silver
rings on her finger, can easily be detected
One OF the hands is broken, and the cellular
] cry lrp nf h.. IN ~ ho
left arm is raised and wrthing, the delicate
hand conyulsvely shut. The nails appear to
have entered the flesh. The whole body ap.
pears swollen and contracted the legs alone,
/ the round and delicate outline Of which has
( not suffered, are stretched cut, You can feel
that she struggled long In fearful pain. Her
attitude is that Of agony, not death. Behind
her woman and a girl had fallen. The for.
mer, the mother possibly. was Of humble ex-
traction, TO judge from the size Of her cars.
On her finger lis single iron.ring. Her left
leg, raised and bent, denotes that she also
struggled and suffered. Near her reclines tho
young girl--almost child. The tissue of
her dress is seer with wondrous dstiEctncss
the sleeves coming down to the wrist, and
the embroidery on her shoes. She had, thro'
| fear probably, lifted her dress over her head.
She fell with her face to the ground One
of her hands is half open, us though she had
used it to keep her veil over her face. The
bones of her fingers protrude through tho
lava She appears to have died easily. The
fourth body is that Of n mana Colossus. -
He is stretched on his back, as though he
meant to meet his fate hrNvely his arms and
legs show no sign of struggling; his clothes
are very distinctly marked the brdcco (,rou.
sers) close fitting laced sandals, the soles
studded with thick nails; on one finger mn
iron ring; few teeth are broken, his eye,
aud hair are oblitcrated, but his thick nous.
tachc is clearly apparent, and il is impossible
not to be struck with the material and resc
lutte appearance of his features. After ths
women, conyulsiyely clinging to life, we see
here the man, calmly meeting his fate in the
midst Of the great cenvulson- imparilnm
pcrieat ruiaa. Nothing yet discovered at
Pompeii offers US anything to be compared
with this palpitating drama. II Is violent
death, with its supreme tortures, its convuls.
ions aud agonics, brought clearly before MS,
and, as it wero taken in the act, after the
lapse Of eighteen centuries.