Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-12-02
The Ruins of Pompeii.


objects which are revealed to the eyes
of the modern world are more care
fully preserved than formerly. The
excavation Of Pompeii commenced as
long ago as / Jas, when Colonel AL
cubierre, who had been sent to inspect
new canal or water course, observed
that it was constructed through an
cient ruins. He obtained permission
from Charles III. to make excavations,
and in a few days he opened a house
in Pompeii. The ruined city was
then supposed to be Stabi@, and it
was not until nearly eight years after
the discovery that it was identified
as Pompeii. The continuous labors
of the Neapolitan government from
that time forward, have uncovered
an extensive city, with the streets and
lower stories of houses, the temples
and baths, the furniture and decora-
tons, and in many instances with the
skeletons of the ancient inhabitants.
Readers are familiar with the details
of these strange and interesting dis
coveries. The more recent excava-
tions have added greatly to the in
terest of Pompeii. and Mr.. Giuseppe
Fiorelli has achieved very impor-
tant success, surprising in some re-
spects all that had been done before
his appointment to the superintend-
ence. The Revue des Deux Mondes
lately gave a remarkable sketch OF
the life and career of this very learn
ed and accomplished Italian. He
was man of great ability, a scholar,
at twenty-three years old vice presi-
dent of the Italian convention of sa-
vans at Genoa, the subject ofpersecu-
ton by the Neapolitan Government,
imprisoned, his manuscripts destroy
cd, and himself finally reduced to
earn his living by laying pavement in
tho streets of Naples.
He was appointed inspector ofthe
Pompeiian excavation after the estab-
lishment of the Italian kingdom, and
he has justified the appointment
BY more careful system he has
succeeded in recovering the second
story and projecting balconies of
houses, a feature hitherto unknown in
Pompeii. This latterportion is built
of brick, supported by timbers, and
the evidence thus gained shows that
the narrow streets of the city were
shaded from the sunshine much as
oriental cities now are. This gives
us q new idea of Roman city. Pom
peii was heretofore little more than
a plain, streets with ruined walls Of
houses on each side. Now we can
see the city as it was. The careful
preservation of fragments, noting po'
sition in which found, and observing
minutest particulars, enables Signor
Fiorelli to restore their entire house,
instead of leaving it a dilapidated
ruin as heretofore.
But the most remarkable discov-
cry of Signor Fiorelli is to be men
toned. In the eruption which des.
troyed the city the ashes fell in some
places with considerable quantities
of water, forming, in fact, a mud OF
paste which hardened over many OBJ
iects. This fact has been noticed in
one or two instances, and the great
show articles ofthe museum had beer
the impression of female breast il
the hardened mould. But Fiorrell
has gone further, and obtained casts
of entire bodies in several instances
He has found the moulds where thu
mud formed around the dying Pom
peiians, and pouring plaster into TIN
hollow he obtains q facsimile STATUE
of the man or woman, just as he o
she Welded to the terrible catastro
phe.
The eloquence of these statues SUI
passes all description. There wer
four bodies found in one street,
monc them were evidently a mothe
and daughter. The mother died cain
", living on her side, perhaps sufft
Gated. The daughter died not S
easily.
She was not sixteen years Old
Her limbs, restored on the plaste
cast, are in an attitude of pain, he
small fingers clenched in the agon
ofthe death struggle. She had throw
veil over her face and bowed he
head in her arms, to shield her FAC
from the blast of the fiery Storm
The very fashion of her dress is pc
fectly shown in the cast, and ther
Is a startling popularity in the exh
bition of the smooth skin and rounde
flesh where there are rents in he
garments. There can be mo criticis
OF such statues as these. They al
the reproduction of the distant pa
of the very agony of death coming {
the Roman mother and her child
There is no failure in the copy
There it is--as the storm of ash
both caused and preserved tin SC
id mould, the human anguish that Il
casing now reveals. Looking at