The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-06
skcIeton. round In Poppeti.

About two years ago, in small street,
the wsrkmen employed in the excavations
discovered an empty spsce of an unusual
form, in which were SON skeletons. Be-
fore disturbing them they called Signor
Eloreill, who was fortunately at hand. A
singulslly happy thought struck him. He
had the empty space filed with liquid
plaster Paris, and repested the process in
the case ofsome Othsr openings which pre-
sented q similar appearance. As soon as
the plaster was hardened, the surrounding
ashes were carefully removed, and display
ed the perfect casts Of four human bodies.
All four are now placed in the Museum,
and more singular and affecting sight is
perhaps not 70 De seen in the whole world.
The plaster was hardened around the
ashes so perfectly in the shape of what
may be termed the mould formed by the
falling sshes round the living bodies, that
the whole aspect of thedying frame ispre-
served, even to the minute details, except
here and there the bones Of the skeleton
within are partially uncovered. NJ. Monnier
contrasts them with Egyptian mummiee,
which ara bare, black and hideous, and ar
ranged in an artificial posture for their
burial, while in the e1humed Pompeisns we
zee numsn h-..ys in the very act OF dying.
One rf .-en is the body of q woman, close
- whom were found 8 large number Of
coins, two silver vases some keys and some
iswels, which she was carrying with her
when the falling scoriG arrested her flight
1t is easy TO trace her hesd-dress and the
materials of her clothing; and on one OF
her fingers were two silver rings. Her
hands were so clssped in agony that the
nails had pierced the flesh With the ex
ception of her legs, the whole body is
swollen and contracted; it is plain that she
strove violently in her dying struggle.
Her attitude, says NJ. Monnier, is that OF
the last sgony, and not that of death.
Behind her lay another woman and girl,
evidently of humble rank. The elder OF
the two, possibly the mother, has an iron
ring on one cf her fingers. The signs of a
diving struggle are evident, but the death
seems so have been easier than IN he case
of the victim last described. Close to her
lies the girl, almost child in age. The
details of her dress are preserved with
startling faithfulness. Ole can see the
msterisl and stitching of her frock,
the unmended rents in her long
sleeves. and the knots in her little
shoes. She had drawn her dress
over her head, to ward of the torrent Of
ashes, and falling hesdlong on her face had
so died, apparently without struggle.
The fourth body is that of large and
powerful man who had sat down TO diewith
bis arms and legs straight snd fxed. His
dress is completely preserved; his trousers
are close, his sandals are laced to the feet,
with nails in their soles. On one finger Is
an iron ring; his mouth is open, and shows
that he had lost some OF his teeth; his nose
and cheeks are strongly marked; the eyes
ana the hair have disappeared, but the
moustache remsins. The whole sight Is
tragic to the last degree. After the lapse
of eighteen centuries the horrible death
seems to be enacted before US with all its
appalling sufferiDgs.
We msy add, what NJ. Monnier does not
| seem to be aware of, that stereoscopic views
we're taken of the bodies, and that We have
seen them here in London. The minute
details which the actual plaster cast pre-
sent are of course less visible, even with
an the reproducing powers of the stereo-
scope; but enough is to be discerned e
suggest sll the terrors Of the dying mo-
ments.-ReviesO of Monnisr's Z" "POnnpeii"