The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-03-15
POmpeii-New Discoveries

Inc discoveries which are made in the NJ
covering OF the ruins Of POmpeii increase
N interest from year to Year The present
system OF excavation 5 more scientific. and
tne oolectS which are revealed 10 the ewes
u Inc modern world are more carefully
preserved than formerly. The excavation
1t tompeI commenced - long ago As
l14s, when Col. Alcuibierre. who had been
sell 70 inspect new cana or warer-course
observed tlat j, was constructed through
ancient runs. tie obtained permission
from Charles III 10 make some excavations
anu In few days be opened a house in
Pompeli The ruined CITY was then SUD
posed 70 0e StabiP, and il was not ill eight
years after the discovery that il was indent-
lied as Pompeii. The continuous labors OF
tne NApOAtan government. from that time
forward have uncovered an extensive CITY.
with the streets aud lower stories OF houses.
Tie temples and bats, the furniture and
decorations, and in many INSTANCES with
the skeletons OF the ancient inhabitants.
headers are familiar with the details OF
those strange and interesting discoveries.
lie more recent excavations have added
greatly 20 the interest OF POmpeii. and NJ.
Giuseppe tlOreli has achieved very imp0r-
taht success. surprising in some respects.
all that las been done before MS appoint
ment 10 the superntendence By more
carei4. system he has succeeded in uncov-
er.nS the second story and projecting bal
cones o. houses. feature hitherto unknown
10 POmpeli. This latter portion is built of
brick, supported by Jimbers, and the evi-
uence thus gained shows that the narrow
streets OF the city were shaded from the
sunshine much as oriental cities now are
ms gives Us new idea of a Roman CITY
fOmpeM was heretofore little more than a
PLAIN. Streets with ruined walls of houses
On each side. Now We can see the CITY as
IL was. Ihe careful preservation of frag.
menls, noting positions IN which found. and
observing mlnutest particulars. enables
oi9nor flOrell 10 restore the eutire house.
instead OF leaving il dilapidated ruin as
heretofore. But the most remarkable dis
coFert ol Si9nOr flOrell is 10 he mentioned
III the eruption which destroyed the city
me ashes ieil IN some places with consider
able Quantities Of water. forming. in fact
mild mud Of paste, which hardened over
many OBJECTS. This fact had been noticed
Ia one Or TWO Instances and the great show
article oi the museum had been the i'm
preston OF female breast In the hardened
mould. But Florelli has gone farther, and
'@stained casts OF the entire body in several
instances He has found the moulds where
the mud formed around the bodies OF the
living Pompeiians, and pouring plaster into
the hollow, he obtains Z fuc SiDlHe statue
ol tne man or woman, just as he OF she
Yielded TO the terrible catastrODhy. The
elOquence OF these statues surpases all
description. There were four bodies found
n mo- : /
mother and daughter The mother died
calmly, lying on her side, perhaps sufToca-
TED. The daughter yielded not so easily
She was not sixteen years old. Her limbs
restored in the plaster cast are in an atti-
tude of pain, her small fingers clasped in
the agony Of the death struggle. She had
thrown her veil over her face and bowed
her head in her hands TO shield her face
from the blast Of the fiery storm. The very
fashion Of her dress is perfectly shown in
the cast, and there is startling peculiarly
IN the exhibition Of the smooth skin and
rounded flesh where there are rents in her
garments. There can be no criticism OF
sueh statues as these. They are the repro
ductlon out Of the distant past Of the very
agony Oi death coming Oh the Roman
mother and her child There is no failure
IN the copy. There il Is. as the storm OF
ashes caused and preserved it. in solid
mould, the human anguish that the casting
now reveals. Looking at il one hears the
very moan OF the young girl as she buries
her lace IL hel arms, and yields 20 the ter
TOR OF that awful night on POmpeli.
The other two Of the four above men
TONED are thus described by a writer in the
Eclhburg Review:
Al some distance from the group lay u
third woman. She appears 10 have been
about twenty-five years Of age, and 70 have
belonged 10 better class than the other
TWO. On one OF her fingers were two silver
rings, and her garments were Of liner text
ure. Her linen head-dress, falling over her
shoulders ike that Of a matrOn in a Roman
statue, can still be distinguished. Size had
fallen on her side, overcome by the heat
and gas; but the terrible struggle seems
to have preceded the last agony. One
arm is raised in despair, and the hands are
clenched cOnvulsively. Her garments are
gathered up on one side. leaving exposed
limb OF beautiful shape So perfect 4
mould OF it has been formed by the soft and
yielding mud, that the cast would seem 70
DC taken from az exquisite work OF Greek
art She had fed with her little treasure,
which lay scattered around her-twO silver
cups q few jewels, and some dozen silver
coins Nor had she, ike q good housewife
forgotten her keys, after having probably
locked up her stores before seeking to es-
cape. They were found-by her side.
The fourth is that OF a man Of the peo-
pie, perhaps z common soldier He IS a.
most colossal size. He lies on his back
bis arms extended by bis sides. and his fee;
stretched out as If finding escape impossi-
be, he had lain himself down TO meet death
li6 brave man. His dress consists Of =
short coat or jerSin and tight fitting breech-
es, OF some coarse stuff. perhaps leather
Heavy sandals with sOles studded with nails
are laced tightly around his ankles On
one finger is seen bis iron ring His fea-
lures are strongly marked; bis mouth open
as in death. Some Of his teeth still remain,
and even part OF the mustache adheres TO
The plaster"