The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-07-10
Thy Kingdom come.
Interesting Discoveries in Pompeii.


Another very interesting discovery late
" made is that of four skeletons three
female and one male-now lying in glass
cases, which are preserved in almost per-
feet fullness of form and outline, but have
been completely converted into gypsum
Even the fingers and toes are almost as
plump and round as Oh the day when, l.
1888 years ago, the fearful food Of fire
and smoke took away their lives. The
process is explained as follows:
These bodies were Frustrated In the
streets by the cloud Of suffocating vapors
which came first, and which soon stopped
respiration, and after them came heashes,
light of course, but piled up in enor-
nous masses, SO that the lower strata were
compressed into solidity At the same
time then, that the process Of decomposi-
ton was going on-very slowly, Of course,
SO far under the surface-the ashes about
the body appear to have become encrusted,
perhaps with the assistance of the moist
ure that drained down through from above
At last all the soft parts had disappeared
and there was nothing left but a hole, in
which the more imperishable bones re-
NAMED It was a long time before the
workmen learned how to preserve these
remains, and hundreds have been broken
to pieces and lost
The process now adopted is very simple,
hut very efficient. As soon as the work
men come to mass supposed to be a
skeleton, it is carefully probed, hole
cut through, and melted gypsum poured
in until the cavity is filled. The result is
a perfect model of the person, as he was
on the day when he fell in the streets Of
Pompeii. Even the rings on the fingers
remained in place, and are filed with gyp-
sum. The male form has about it a belt
filled with coins, forming mass half as
large as ones head, with which he was at
tempting to escape.
ABOUT HUMoR. Humor will often
dispose best Of enthus iastic or frantic fan
eies. In Dean Swift's time tailor near
him took into his head that he was
divinely called to interpret the prophecies,
especially Revelations. One night he re-
ceived the commission to declare the word
of the Lord to the Dean, and bright and
early the next morning he was on his way
to do it. Through his glass door the Dean
saw him coming, and surmised his Grand.
Putting on grave, studious air, and
opening his Bible to Revelations X, with
fixed attention he awaited the prophet 5
approach. The door opened, and in an
unhealthy voice it was announced "Dean
Swift, | am sent by the Almighty to
Come in, come in, my friend" said the
Dean, Il am in great trouble, and no doubt
the Lord has sent you to help me out of
my difficulties" The prophet was cheer
ed by the welcome. He was all ears in
more sense than one. "My friend" said
the Dean, IL have just been reading, Roy
elatlons X, aud AN greatly distressed with
a difficulty, and you are the very man to
help me out. Here is an account of an
angel that came down from heaven, and
was so large that he placed one foot on the
land and the other upon the sea, and lifted
up his hands to heaven. Now my knowl-
edge of mathematics has enabled me to
calculate exactly the form and size of this
angel but l am in great difficulty, for
l wish to ascertain how much cloth it will
take to make him pair Of 5reeches and
as that is in your line of business, l have
no doubt the Lord has sent you to show
nee." Tha poor tailor was confounded
He felt as if struck by an electric shock
lie rushed back to his shop; revulsion
of feeling came oyer him, and he was
fully satisfied that his calling did not lie
in the line Of prophetic Interpretation.