Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-27
THE RUINS OF POMPEm.
How They strike a stranger.

An Italy correspondent of the Cleve
land (Ohio) Plain Dealer says:
don'tthink Pompeii was half as much
noted before the eruption as since. She
has been partially dug up, and her streets
are small as well as her buildings
There is nething approaching the gran
deur we had reason to look for. Now
and then there is the house or palace Of
some dignitary that has partial air oi
grandeur, with its marble statuary, foun
tains and courtly grounds, but it is nc
great shakes There is great deal OF
puny statuary in Pompeii--a vast amount
of chiseing that don't show up much
for these times of big things.
mass of one story huts, poorly ventilated
and still more poorly lighted. Vast
numbers of rooms of all characters we
were led into that had no signs of win
dow; as the roofs were all burned off we
can form no idea how they got their
light perhaps the ancients had cheaper
light than the light of the, sun. The
streets are all so significantly small and
narrow, although tolerably straight; the
average width from curb to curb is not
over ten feet and the sidewalks from two
to three. You will observe very sim
gular obstruction, in all the streets of
those immense stones placed in line
across the streets and protruding eight
or ten inches above the pavement and
not over foot apart. How their wagons
or carts managed to get past these it is
difficult to guess, in fact, the carts, or
whatever vehicles they used, could not
have axles longer than three or three and
half feet; they may have been twice
that, but how could they meet2 The
stone pavement is badly worn in many
places, and the construction of the houses
was so inconvenient that perhaps it was
thought better to be wiped ont aud begin
again. rta
can see no where possible for light to
enter these rooms except from the outer
doors We pass into many inner rooms
and can not see where hight could enter
the rooms are mostly small in every part
of the city. The tragic theater is small,
and the comic theater still smaller.
They had gay old wine cellars in those
days, big enough TO hold considerable
uuantity--I dare not tell how much, for
| may under estimate. Their baths
public baths, so called--are very small
affairs; marble pool Of q circular
form, not ten feet across; another Of an
oblong square, not over eight by ten
feet, was called the public baths, and
these were on the street called Public
Bath street" There are one or two baths
of lesser denoninatiou. The end walls
of the above named baths have been
preserved, and small fan ligh. still
remains at each end Of the gable. The
lead pipes for supply look like ours, ex-
cept they were closed at the edge and
soldered. The faucets look exactly like
brass shut of gas faucet Of modern
make.
The whole Of the ruins Tesemble the
photographsi except in view with the
unaided eye, they don't look quite so
grand; there is scarcely a wall or
column or any ruin remaining over
twelve or fourteen feet high st the ex-
treme. All this may be dali 10 you, so
il was to me. l felt it duty to 60 and
see Pompeii, and now sm satisfied IL
did not reach my expectations BY long
distance The narrow streets, for q Peo-
pie who used wagons, were horrible
Why did not Glauces or Diomede attend
10 widening them2 There was hardly
any grandeur in Pompeii. There were
some frescoed walls rather curious TO
look at, Rud some chiseliBg in marble
rather nice. The Neapolitans have
taken all the works of art under their
jurisdiction, and show them up at two
francs head. Nothing but lizards are
TO be seen in the streets and among the
ruins. They seem TO think that all that
is left belongs TO them, and they are
more than half right They jump out
and in their holes in numbsrless quan-
titles as you pass, and many times seem
TO look you in the face, as much as 10
say. What are you here for2
We went 10 the excavating pit, where
about a dozen men and boys we're busy
earring out the dirt and ashes Of two
thousand years II is easily removed,
about like a mass Of wet coal, only q
little harder and heavier. They were
excavating q street and room Of q
house as We were there. The dirt Vas
shoveled into a basket, and boys carry 1
il to q car, which is run on rails, 70 pit ]
and dumped Ashley removed the earth /
from the walls, they seemed 10 have the
appearance Of being newly buiit Most /
oil the outside valls are Of brick Wksr.
ever a door is, it is alWsys brick; then
the wall is continued with q sort Of soit ]