Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-08-19
Revelations of POmpeii.

From Ilarper's Weekly.
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Few persons, perhaps, are aware of how
much we are indebted III the matter of the
preservation OF history to the spade. By
dlgglng INTO the earth, where glmpses Of the
me oil past generations have been stored and
preserved almost as freshly as when they
were deposited ages ago, we now see with oul
own eyes inc domestic implements, the tools
inc toys, ana the buildings OF the aneients
ana day by DAY we are hlllng IN the picture
OF me past with the Veritable people that
theh lVcd, ana with details OF the manner in
"hieh they spent their daily hves-matters
"hlch are more interesting, after all, than a
mere history OF wars and great political events
the truth OF which 1t Is SO difficult TO gain in
the lifetime of any generation. Even with
regard to Bible history, how much have We
learned OF the sacred places Of Palestine by
means OF the excavations now being carried
on oy inc committee under the secretaryship
oil Mr. Grove As these discoveries are dali
" Drought TO light by means OF photography,
every subscriber to the fund might be said to
see win the eyes OF the actual discoveries
II is, perhaps well that the earth mas bur-
led Tor centuries the remains Of the buildings
IN which these events occurred. Had they
been exposed to the weather in past times,
art would not have been able to preserve and
repeat infinitely what the spade has discover
cd. In the same way the domestic life of
the beautiful city that was destroyed by the
eruption of Vesuvius long before the sacred
event we have mentioned is now presented to
us in the museum at Naples Here we may
gather the condition of the city, the WAYS Of
the people, their very attitudes in that scene
Of terror as well as we could tell the routine
OF Partisan life fifty years ago 1t will be
remembered that the city of Pompeii was de-
stroyed by the dust and ashes and gases from
an eruption OF the mountain, which fell soft
ly, and fixed, as in n mould, all the inanimate
objects as they then stood in the city and,
indeed, such of the inhabitants us could not
escape. BY very ingenious method the
gentleman who has had the direction Of the
works of excavation which have been for a
long time carried on there, has presented to
us not only the forms OF some of the citizens,
but the texture of their dresses, the hair,
boards, and head-dresses, and the very atti
tudes of terror they presented when over.
whelmed. His plan was this; Wherever tn,
pick struck into hollow instead of breaking
it up, he poured plaster of Paris into it.
just, IN fact as he would into a moud-ant
in several cases he was rewarded by the eartl
yielding up models Of some of its long-perish
ed people. In one case, perfect group o
Pompeians was thus preserved, and is nov
in the museum. Among these is a woman
apparently of noble birth, lying on her side
with limbs contracted, showing that she ha,
died in commissions The form of the head
dress is preserved and the texture of he
robe; the rings still remained on the finger
bones, aud not far from her was found buncl
of keys and some silver money, and the re
mains of linen bag A servant lay besid
her with an iron ring upon her hand and il
an apartment close at hand young girl wa
discovered with her skirts thrown over he
head to protect her from the falling pumice
stones. In some of the winners shops tn
wine-stains are yet preserved upon the coun
teas, and where wall was found in the cours
Of being built, the mortar is close at ham
aud the tools Of the mason. There is some
thing inexpressibly touching to us in the dis
al oh IL. IL Al