Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1868-11-13
Visit to the Ruins Of Pompe IL


A Lettsr from Ck1ncstlor Lipscom5 to the
Sophomore 5ass Of the UsiUerSjty Of re r
gid
Pompeii lies about thirteen niles from
N lples. It, situation must have been our
parsiuEiy hne, the iuxuriant plains stretch
ing of on two Of its sides, the river Sarnus
do sing through its midst, and the sea,
lDveliest OF seas, near by with It's caressi, 2
waters. Vesuwus vas but five miles dis -
taBt. The city, indeed, vas built upOu a
bed Of lava which the mountain IN some
remote age, had poured forth. Yet the
volcano had been quiet so long that no one
feared it and as the position Of the city
offered unusual advantages TO trade a, well
i presented the hEues5 attractions to cut
ture and taste, it early became the resort Of
wealth and luxury. Although a Roman
city, POmpeii belonged to that portion OF
Italy called Magua GreciA aud its peculiar
tiles We're largely shaped by the spirit OF
| Greek civilization. Ii was visited by an
| earthquake. A. D., 63, and was 0verwhelm-
ed by an eruption OF Vesuvlus ia the year
under ashes. Since 1855, the workeof ex-
caVation has been going on, though not reg
ularly.
IL contained about $4,000 inhabitants -
/ It's walls, which We're tweHty feet thick aud
the same height, We're, | sJouid suppose,
rather more than two miles in circuit
These wals had five gates; the principal
one was called the "Gate Of Herculaneum," {"
aud stood at the point, where the Appian
way touched the city.
M first walk was along the "Street Of
the TOmbs." This is outside OF the wall
and leads to the ''Gate Of Herculaueum -
/ | felt very strangely when l entered the
I House =. Hi0in5dvs. Il you nave read uue
Last Days Of Pompei," by Bulwer, you
can understand why my feelings were so
| singular. To take a stroll through an al
most perfect Roman house ; 10 see all its
/ arrangements TO tread upon its marble
| tiOors, look into its bed-chambrrs and stand
| in its reception hall to go down into its
cellars and around its gardens aud among
its baths; is one OF those intensely vivid
things that the distant past rarely permits
you 20 enjoy. | entered through Z narrow
\ passage (yesti5ulum) into the hall (arium)
aud thence into the bedrooms connected
| by doors with this hall. The chambers were
| quite small, not larger than the little dor
mltories IN old colleges, aud they had no
| windows. | saw the other apartments. 1t
/ was sort OF double house, one set ot rooms
I for sCM ler, and one for winter. Like most
OF the private ediices, it was one story
/ The wine cellar below, was quite large. A
back wall surroUud three sides Of the
area, within which were the gardens.
| Down IN the gloomy cellar, / was shown
where skeletons we're found nuddird To-
getner. rhe ashes swept IN on the luna. es
Of the house who probably hurried % that
place for protection, but the mighty IA L,
/ black and tempeSJuOus, chased them there
aud closed cumpacgly around them. The
impression OF the skeleton, is pointed out.
I Bat lt is not as clear as that Of the comic
mask in the theatre OF Hrrcuiaueum.
never saw anything more perfect than this.
The melted lava caught it and hardened
around II, and there are the mimic features
al comJle
Thea | crossed the street and saw the
family burial ground. Then other places
/ IT iuterm-nj. The Romans loved % pu5
their Jombs on The sides of the public roads.
| Huudrcds ui these sepulChres may bs seen
! ia Italy.
/ went into these hillside vaults. The
urns we're there containing the ashes.
saw q place sealed up and on tho marble
face, the names Of children engraved aud
thought OF the time long ago when IN the
moyulug twil gnt their fair forms were burn
ed under the waving cypress. Yes, here
| on tuls very nlll stood tue Old FUNERAL altars
an here tue hlames cracked and leaped
aud gloSed, aud here the ember, we're col,
ecJed aud stepped in wine for hual urn
ng.
Outside the gate, are various objects o
an interesting Kind that illustrate Roman
lue. C,crro's YulI, so-called Is on tht
street. The pillars are IN the same style OF
SO much Of the building seen ia old Rome
two rows OF very thin bricks and tueu d
block OF "tufa" which is a volcanic rock -
Not lar OF, is a semi. circular edince, lns
OF rock seats within, which was used by
travellers who chancrd TO remain Nl,hou
the walls al uighr, Close by Is the hous,
tIr the guards. The seItry also stantiug
Passing these you reach tur Hercuiaue uu
Gaze, which la- cvnul archway twentl
feet nigh aud fifteen feet vide. Ihrougi
tGis, you enter F0mpeii.
Il is Pomp ii still, so natural, so life Tx
The long 81 Gets shine IN the san the hous
es stretcL away in regular linvsi t1e walk
ring mushly % your steps; Pompel yet '-
But Ia fe y moments sou realize ai-th
, guustly form aud pale hlanched look an
TIE hu,hed sli.lness-a city httrd from %
; huge sarcOphagus, its burial sheet uuwuuud
4 aud tha miracle Of the resurrection be 0r
{ our eyr%, clear, bold. -ing-POmprl
t dead, bu. living again. Is no. thls the wOu
Z der a the age