Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-04-08

| OF villages that are SO closely connected as
to form from Naples to Tore del Annun-
ziata, one long, struggling city, with tens
of thousands of souls lazily aud carelessly
existing, unn indiul OF unheeding the vol
cano beneath aud above them, which has
destroyed many of their predecessors and
progeniors. Near by, under The presen,
town OF Portici, lies the old city of Hercu-
laneum, buried more than 100 feet deep
beneath the stream Of volcanic mud which
first overwhelmed it, and the lava streams
and debris of subsequent eruptionS. The
material which encoses its relics has hard
encd to fintiness, making excavation too
difficult to prosecute. Off to the south
and east of the mountain, beyond Tore
del Annunziata, Is the once buried city OF
Pompeii, whose destruction was wrought
by the same eruption that buried Hercula.
neum in the 18th year of our era, but by a
different substance, ashes and cinders, that
the accomps nyng steam and water had on
ly formed into soft pumice that is easily
removed. The Italian government slowly
prosecutes the work of excavation, and the
city is now about one-half uncogered.
I ou pass from the city OF to-day to the city
| of S centuries ago--see the character OF
the homes, the methods Of manufacture,
the facilities for business, the useful and
decorative articles, indeed the whole that
went to make up IA city il full prosperity at
the time of Christ. Nowhere else in the
world can such an idea of the life of that
long past be had. Other ruins leave much
to be added BY the imagination, or sup
| piled by difficult research, for before they
had crumbled much, had been detaced
| Ey time and decay, or changed by the
course of progress and Improvement. But
suddenly this disaster came upon Pompei',
and while covering it frem the view, and
for SO many centuries from the knowledge
Of the world, preserved it from change, and
it comes forth now. mu'ilated. it is true, but
exhibiting clearly, connectedly and faith
fully, the character and appearance of a
prosperous city Of pagan Rome. We see
the htlle shops with their marble counters,
and pots sunk into them for oil and wine
the stone mills shaped like an apothecary S
mo. tar, for grinding the corn; the ovens
to bake the bread, the bread itself in circu-
lar loaves, creased on the top and sides. and
even bearing The stamp Of the maker, the
clrbonlzed, yet fert ct collections of food
dates, walnuis, figs, pine kernels, pome-
granate seeds, eggs, olives, grain, spices,
&c.; kettles. cau!drons, sauce pans, fryng-
pans; mou!ds for elies III the form of birds,
hares, rabbits; pitchers and water vessels
of beautiful shapes; steel yards, balances
and weights exa tly like the steelyards OF
to-day pair Of scales with e graduated
beam and a m veabIc weight attached to it
surgical instruments much like those in use
at the present day: harness buckles like
those now in common use: tish-hooks, the
very counterpart of those OF to-day; pins,
bodkins. distatis, spindies, thimbea; door
hinges, locks, keys; tickets for theatres, of
ivory nr meta, al nunlhrrcd; Gice--some OF
them loaded; portable iren ST, s, some Of
them with Il cDHnrctIng apartment for heat
ng water. much i;.r our own ranges bed
steadS, lourge-. eharS,-theSe, and scores
Of other articles .ouhd and now preserved
the long street, houses built upon the
same gru, raj PLAN, with floors mosaiced
and wuls trrscucd, wiih internal courts
adorned with fountains aud aquariums
fine bahs and temples surrounding the fo-
rum amphllheatrcs, theatres for comedy
aud tragedy; great barracks, sentry boxes,
whole, make up true and perfect picture
Of life in an important Roman city Of that
far-goue period. You stand by the work
man removing the covering, and see the
frescoes and m1saics coming forth from
their ashy envelope as bright and fresh as
if painted Yesterday. You see the grooves
in the stones of the street made by the
wheels Of the charo's or begas two thou
sand wears ago. Iou see the secret pas
sases beneath and behind the oracular fig
ures in the temples, which enabled the
priests unsupported to deliver the oracles
which were supposed to Issue from the del
ties through their mute representatives.
Here, in the vast wine ,anlts OF the house
of Dioned, outside OF the walls, and near
the long line Of tombs, you see The place
where Is skeletons were discovered. per-
haps the whole family, who there sought
shelter from the heated ashes. and perishcd
from sutlocalion. A fine a'iuvium seems
to have permca.ed the II c., and hardened
upon the boaies, taking not only a cast Of
the features aud FORMS but of the delicate
stuhs which they wore. Near the house of
Sailust was found the skeleton Of young
female, with four rings on her fingers set
with precious stones. five gold bracelets,
two earrings, and thirty two pieces OF
money living near her, showing that she had
eudeavured to save the valuables which be-
! lcnged to her. Three otEer skeletons of
females lay near, supposed TO have been
her slaycs. Near one OF the gates was
found skeleton with a helmet on It's head
and lance in lis h nd-ihat OF Rouan
soldier who stood at his post even amidst
the horror Of the awful calamity. A moth
ei's love was typiicd in the skeletons of a
female and tlrte children. all closely folded
in each others arms. IL the prisons sew
eral skeletons were found with leg bones
encircled it'll iron manacleS. AT the end
Of one Of the streets skeleton of man
was found. with wire bag in his hand,
containing large number Of gold, silver
and bronze coins, in trying to save which
he probably lost his life. In one of the
apartments Of the priests of Isis, a skele.
ton was found with sacrical axe in his
hand, with which he had cut through two
walls to facilitate escape. but had perished
before he had reached the third. In AN.
other room adjoining was found another
skeleton, with egg shells, fish bones, bread,
wine and garland of flowers. In one OF
the houses was u well l6 feet deep, the
walls of which are as perfect now as they
We're Is centuries ago. On one OF the wal
of a large baslica was notice Of gladi
atoral show. In the house Of one OF your
professional brethren were found surgical
instruments, 20 in nunber, numerous NOR
,ars. wooden box still containing the ma
erial OF pills converted into an earthly sub
stance. the roll prepared for cutting into
pills. the marble slabs for rolling ii, and
Others Tor making ointn2ent-showing that
the Pompeians did not anticipate Shake
speare's advice of throwing physic to the
durs. There were also found IA bronze stat
ue of boy with glass eyes, Il fonr- wheeled
wagon, with the wheels of iron. aud scores
of other noticeable things which could
mention had time: But l have already
mentioned mere than intended, and sutii-
cient to enable you to estimate the interest
of this long buried city. II WAS formerly
supposed that most of the inhabitants per-
ished in the calamity which beiel the city
but from the comparatively few skeletons
vet found it is now believed that the great
er portion of the people escaped.
Among the other excursions which
made from Naples was one TO the volcanic
region lying bttw en- the Bay OF Naples OF
The cas-, and the Gulf OF Gaeta on the west
: This is the hntoned ground Of classical It,
~ II I