The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-05-04
THE BURIED CITIES.
A VISIT TO POMPEII-sPECULATIo AS TO
WHY. so FEW PEOPLE WE'RE BURIED
WITH THE CITY

WITH THE CITY.
Naples Correspondence Boston Transcript.
Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried
by the same eruption in A. ID. ~ but
while the lava flowed down and encased
| Herculaneum, the ashes, scorla, and
lighter material were blown over and
buried Pompeii. This latter was changed
to earth and Is now being all taken off,
from the top down. AL the city which
has been excavated is as open to the light
as the streets of Boston or New York.
The books tell US that both these cities
were buried by the eruption of Vesuvius;
but this is not strictly correct. 1t was at
the same eruption, but while the lava
from Vesuvius flowed over Herculaneum,
the ashes and scoria from Mount Somma
near by, were blown over Pompeii.
PoMPEII.
We paid an entrance fee OF two francs
each, and, with guide, walked into
Pompeii, and through miles and miles,
of streets, and into many houses. The
roofs of the houses had been crushed in
Except few which were arched), but
the walls are standing All the dirt has
been taken out, leaving the streets and
floors and courtyards of the buildings as
clean as when they were occupied. The
streets are paved with great blocks OF
lava, two and three feet in diameter,
forming pavement harder than granite.
The houses are all constructed OF the
same material, and covered with stucco,
outside and inside. In some of the
narrower streets, where teams could pass
only one way, we saw wheel ruts worn
down ten or twelve inches into the stone.
The sidewalks and curbstones are from
one and a half to two feet above the road
way and in front of many houses we
saw Sits cut in the outer edge OF
the Curbstone for hitching horses. The
walls of the houses are very thick and
strong, and we only saw two that were
over one story high. This, | suppose, was
ON account of anticipated earthquakes
Many of the houses are from one hundred
and fifty to two hundred, and even three
hundred feet square, with an open court
in the centre, filled with fountains, fish,
ponds, and sometimes surrounded with
marble statuary and columns. Nearly all
the valuable statuary has been removed
to the Museum at Naples. The walls of
nearly all the houses are beautifully fres-
coed with figures, and the paint, in places,
appeared as bright and fresh as if laid on
a year ago. Many of the floors and the
courtyards are laid in mosaic, affording
evidence of great wealth and splendor.
A NOTED HOUSE,
In the street of 1.-THE Tombs' we
entered the house of Diomede. His name
was carved over the door, and on his
family tomb on the opposite side of the
street This house is made famous by
Bulwer in his novel the "Last Days of
Pompeii." It is one of the largest in the
city. In the wine cellar twenty-five
bodies were found. They had evidently
retreated to this place as last resort,and
finding themselves smothering, were try
ing to get out, as they were found near
he entrance The wine-cellar is only
ten feet wide, but extends around the
entire building, close to the outer wall.
Many of the earthen wine-jars, each
capable of holding half a barrel,were left
standing against the wall We went into
a Dakeshop, where we saw in the yard
several stone mills perhaps two feet in
diameter, for grinding grain The bake
oven was very large, not unlike our old
fashioned brick ovens, and in complete
preservation. Here is where large
number of loaves of bread which we saw
in the Museum.
PETRIFIED BODIES.
Our guide took us into small build
ing, where we saw two petrlfied bodies,
one of which had gold ring on the
finger Here also were two females, sup
posed to be mother and daughter, as they
were found together. The daughter was
in the act of covering her mouth with a
handkerchief. In another building were
several sketches in fine preservation, of
men, horses, dogs, etc. In little dish
we're the bones of a small pig, (Which they
had not time to eat here also has large
collection of cooking utensils, lamps, and
an earthen jar, which, when found, was
full of water. 1t must have been render
ed air tight.
WHEN ADMIRAL FARRAGUT
was here three years ago, in honor Of his
visit they finished the excavation of a
building fer him. All had been excavated
to within two or three feet of the floor
They found three iron bedsteads- and the
only bedsteads they have ever found in
Pompeiil
DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY.
There Is, in our country, general i'm
preston that Pompeii was suddenly over
whelmed, and vast numbers of people
were buried. In all probability there
were not more than two hundred or three
hundred people who were lost. In all the
excavations, not a single carriage, wagon
or cart has been found. These seem to