The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-05-23
g Geaf from the past.
Correspondence Of Chicago Tribune,
A BURIED CITY.

Previous to the great eruption Of A. d.
10, which destroyed Pompeii, there had
been passive period extending back
beyond recorded history. The Greeks
had settled around the Bay of Naples, one
thousand years before that event, and
their early writer's had never heard of an
eruption of Vesuyius But the ancient
geographcrs recognized the volcanic charac-
ter of the mountain from its similarity Of
form to Etna. The present cone was not
created previous to the great eruption Of
A. d. 40. The mountain was only three
thousand feet high, and had broad,
craggy top, two miles in diameter, among
the hollows Of which grew the wild vine
and the pine trees. There was no crater
in those days. During the early civil
wars Of Rome, contending factions built
fortresscs over where the crater subsequent.
ly appeared. Suddenly, one day, Febru-
airy 5 in the year A. d. SO, there was
great earthquake around the base Of
Vesuvius, which convulsed the whole
|neighborhood, and tumbled down many Of
the buildings in Pompeii and in other
towns in the vicinity. This premonitory
symptom Of returning activity, after so
many centuries Of dormance, was followed
!. by number of other shocks during the
next sixteen years, until the day of the
memorable eruption SO graphically dcscrib-
ed by the younger Pliny in his letters to
Tacitus. The place where he was during
the catastrophe was at Misenum, a small
5 port On the bay few miles from Naples,
and about fourteen or fifteen from the
mountain in northwest direction, while
Pompeii lay on the plain near the sea-
shore, five or six miles to the southeast of
Syesuvius, in which direction the wind
Deems to have blown, as the greatest fall
of ashes, rain and mud, was on that side
1of the mountain. But the ashes fell in
immense quantities all around the bay and
plain, for distance Of fifty miles from the
crater Pliny says that, after several
blocks of earthquake in quick succession,
which did not much alarm people, because
fhere had lately been experienced many
shocks, "a black and dreadful cloud,
Bursting forth with igneous, serpentine
fapor, darted out long train of fire,
resembling flashes of lightning, but much
hrger and more terrific. The black cloud
tosc high in the heavens, and quickly
apread out in every direction, rolling like
torrent in vast, frightfnl folds, until il
Ferspread the whole bay and surrounding
<cuntry, shutting out the light of day.
Ne were immersed in thick darkness, and
heavy shower of mud aud ashes raiued
tpon us, which we were obliged to shake
IA, otherwise We should have boen crushed
end buried in heap" He then describ-
ed the lightnings, the shocks, and the
error among the people "some lifting
'heir hands to the gods in supplication;
pme wishing to die from the very fear of
wing; but the greater part, among whom
Ne Pliny himself, ''imagined that the
~ eternal night was come which was to
4estroy the gods and the world together"
4inally, toward evening, "a glimming of
l'sht appeared, and the darkness was dis
rersed by degrees, like cloud Of smoke
10 real day returned, but the sun itself
1ppeared very family, and like when an
7clipse is going off. After daylight was
LILY restored, the whole country in every
H|rection was thickly covered over with
Thite ashes, as with deep snow; and
1.kny cities and towns were buried out Of
Asht.
Fhc uncle of this Pliny--the celebrated
41turalist Of the same name-lost his life
~ attempting to rescue some of his friends
~ lived on the opposite shore Of the
" near Pompcii. When the cloud aud
aHption commenced, he took a galley and
led swiftly across the bay, and landed
Htabi@; but the mephitic vapor, blowing
hat direction, caused his death. The
~l|prs with him fed back to the boat and
1se4pcd with their lives, leaving him where
y fell, aud where his body was afterward
1and by the nephew.
is no wonder that Pliny thought the
Of Judgment had come, The eyes Of