The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-05-23
g 4eaf from the past
Correspondence of Chicago Tribune.
A BURIED CITY.

Previous TO the great eruption of A. ID.
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 Vesuvius. 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
fortresses over where the crater subsequent
ly appeared. Suddenly, one day, Febru-
airy in the year A. d. SO, there was a
great earthquake around the base of
Vesuvius, which convnlsed the whole
neighborhood, and tumbled down many of
the buildings in Pompeii and in other
towns in the vicinity. This prcmouitory
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 describ-
ed by the younger Pliny in his letters to
Tacitus. The place where he was during
thc catastrophe was at Misenum, n small
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
yesuvius, in which direction the wind
seems to have blown, as the greatest fall
of ashes, rain and mud, was ON that side
of 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
shocks of earthquake in quick succession,
which did not much alarm people, because
There had lately been experienced many
shocks, "a black and dreadful cloud,
Bursting forth with igueous, serpentine
yapor, darted out long train of fire,
resembling flashes of lightning, but much
Rrger and more terrific. The black cloud
fose high in the heavens, and quickly
Dread out in every direction, rolling like
torrent in vast, frightful folds, until it
pyerspread the whole bay and surrounding
ecuntry, shutting out the light of day.
Nc were immersed in thick darkness, aud
heavy shower Of mud and ashes rained
npon us, which we were Obliged to shake
ID, otherwise We should have boon crushed
nd buried in heap" He then describ-
y the lightnings, the shocks, and the
@rror among the people; "some lifting
heir hands to the gods in supplication;
ONO wishing to die from the very fear of
wing; but the greater part, among whom
Fas Pliny himself, "imagined that the
~ eternal night was come which was to
lestroy the gods and the world together"
tinally, toward evening, IA glimming of
gin appeared, and the darkness was dis
rcrsed by degrees, like cloud of smoke
ne real day returned, but the sun itself
appeared very family, and like when an
eclipse is going of. After daylight was
iA'rly restored, the whole country in every
d'rection was thiekly covered over with
Ehite ashes, as with deep snow; and
my cities and towns were buried out Of
sIsht.
The uncle of this Pliny--the celebrated
HA<uralist Of the same name-lost his life
attempting to rescue some Of his friends
<no lived on the opposite shore of the
w near Pompeii. When the cloud and
option commenced, he took a galley aud
x'Fed swiftly across the bay, aud landed
~ ftabie; but the mephitic vspor, blowing
/" <hat direction, caused his death. The
#!'prs with him fed back to the boat and
<ssaped with their lives, leaving him where
%q fell, aud where his body was afterward
3esnd by the nephew.
is no wonder that Pliny thought the
Of Judgment had come. The eyes Of