The Portland daily press., 1874-12-09
M. C.. vi. COURSE.
Lecture by Il. HI. Eiwcli, Esq.

The second lecture in the Maine Charitable
Mechanic Association course was delivered last
evening, by Z. II. EIwel Esq. His subject
was "a Trip TO Pompeii." The hall was crowd
ed and many were obliged to leave for want of
room. The lecture was illustrated with charts
and proved to be full of interest to the audience.
OF all the calamities, said the lecturer, which
have overtaken the cities of the earth, none
have been more sudden or startling than that
which overspread this little city of Southern
Italy in the year 70 of the Christian era. 1t
was virtually sealing up city of the first cen
fury, for the inspection of the nineteenth CEN
tury. Minute details of daily life, which no
history records, and the fashion of which pass
ed away ages ago, have thus been preserved to
interest and instruct us. Pompeii was a little
city of 10000 inhabitants, compactly built, and
situated on the southern slope of Vesuvius.
1.-THE position of the city was here pointed out
on the map and also large chart, showing
how much of it has been uncovered.] 1t was
probably founded by the Oscans, and we first
hear of it in the year 80, b. c.. when it was
conquered by the Romans. But though it thus
lost its independence it retained its municipal
privileges, and was a sturdy little city. ever
ready to defend its rights. In the year '63 it
was shaken by an earthquake. Vesuvius was
not then known to be volcano. No eruption
had occurred within historic times and the in
Eabitants dwelt in security upon its slopes But
on the 23d of November, in the year 10, as the
people of Pompeifwere assembled in the amph-
theatre to witness those giadiatorial sports of
which they were so fond, suddenly there wasfa
rumbling of the earth, a whirlwind of dust
swept by, the air was darkened and in an in
slant great volumes of fame shot up from the
mountain. They fled from the amphitheatre,
huf Sfrupk down ha w
the burning stones. Six hundred skeletons
have been recovered, and no one knows how
many still remain buried in that portion Of the
city which has not been restored. Thick dark
ness followed, which lasted for three days, and
when at last the sun shone out again the whole
surface of the land was found to be covered
with deposit of ashes. Pompeii was swal-
lowed up, and remained forgotten for centuries
until its site was accidentally discovered in 174S,
by some peasants digging well. Not more
than third of it has been uncovered, though
the work of restoration under the hew national
government OF Italy, is now prosecuted with
greater system than ever before Only the low
er stories of the building remain. The city is
unoccupied.
The lecturer here described the approach to
Naples, gave lively picture of the scenes in
the narrow, crowded streets, the view OF Vesu-
vius by night, with its plume of flame and long
line of burning lava, running down its side
Next sketched the ride to Pompeii, nine miles
lTOm NdplcS, anu Tie uUNel elSutS Ou tu0 IOdu,
the strange teams, with horse, COW and
donkey harnessed abreast, and the fishermen
in their wooden caps, looking as though they had
pulled stocking over their heads.
He described the amphitheatre, land the
usua1sports Witnessed n it. the gladiators' sbar
racks, where three skeletons were found con-
fined in irons, the school-room remaining as it
was on that fearful day, when school was dis
missed for the last time the narrow streets
with stepping-stones instead of crosswalks, the
r,,,ll hot I,, xuI no cfil1
main in the payements; showed drawings of
the implements of the bath and described their
use, visited the shops, where goods were dis
played on the window stills, and the customers
stood on the sidewalk; described the forum as
the public square of the city, surrounded by
what we should cali the merchants exchange,
the city government house, the churches and
the court house; then took his hearers to pri-
vate house, and showed how Pompeiian houses
turned their backs upon the street and looked
inward; described the manner of dining, re-
clining on couches, gave the bill of fare, in
Guiding sow's teats and sea urchns, and exhib-
tied drawings of kitchen utensils, among which
was Pompeiian stove, the form OF q castle, with
towers at each corner; also drawings of finger
rings, armlcts, hair-pins, lamps and lamp.
stands; spoke of the cheerful character of POM
peiian art, described the frescoes IN the walls,
and the mosaics in the pavements. particularly
the great stone picture of the battle of IssuS.
Then having shown how the Pompeiians lived,
he described how they died when the fearful
fate overlook. them, as seen in four skeletons re-
clothed with artificial flesh of plaster, exhibit.
ing the bones protruding through the Plaster,
the rings on the fingers, the texture of their
garments, and the very attitude in which they
fell. He then passed out of the city into street
of Tombs, described Pompeiian funeral, the
house of Doomed. and his wine cellar, in
which the wine jars are still standing; and in
conclusion, compared the ancient civilization
with that of our day, and spoke of the silence
which hroods over the deserted city, the melan-
choly emptiness of the shops and forum, and
the pathos of the deserted homes still waiting
for the return of those who went gaiy forth to
the festival on that bright morning eighteen
centuries ago and have never yet returned