Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-04-20
POnapeij.

| thought knew, says writer, almost no"
pompei looked, yet could not understand how
city could be 50 covered up as to be entirely
forgotten, and 20 description ever read could
give me a satisfactory idea 1t was small
city ou a plain, uear the foot OF Mount Nesu-
v,us; now, where they have dug away the Gov
eluy, it has the appearance OF lying IN valley
between TWO hills, when, in reality, the hills
are ol the same material as that which once
covered the Whole CITY, the valley being form.
ed BY removing the ashes to get at the ruins.
The more they excavate the larger will DC the
valley, as more than two thirds of the city still
hes uoder the hills, the grass growing over 1t
ss gleen a. it o: CO was over Pompeil entlre.
No wonder it was forgotten, hidden under a
hill, with good pasture land on top. The work
of excavation is still going on. We started ior
pompcii early in the morning. A guide oo-
cpmpauied us to explain the ruln5 and watch
us Two francs aud cigar closed his eyes
while We kick I'd up some OF the mosalcs.
We spent half day within the walls, and
walked nearly over the eutire city OF rooheSs
houses. 1t was very Interesting. Everything
could be traced-the houses with dlning and
conversation rooms and inner courts. They
believed in !uxurlcs in those days. nearly every
house having bath room and touotaln. The
latter are still standing; snne with curious hs.
ures of childreu holding the pipes 10 their
hands from which the water came. The pipe
is still fastened in the ground. Stores, with
marble counters, are standing, some with holes
10 them for jars Of wine or OIL Bake shops.
with mills for grinding corn aud oveus for bak
iug, are to be seen. lo them were touui
loaves of broad which might, without irrcver-
cucc, be marked 'B. Co. A few stairs are
left staudiug to upper roomS lD solue of
the rooms were found bodies that are now in
the museum. The position Of each denoted
that they diei in great agony.
Some are lying with their faces upon their
arms, as If to shield them trom that fire Of
burnirg ashes; others are cla<ped 10 each 9TH
er $ arms 10 an embrace that krcw no parting
even in death. On the finger of Que woman is
ring, while on another is u necklace with the
naue Julie dl D.omede" engraved upou it.
The streets are narrow, the sidewalks high,
paved with large irregular shaped stoues, said
to be- the lava. On the coruers are stepping
stones TO cross from one side Of the street 10
the other. Tnc houses were gay ly painted and
trescoed The painting oD the inside is still to be
seen, and palmer than some of the work of the
olu masters. In one nOuSetln Wnlcn 90 woman Il
allowed to eutcr) are palotiugs few would care
to lo'k at, aud uoue have the hard,hood to de.
scribe. They show we'll the character Of the
house. Many believe that Pompeai's destruc
ton was just retributlou. Perhaps 50 but
cant see why Napeswa spared.
No sight 10 + lrope has been so interesting
to US as Pempcu; everything is just as it wa:
l,SUO years ago. The ruins a, K ,me and man,
OF the old buidiogs show its former greatnes:
aud many Of the customs Of the people Bu
many OF them have b2en altered, and some
tiues it is difficult to tell the old from the new,
More than one building we have gaz ID at anc
admired as aucieut; then wormcd out of the
guide by degrees that this part was uolero
that the roof was new, and those columns wer,
placed there three hundred years ago, and st
Oh till it was difficult 10 fnd anything but tn,
foundation that was the same as wheu th,
building was er, cted. But in Pompei every
thug is unchanged; the style OF architecture i
not altered the streets are not wldenrd or the
houses rebuilt by progressive people. No, there
1t itstauds, a CITY as old as Rome, without au,
alteration.