Middletown transcript., 1876-07-22
TWO DEAD CITIES.
Destruction OF Herculaneum and Pom
peii, A. ID. 70.

TWO DEAD CITIES.
Destruction OF Herculaneum and Pom-
peii, A. d. 70.
1t was the 23d of August of the year
70. The Gulf of Naples was peaceful
ly sleeping under the rays of midsum-
mer sun. From Cape Misenum to the
Cape of Sorrento was seen an uninter-
rupted succession of villas. palaces,
colonnades, temples and public edifces,
some half concealed under the shade of
luxuriant verdure, others glittering in
sunshine, which lent to them a magical
splendor. All was still, peaceful and
gladstone in this enhancing spectacle
not breath in the air nor ripple upon
the water, and the gilded barks of the
patricians remained motionless upon the
shore awaiting the breeze which should
fill their purple sails
At 1 o'clock in the afternoon this
tranquility was interrupted in sudden
and unusual manner. An explosion,
coming from subterranean depths. was
heard in this distance; the sea became
tempestuous, the water receded from
the shore, as if driven by an unknown
power; the houses, temples and colon
nades began to rock, upheave, and reel
like drunken men; finally, from the
summit Of Vesuvius issued column of
smoke. which presented a white, gray
or black appearance, caused by the
commingling of steam, ashes, pumice
stones and scoria. Sometimes this cloud
appeared luminous, like the pillar which
served as a guide to the Israelites in the
desert; this was produced by the refuent
torrents Of burning lava which seethed
in the bosom Of the crater.
One moment the cloud remained in
the air, awful, menacing: then, sud-
denly expanding like an immense UNI
brella, vomited all around its torrents
of rain, ashes, small stones and cinders,
while the lava, making an eruption,
flowed from the apex of the cone like a
river of fire, whose sinister reflections
were seen afar off; and from the depths
of the crater hot stones, hurled with an
awful detonation, bombarded the sur
rounding cities and set them on fire, as
park of artillery would with red-hot
shot This rain of fire, ashes and cal
cined stones fell not only upon the cities
which surrounded Vesuvius but along
the entire gulf. Naples, Stabi@ and
Misenum had their streets covered with
several feet Of ashes; the inhabitants fled
to the country, terrified blythe incessant
trembling of the earth; those who re-
NAMED to secure their effects did so at
the peril Of their lives
The wind carried the pumice stones
and ashes to Rome, where it was the
first to announce the catastrophe. In a
subsequent eruption the ashes were car
ried to Constantinople, which fact will
not .astonish those who every year see
the sand of Sahara waited to the coast
of Africa and to the Mediterranean.
This phenomenon was an episode of the
first eruption Of Vesuvius. Scientists
do not agree regarding the hypothesis
of subterranean convulsion. The gen.
orally received opinion is that certain
gases diffused through the earth chemi-
cally combine, thus creating this extra
ordinary heat which fuses everything
upon its passage, and produces an ex-
pansion of sufficient force to upheave
the earth's crust in some of its parts.
Pliny, the naturalist, commander of
the imperial feet stationed at Misenum,
was extended upon his couch, occupied |
in reading. when the first indication Of
the eruption appeared. A slave an
nounced to him the rising of the sea
and the clouds of smoke in the air.
The savant ascended an eminence near
at hand, and was not long in divining |
the trouble. Although unable to per-
ceive the summit of Vesuvius, he was
no less apprehensive Of the source of
this column of smoke, which had in a
previous eruption, sixteen years before,
in the year 63. partly destroyed Her
culaneum and Pompeii To provide
himself with tables and order a light
vessel to be in readiness was for him
the affair of moment When about
to embark messenger arrived from the
port of Retina; the soldiers of the Ro-
man feet stationed at that place, and
caught between Herculaneum and Pom
peii, could escape only by the sea, and
entreated Pliny to come to their assist
ance.
He ordered several galleys with four
banks of oarsmen to be got ready, then
departed. When opposite the theatre
of the eruption it appeared in all its
sublime horror As he drew near the
shore be heard cries and groans, be saw
the distracted population running Wild
ly, but, not knowing what course to
pursue, the inhabitants of the country
taking refuge in the city, and those Of
the city fleeing to the country; he saw
his soldiers with hands raised to heaven
in sign of joy for the succor be brought
to them, but suddenly. when four hun
dred yards from the shore, the ships
touched bottom and could 60 no
farther.
The cast where the day before ves-
sells of the largest tonnage could land
had been upheaved. and henceforth the
ancient maratime city of Retina was
surrounded by land. Pliny could no
longer struggle against these forces; he
was witness of the despair of the un-
fortunate soldiers when they saw the
ships depart. Unwilling to renounce
the desire to see volcanic eruption to
minutest detail, in order to give des-
cription of it, he embarked for Stable,
the Castlemare of to-day. Thinking he
had under his eyes phenomenon of the
nature Of that Of 63, he encouraged
those about him, took bath. ate supper
unconcernedly, and retired to rest, after
noting in his tablets all that had i'm
pressed him during the day.