The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1876-03-01
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| - ea'oNS"s AHSW says = WRITER, almost how
Pompeii looked, yet could not understand
how q city could BE- 50 covered UP as to be en-
tireiy forgdtteni and no description t ever read
could give me a satisfactory idea. Ii was 4
small city on plain, near the foot of Mount
vesuvius now, where they have dug away
the covering, it has the appearance Of layino
in valley between two hills, when in the re-.
atty, the Hills are of the same material u
that which once covered the whole city. the
valley being formed by removing the ashes to
get at the ruins. The more they excavate the
larger will be the valley, as more than two
thirds Of the city still lies under the hills the
grass growing over it as green as it once was
over Pompeii entire. No wonder it was for
gotten, hidden under hill with good pasture
land on top. The work Of excavation is still
going on. We started for Pompeii early in
the morning A guide accompanied us toex-
plain the ruins and watch uss Two frances
and cigar closed his eyes while we picked
up some Of the mosaics.
We spent half a day within the walls and
walked nearly over the entire city of roofless
houses. 1t was very interesting. Everything
coufd be traced-the houses with dining and
Conversation rooms ana inner courts. They
believed in luxuries in those days, nearly ev-
cry house having bathroom and fountain.
The lattef are still standing sonse with Curl
Gus figures of children holding the pipes in
their hands from which the water came. The
pipe is still fastened in the ground. Stores
with marble counters, are standing, some with
holes in them for Jars Of wine or oils. Bake
shops with mills for grinding c6rif and ovens
for baking, are to be SEEN In them were
found loaves of bread which might, without
irreverence be marked "B. c." all left stand
ing to upper rooms. In some of the rooms
were found bodies, that are now in the muse
UNI. The position of each denoted that they
died in great agony.
Some are laying with the face upon their
arms, as if to shield them from that fire OF
burning ashes others are clasped in each
others arms in an embrace that knew no part
ing even in death. On the finger of one wo-
man is ring, while on another is necklace
with the name Julie di Diomede engraved
upon it. The streets are narrow, the side
walks high, paved with large, irregular-shap-
ed stones, said to be the lava. On the corn
ers are stepping stones to cross from one side
of the street to the other. The houses were
gayly painted aud frescoed. The painting on
the inside is still to be seen and palmer than
some of the work of the old masters. In one
house lin which no woman is allowed to en-
teri are paintings few would care to look at,
and none have the hardihood to describe. -
They show well the character OF the house. -
Many believe that Pompeiis destruction was
a just retributlon, perhaps so but can't see
why Naples was spared.
No sight in Europe has been so interesting
to us as Pompeii everything 10 just as 1t was
1900 years ago. The ruins at Rome and many
of the old buildings show its former greatness
and many of the customs Of the people. But
many of them have been altered, and some
times it 10 difficult to tell the old from the
new. More than one building we have gazed
at and admired as ancient then swormed out
of .he guide by degrees that this part was
modern, that the roof was new, and those col
umns were placed there three hundred years
ago, and SO on till it was difficult to find any
thing but the foundation that was the same
as when the building was erected. But in
Pompeii everything is unchanged the style
of architecture is not altered the streets are
not widencd or the houses rebuilt by progress
i've people. No there it stands, a city as old
as Rome, without any alteration.