The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-06-07

POAPEll.
To ALIaHT from . railway train, to pu.-
chase ticket Of admission, to negotiate
with q guide, and then, after walking
couple OF hundred yards, to find oneself
transported back and brought face to face
with the every day life Of eighteen GEN.
turtles ago, IL to experience q sensation
which NO subsequent visiting of famous
relics of tho past can ever efface from
the mind. An ancient ruin is but a heap
of stone, whether in Mexico or in Egypt.
| The massive blocks of Stonehenre or
those of the Ephesian Temple of Diana
mean nothing to those who, from their
knowledge and imagination, cannot call
up mental pictures Of the circumstances
under which they were erected; and 1t
requires no small effort ON the part of
even those possessing tine appreciative
faculty to exercise it, when 4 locality
hitherto surrounded by halo of romance,
sentiment, or historical interest, is for
the first time viewed from the window of
a nineteenth-century railway train. Pom.
peii is perhaps the one exception. Tour.
lists who have wearily assembled Pisa's
leaning tower and thought of nothing but
the steepness of the stairs, Or who have
"done" the AcropOlis at Athens at SUM-
rise, with the idea of breakfast upper
most in their minds. find in the exhumed
such incOngruOus feelings. It is the In.
l vzyHHI "a oil Snn
sOnal, the same interest which induced
thousands at the Centennial to turn their
backs on the magnificent Castellani COL
lection of antiquities and linger in the
New England kitchen.
To reach Pompeii from Naples, fifty
minutes journey by the railroad which
skirts the bay is necessitated. The line
cuts through the great lava stream of 1904,
feet thick, at the base of Vesuvius, and
tied lin face of constant danger from.
earthquake) on account of the great fertil.
ity of the soil On reaching his destina-
ton, the visitor pays i small admission
fee, and enters st once Into the streets Of
the ancient city.
| Pompeii was partly destroyed by two
earthquakes in the year % A. d. Its in.
habitants we're still engaged in rebuilding
the injured portion, when, on Aug. "a,
-, 4 great eruption of Vesuvius over
whelmed the city and the adjacent towns
OF Herculaneum and Stable. So sudden
was the outbreak that the escape Of the
people was, prevented. A dense Cloud Of
black smoke burst forth from the crater
and settled thickly over the town, plung-
ing 1t in complete darkness. A dense
rain IF thin light ashes followed, and
then showers of hot stones, mingled with
masses Of, lava giving off mephitic gases.
Meanwhile great rivers of black lava
poured irrestibly down the mountain
sides, filling the streets and cutting off the
exit of those who had taken refuge in
cellars; while others, who were attempt.
ing to leave the city by the gates. were
blinded by the drifting ashes and over
come by the sulphurous vapors. For
three days this terrible infection contin.
ued; and then, when the smoke dispersed,
where once was beautiful town was but
ari arid mass of ashes, pumice-stone and
hardened mud:
Centuries went by. The rich volcanic
soil became covered with q profusion of
vegetation; and q new town sprung up
over the buried city, only to b. destroyed
| by earthquake 400 years after the great
eruption: POmpeii then existed only in
tradition; and this located the lost city
several miles from the uninhabited plain
Under which it was eventually discovered.
In the middle of last century the finding
of relics in the vicinity induced the gov.
eminent to undertake systematic excava.
tions. An Inscription was soon unearthed
establishing the fact that the true P0mpeii
had undoubtedly been found; and since
that time the work of uncovering the
buildings has been slowly and carefully
carried on.
! Fortunately the material which chiefly
covered the city was not lava, which
would have set like stone after probably
turning paintings and melting objects in
n etal, but a fine, light ash, which insinu-
| :; ted itself into the minutest crevices, and
even through porous earthenware. The
writer assisted in opening q large wine
| jar still bearing the seals placed over its
mouth at the time of filling. The white
ashes had replaced the wine, and made
their way through pottery of close text.
ure and now harder than stone. Gener.
ally, however, the presence of the ashes
has proved positive advantage, because,
in opening street, for example, they are
easily dug out and removed; while by
packing closely around perishable objects
they have formed perfect moulds, retain.
ing the form of the objects after the same
have wholly decayed and disappeared. 1,
is not frequently that articles are found at
y height above four feet from the floor, As
their weight naturally carries them down
ward through the soft mass of ashes.
The digging is therefore rapidly prescott
ed until the above uniform level is at
tanned. Then shovels and picks are pu,
aside, and the ashes are taken out BY
handfuls, each workman carefully crum
bling the material to powder before reject
ing it. As soon as the experienced eye Of
any worker recognizes the indications Of
a mould being formed in the ashes, labol
irons are cautiously inserted to make two
or three vents in the cavity. Then liquid
plaster is poured in, and after being lef
sufficiently long to harden, the ashes are
taken away and the cast removed.
1t is believed that of the inhabitants Of
Pompeii thousands persisted. Many
hand in hand CROPPED their way through
the streets, and so escaped to the open
sentinel, who sternly kept his post through
the thunders of that dreadful day. he
died In harness. Planted in his sentry
box, he covered his mouth with his tunic,
and held on against the choking and sui
phurOus shower. But the ashes fell and
fell, and finally filed the box, and buried
the soldier alive, still grasping his weapon
in one hand and yelling his mouth with
the other. There, after ages of rest, he
was fOund-a grisly skeleton clutching q
rusty sword.
Sad discoveries were made in the street
leading to that gate. There were two
skeletons locked in close embrace, the
teeth perfect, indicating youth in it
prime: skeletons of young man and
maid. They had fallen together in theil
fight, and death had welded them. There
was q mother with her three childred
hand in hand, who tried vainly to outrun
death. Perhaps the mother singly might
have done it, but she could mot leave hel