The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-27
A Day Among the Ruins of
Pompeii.
THE CITY OF HANNIBAL AND CESAR
A Special Excavation for the General
and His Party.
p 0 M p Ell IN 1877,

We arrived at Pompeii early, considering that we
had TO ride fourteen fifteen miles, but the morning
cold enough be grateful to our Northern habits
and there was sunshine. Our coming hal been
pocted. and welcomed by handsome young
guido, who talked form OF English in a rather high
key, as though all little hard OF hearing.
THIS guide informed that no had waited General
Sheridan when no visited Pompeii He soldier,
and learned that tho guides all soldiers, who
receive duty a reward for meritorious service
There some comfort In seeing Pompe accom-.
panied by u soldier, and bravo THIS especial
guide was Intelligent bright ard well up in all con-
corning PompeL We entered the town ut once
through gate leading through embankment AL.
though Pompc, fur excavated, Is open 10 tho
air us Now YORK, 1t Is surrounded by an car.hen
mound resembling some of our railway embapkments
in America. Looking at 1t from the outside you
might imagine It an embankment, and expect to sec
train Of whirling along the surface 1t is only
when you pass up stone.paved slope few PAGES
that the truth comes upon you and you that yon
In the City Of Death. You see before you long,
narrow street running into other narrow streeta
You see quaint, curious houses In ruins You see
fragments, statpcs mounds, walls You curiously
painted walls. You where men and women lived
and how they ved-all silent and all dead-and there
comes over you that appalling story which has ias.
cinated many generations Of men-the story the
obstruction OF Pompei and derculaneum
PoMPEIf
You will say, "Yos, every schoolboy knows that
story and suppose it is known in schoolboy fashion,
1t will complete my chronicle of General Grants visit
II you will allow me to tell il over again In the grand
days of Rome Pompeii was walled city, numbering
about twenty thousand Inhabitants 1t was built
the sea coast and protected from the by
wall should say in extent 1t was about as large the
lower section OF Now York; drawing line the
island from river &c through the HERALD Office
II was irregular ive.sided town, with narrow
streets. Its inhabitants were, as general thing, In
good standing, because they here spend their
summers. | suppose they had about the Same
standing in Roman society us the inhabitants Of
Newport havc IN American society. Pompeii was
American Newport, city Of recreation aud pleasure
II is said the founded by Hercules but that
TACT you must voriiy for yourself 1t tho
capital OF luxurious Campana and joined Han niba In
his war against Rome. Hannibal proposed kind OF
Southern Confcderacy arrangement, with Capua ns
capital Alter HANNIBAL had been defeated Capua was
destroyed and Pompeii sparod-spared in the end for
fate more terrible. Cicero lived near Pompeii, and
emperors here tor their recreation. In the
63 the city had Of its fate by earthquake
which damaged the town seriously, throwing down
statues, swallowing up sheep, SO appalling 'that
many people lost their Wits" In g., when Nero was
quake, which threw down the building In
which His Majesty had been entertaining
his friends. This the second warning
The end came the oath OF October, 70, and We
know all the facts from the letters written by Piny
The Younger to raeitus--leters which bad mournul
Interest to tho writer, because thcy told him that
Plny the Elder lost life in tho general dosoation.
Pliuy tells how he was with his uncle, who COM
marded the Roman fleet at Misenum. Misenum
just across the bay from Pompeii-twenty miles, per-
haps, as the crow flies. On the oath OF August PIny
the Elder taking the benefit Of the sun-that Is to
say, he had Amounted his person aud walked naked,
was the daily custom OF all prudent Romans He had
taken hts bath ana retired to his library when he
not iced something odd about Vesuvius Tho cloud
sumed tho form OF gigantic pine and shot into
the air 10 prodigous height Pny ordered his gull
ley to be Manned and sailed the bay direct for
Vesuvius. over the bay where you may fishing
boats aud steamers.
FORTUNE
letter from some friends whose villas were at the
base OF the mountain warned him that there some
danger was brewing, and, like Roman and sailor,
no sailed 10 their AS he drew the
tain the air was filled with cinders. Burning rocks
and pumce stones fell upon his decks, the sea
treated from the land and rocks OF great rolled
down the mountain. His pilot begged him
Fortune" he said. "favors the brave--carry
Pomponanus." Pomponanus was what we now call
Castellamarc, little port from which the fish
Here the eruption fell upon him. Tho houses
shook from side to side, the day darker
than the darkest night The people tho folds
with pillows on their heads, carrying torches The
fumes OF sulphur Frustrated Pliny and he Tell dead.
Tho OF the actual obstruction be told in
better words than thoso OF tho younger Piny, who
watched tho scene from Msenum Remember IL
twenty miles away and you can fancy what 1t must
have been in Pompeii. I'll turned my head. writes
Plioy, and observed behind US thick smoke, which
rolling after US like torrent / proposed,
while We had yet any light TO turn out into the nigh
road lest should be pressed death in the dash OF
the crowd that followed us. We had scarcely stepped
out OF the path when darkness overspread not like
that Of c.oudy night when there is no moon, but
Of room when II Is shut up and all the lights
are extinct Nothing then was to be heard but the
shreks of women, the screams OF children and the
cries OF calling for their children, others
for their parents others for their husbands and only
distinguishing each other by their voices; one la
mcnting his own fate another that OF his family !;
some wishing to die from the very fear OF dying, some
lifting Their hands the gods, but the greater
asiuing that the last and eternal ght had which
was to destroy tho world anu The gods together.
Among these were some augmented tho real ter
by Imaginary ones. aud made the anrighcd null
titude falsely believe that Niscnum actually IN
flames. At length glinmering light appeared which
we imagined TO be rather the forerunncr OF an ap-
proacn ng burst oil 1ame, as In truth was than the
return CT day. However, Tho nrc Tell at distance
from us. Then again VIC were Immersed III thick
darkness and heavy shower OF ashes
rained upon u.s. which Obliged
every and thcn to shake or, otherwise
we should have been crushed and buried IN the heap
Al last this dreadful darkness was dissipated by de.
grees, like cloua OF smoke tho roai day returned,
and even the sun appeared, though very family and
as when eclipse is coming on Every object that
presented itself 10 our eyes, which wore extremely
weakened, seemed changed, being covered over with
white ashes as with deep snow"
CENTURIES OF PEACE.
This was in the latter part OF october, 70, and