The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-06-21

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED YEARS AGO
STRANGE SIGHTS AND SCENES.
The city (POmpei) is now a perfect pic
ture of Roman city two Thousand years
ago, The streets, pavements, temples.
images, theatres dwellings, columns house
hold goods, baths, arches fountains for
nmS, shops OF various trades, musical in-
struments, weapons of labor, marble and
bronze statues, trescoes and drawings, din
lng-rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. with
their appropriate furniture food for the
hungry aud medicine for the sick glass
ware, vases, and pottery gems, medals,
and coins, and fruits, flowers, and shrubs
and are all seen as they were on the night
when the city was doomed to destruction.
he streets are narrow. some not being
more thar eight feet across, bus they are
straight and regular. The pavement is
composed of large flat stones or blocks Of
lava. and the deep ruts cut into them by
he Roman chariOts are clearly perceptible.
At the crossings are large stepping stones
Tor the use of pedestrians, so as to keep
their feet from the mud Everything in
the streets was silent and death like.
There were no human beings in the
houses, no promenaders in the streets all
were deserted. The dwelling houses are
! generally small and one storied. They are
built of stone and brick, pastered on the
! outside with mOrteT. An open court is in
the centre. and the different rooms are ar
| ranged around in the Oriental STYLE Most
of the roofs are destroyed, having been
crushed down by the weight Of the ashes.
! In the dining rooms the tables are stone,
and many are covered with petrefied food.
! Beds and couches are i'm the sleeping
| rooms. In one of the kitchens was found
fowl put in the skillet, and a stew-pau
containing a small pig for roasting, all
| prepared eighteen hundred years ago.
Many beau.ifCl musaics were found on the
doors aud elegant frescoes on the walls
and they look as bright and fresh as If they
had only been finished a few years. The
! frescoes, pictures, mOsaiCs. and sculptures,
and even jewelry discovered In some Of the
bouses, show the teri ible deprayity in
morals.
Many are so indecent that the public are
not allowed to look at them. In the sIIouse
of the NeStalls'' upon the door sill is the
VOID ''Salve," welcome. A mosaic With
the representation of free dog with the
incriptious, Gave Canem.n beware Of the
dog, is near the threshold Of the House of
the Tragic Poet" In the streets are many
shops which still have the signs over the
, doolW VS.. In one there is some marble
partly sculp ured, with the artists tools
lying around IN another, medicines and
surgical instruments in a thiId, a marble
counter with liquor jars behind it, and the
stains made 10y the wet glasses on the
counter prove that this was n drinking
saloon.
Then there is an eating house. Meats
, and delcacies are on the counter FIRE
. places to keep the soup aud messes warm
, are still in the room. The same building
contains grist mill and a bakery Ia the
bakers shop a batch of luaves we're found
which had been in the oven SINCE the oath
of August, A. ID. 20. The mill was turned
by horse power. The various temples that
: have been exhumed contain idols made OF
. marble, silver aud gold. The temple of
! Isis is eighty four feet long and seventy.
five broad. The ashes of victims were
found on its altars. The skeleton of a
Z priest, sitting at a table on which
spread meal, is here, while near the
. was another lest holding in his ske
: hand hatcbet, with which he had
to cut his way out of the temple.
i Over six hundred human skeletons l..
( already been exhumed, but fortuna
= most Uf the inhabitants managed to es
= having needed the warnings of the but
" / mountain. Only the bones remain of
: victims, the flesh having mostly perislr,.,
: but now and then little tuft Of mouldy
: hair has been found clinging to the skull
The position of the bodies Ia every DossibIe
= form of cOntoIiiOn all indicate a violenl
- death, one Of agony aud suffering. A mis-
: er was found, grasping bag of gold in hi.
), bOny hand. IN one room, a family grour
embracing each other in death in another
. the Ooues OF dancing girls, mingled viii
= the broken instruments OF music, can b.
: seen. In another place, the skeleton Of :
cook a. his place near the stove in tn,
kitchen. Que house contained bones, scat
o teled about bearing MAJ ks Of bpins
:, gnawed, while near by lay the skeleton o
dog, showing that the brute had survived
and eaten hls master. Here is cuinpau,
/" of young and old fleeing TO the sea Their
S the remains uf mother vaiuly tiyinp 4,
- shelter her three little children from an,
= fiery storm. Outside one Of the gates. n
= the sentiy, box, stands a Roman soldier
- IN complete armur, with the key of th
- city gate in his hand. After standiul
faithfully at his post FOR seventeen cen
II turies, he was discovered ''clad in ruStr
armOr, the helmet ou his empty skull. az,
: the spear in his bony fingers" In the cit
y prison. not far distant, were found the d.
,o souers, some with 'lhe feet made fasi d
=, the stocks -"-NaPIes correspondence Of 81
y LOUIS Post.