The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-08

following Drlef programmes: 'lU O'CLOCK
A. M. in the Basilica. Report of the
Director. 1880. Visit to view the monu-
ments. 1890. Excavationsin in the Vth and
With divisions of the IXth region.",
Invitations have been sent to all tfe
archaeological andartistic academies and il
stitutions of Germany, France, England,
and other countries, and already replies
have been received from the principal
bodies. During the last three months all
excavations have beensuspended at Pon-
peii, and no fewer than forty new eXcava-
vations have been fixed upon to be made
on the occasion of the centenary. To be-
hold a fresh excavation in the buried
city is often very wonderful and inte-
resting experience. Sometimes the cover
is drawn blank, so to speak, and no OBJ
ject of mark or interest rewards the
seekers But often it is otherwise. In the
time of the Bourbon King of Naples
distinguished visitors to PompeI
used to be complimented by the
opening of some fresh excavation in their
honor 1t is related that when the late
Lord Brougham visited Pompeii, such a
compliment being paid to him, the result
was very striking one. A point was
selected under which it was confidently
conjectured there must be dwelling
house, and spade and pick-axe went to
work. Sure enough, there was the house,
and there was its closed portal. A few
skiIlful strokes opened it, and revea ed
for one brief moment human figure
standing there within it. The eye had
barely time to take cognizanee of this
weird appearance-an earthly phantom
revealed TO the light of the sun after near
ly 1000 years of dark oblivion-when, in
flash, it crumbed and was gone. A few
handfuls of impalpable dust alone re-
mained to tell OF that long-buried hui
man creature. 1t may be that some
similarly striking incidents will reward
the research and curiosity of tine learned
and artistic eyes which will gaze upon
Pompeii on the 25th Of this month.
A huge volume is nov in the press, en-
titled "Pompeii, and the region over
whelmed by Vesuvius in the Year
LXKIX and it will be published on the
occasion of the centenary. The work
contains papers written expressly by dis
tinguished naturalists and archaologsts.
The naturalists have discussed questions
of physical science connected with Pom
peii, and the catastrophe which destroyed
it, illustrating its fora and the principal
phenomena of lis destruction. The Arch
biologists have added to the goodly mum
Der of studies already existing upon Pom
peiian monuments, and especially have
enriched the collection with valuable eb-
servatiorls on those which have been dis
covered within the la,t ten years. In Or
der to make the celebration complete,
Vesuvius ought to send out a mild erup-
tion, merely sort of feu de joie, grand
and beautiful, without being terrible.
The present crater is, however, not the
instrument which poured forth death and
ruin on the Clmpanian cityc The por-
ton of the volcanic mountain
watch vomited it's burning lava and its
choking ashes one thousand eight hun
dred years ago now lies sullen and silent,
with a strange resemblance in its'outlme.
viewed from one point to crouching
lion. The last time | stood within the
marvellous streets Of Pompeii it was a
brilliant winter day, with sun as hot as
an English sun in June, and a sky more
luminously and intensely blue than an
English sky ever could be. Forms AM
colors of the gayest beauty still adorned
broken colonade and broken wall The
tracks of chariot wheels that had polished
the stone pavement with their friction
glistened in the sunlight. Some of the
dainty elegant inner courts Of the dwell
ing-houses appeared still to echo with the
sandaled foot of fair Campanian ladies.
The whole place seemed yet warm with
the human life which had been stilled so
suddenly those many centuries ago. The
mind could scarcely connect an abyss of
time gone by with the sun-hooded city, as
it lay still beautiful beneath its canopy
of southern sky. Near at hand tht
sleeping volcano loomed sullenly. Fur
ther in the distance from Vesuvius, tow
ering above the sparkling Bay of Naples,
rose thin column into the creme air-a
column that was a pillar of smoke by
day and pillar Of fire hy ni'rht.
Pass Christian (hii 81 Sea Shore Ga
' zette: There is a remnant of the. Choc-
taw nation in this county, about seventy
five strong, and the males-about fifteen
will exercise, for the first time, the
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