The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-01-09

wc' sV uoAo RtoUeEvSO
Among these are various houshold
and domestic articles, many Of
which are OF similyg shape 10 those
in use with ua There was a plane
which modern carpenter would
handle with ease. I do not know
how many articles there arc in all
but l saw one numbered 10.S7S
There arc q great many statues,
bronzos and vases, in a more or less
perfect state, which have been ex-
humed. Ono room CONTAINS grains
OF various kinds, bread, meat aud
some eggs which came from the
buried city. There are oil charred
and would not be recognized ex.
cept by tboir form. There is also
a glass bottle filled with oil, which
is in a good condition and not dried
mp. One OF tho most interesting
rooms to mo contains tho Library OF
the Pspyri, which was discovered in
u villa near Herculaneum. These
rolls were completely encrusted
with ashes, aud they wero supposed
for a long timo to be valueless.
Originally there were 1900 Of them,
but only 1900 arc now preserved.
They are charred and are as black as
coal. The inner bark OF tho pss
pyrus plaut was pasted together
forming long roll, aud on this the
writing was done with the writing
was done with the stylus. It was
for q long time thought i'm possible to
unroll them but At lopgth an iagsn-
ious machine was made by which
they are carefully unrolled after be.
ing 'moistened. Two or three of
these were at work at the time of
our visit. Several hundred papyri
have been unrollei aud read, but
they are mostly Of little value.
There are also human figures en-
crusted in ashes, which were found
10 various places in the buried city.
In the afternoon we go by train n
ride of forty minutes to Pompcii,
where we at once engage q guide
for the visit to the buried city
Pompeii was destroyed duriog the
great eruption OF 70. by a cloud of
hot ashes, and by subsequent falls OF
volcapic matter, until ut present it is
covered with deposito twenty feet
in thickness For three hundred
years after it's destruction the ruin,
we're dug into and ransacked for
aud other tSeasures until it
was supposed that everything Of
value had been removed. For the
next 1,400 years. the buried city was
neglected anl almost forgotten. A
little more than u hundred years ago
excavations we're again commenced,
but it is only within the last twouty
years, since they have bsan takou in
hand by the a)vsrnm INT, that they
have beeu Conducted in a systematic
and any thing like satisfac
tory results obtained. Every thin,
which can DO readily novel, AMI
rvsu tn, III ,rs important frescoe,, rs
soon as found are taken to the
Museum at Naples. Au area of
lbout 65 acres has already be,n ex
,avated, which is supposed to include
the most important third OF tho city
II the work is continued at the same
rate as now it we'll tako about sev-
snty years to complete it and well
cost sl,OO0,U01. The streets are
regularly laid ont, the main ones
a. #. wide tho narrower ones Is II
,nly. They were originally will
paved with large square blocks of
ava, which have been worn into deep
'uts by wagon wheels. At the
corners of the streets are stepping
stone projecting nearly a foot above
The pavement for the convenience of
pedestrians in muddy weather, and
It the same places there are often
amains Of fountains, or notices
PAINTED in real letters, generally
to municipal affairs The
iouses are mostly built OF concrete,
md covered with coating Of mar
,le or plaster which was oruameuted
With paintings in bright colors, red
being particularly noticeable. Most
II the houses have stairways show
ng that they were more than one
tory high aud ono of them has q |
haired second story remaining
which was built Of wood and pro.
scted over the street. Tho shobs
which were small were opsn on tho
treet the whole width OF tue front |
md closed at night with wooden
hutters. The private houses, par.
icularly those Of the wealthy, were
'uilt around an open court, and had
'nly solid wall on the out side. with
single entrance from the street.
ls these walls were built up to the
inc OF the street, aud had almost no
Vindows, Q walk through o street |
occupied entirely with residences
must have been Q dismal affair.
Y ithiu, the rooms OF the houses
generally opened into some court.
which was an uncovered square,
fouutain or flower gar
len. All the walls were brilliantly
tainted aud the floors frequently
Maid with mosaice. With the
'ronze ornaments aud statuary, and
ho iulsid furniture these houses
must have been oheerful and very
,lsasant. II was with mingled ave
nd pleasure that We wandered amid |
hsss remains Of the every day life
4 tho Romsus, aud nothing we have