Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-11-21
atlonih'a Column,
THE DEATH OF PLINY AT
MOUNT VESUVIUS.

Volcanoes are not very good neigh
bors, for no one knows when they will
break out or what they will do, and
those who live near them must be in
constant anxiety about being blown up
or swallowed up without much warning.
Boys and girls who have studied geo.
graphy, know that Vesuvius is volca-
mic mountain, near the great city of
Naples, in Italy, and many of them have
doubtless read of the great eruption
which occurred about eighteen hundred
years ago in the old Roman times.
For ages and ages Vesuvius had been
lying quiet like any other hill. Beau
tiful cities were built at its foot, filled
with people who were as handsome, and
as comfortable and q am afrald) as
wicked, as people ever were on earth.
Fair gardens, vineyards and olive or
chards covered the mountain slopes. 1t
was held to be one of the Paradises of
the world. As for the mountain being
burning mountain, who ever thought
of that ? To be sure, on the top of it
was a great round crater, or cup, mile
or more across, and few hundred yards
deep. But that was all overgrown with
bushes and wild vines, full of bears and
deer. What sign of fire was there in
that? To be sure, also, there was an
ugly place below by the scashore, call
ed the Phlegy@n fields, where smoke
and birthstone came out of the ground,
and lake called Avernus, over which
poisonous gases hung, and which old
stories said was one of the mouths of
Hades But what of that /? 1t had new
er harmed any one. and how could it
harm them?
So they lived on, merrily and happi-
ly enough, till in the year A. D. 70,
there was stationed in the Bay Of Ma
Piles, Roman admiral, called Pliny,
who was also very studious and learn
ed man, and author of famous old
book on natural history. He was stay.
ing on shore with his sister and, as he
sat IN his study, she called him out to
see strange cloud which had been
hanging for some time over the top of
Mount Vesuvius. 1t was in shape just
like pine tree; that is, an Italian
pine, which has long straight stem,
and top like parasol. Sometimes it
was blackish. sometimes spotted; and
the good admiral Pliny, who was always
curious about natural science, ordered
his cutter, and went away across the
bay to see what it could be. Earth
quake shocks had been very common for
the last few days; but l do not suppose
that Pliny had any notion that the
earthquakes and the cloud had any
thing to do with each other. However,
he soon found out that they had; and
to his cost.
When he got near the opposite shore
some of the sailors met him and en-
treated him to turn back. Cinders anC
pomice-stones were falling down from
t the sky, and flames breaking out of the
5 mountains above But Pliny would g
on; he said if people were in danger i
was his duty to help them; and he mus
see this strange cloud, and note dowl
the different shapes into which it chang
ed. But the hot ashes fell faster an,
faster; the sea ebbed out suddenly, an,
left them nearly dry, and Pliny turne
o away to place called Stable, to tn
house of his friend Pomponianus, VIII
was just going to escape in boat
Brave Pliny told him not to be afraid
ordered his bath like true Roman ger
n tleman and then went in to Dime
with cheerful face. Flames cam
If down from the mountain, nearer an
~ nearer as the night drew on but Pin
~ persuaded his friend that they wei
ne fires in some villages from which tt
Mt peasants had fed and then went
bed and slept soundly.
We However, in the middle of the nigl
ne they found the courtyard being fast fl
ed with cinders. and if they had n
L. walked the Admiral in time, he wou
ow never have been able to get out of Il
lis house. The earthquake shocks gre
' es stronger and ferces, till the house W
nat ready to fall; and Pliny and his frien
ne and the sailors and the slaves, all f,
ner into the open fields, amid a shower
'dy stones and cinders. tying pillows ov
ow w their heads to prevent their being be;
an en- down. The day had come by tt
lor- time, but not the dawn for it was st
oh. pitch dark as night. They went do1
ach to their boats upon the shore; but t
HI sea ragged so horribly, that there was
,,.r getting on board of them. Then Phi
,en- GREW tired and made his mon snreaf