National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-16
THE DEAD CITIES
POmDeii and RercaIaneum Described in
an Interesting Manner.

In the wear of our Lord 20 Nesuvius
had an uncommon eruption. which suddenly and
very completely buried out of sight the cities of
Pompeii and Herculaneum: and they remained 50
buried for sixteen hundred years-until early i'll
the last century when their sites were accidentally
discovered After much patient labor and al
enormous expense, about one-third part of these
dead and buried cities has been dug up: and the
excavations are still going on. Vast treasures of
gold and silver, rare statuary paintings and house
hold utensils were recovered in good condition,
and many OF these are now preserved, as have
said. in the National Museum at Naples. The
paved streets have been cleared of rubbish and
compare flvorably with those of the cities Of to-
day. The houses are open TO inspection, and one
can easily gather from them good idea of the
manner Of life among people who were buried
Into eternity with such frightful celebrity eighteen
hundred years ago.
There Is large museum Just within the main
gate Of Pompcii, i'll which are stored vast Numbers
of articles recovered from the uncovered houses.
These are bottles vases, plates. cups lamps, money
boxes, Jars, locks, bolts, bells, eggs nuts
pieces of bread, dried fruit glasses towels candle
sticks, ladies' scales, needles, baskets tunnels &c
But, among all these familiar things, was most
impressed with an iron safe-an actual iron safe
identical in pattern with those kn0bbed articles
That only few years ago were considered the best
safes in The world for banking houses and count
jng-roomS. And yet dozens Of persons have within
fifty years taken ont patents for newly invented
iatc>. saw also lot Of fish-hOoks of the identi-
al pattern now so eagerly priced by anglers-the
rcgitabie Limerick hook Is the world progress
ng? And then there are PROSTATE figures of men
and MONOCHROME of the latter evidently ON the
point oi becoming Il NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of horses,
;ssts. dogs, and rats. And there are many skulls
ore II them still retaining some Of Its hair All
these dreadful trophies snatched from the jaws of
death serve to illustrate the terrors of that dread
t night when fire and birthstone raincd uDon the
devoted cities and wrapped them III darkness OF
death and dcsoiation.
II may judge from paintings and sculptures on
ihe walls of many rooms, and from TRANSACTIONS of
numerous inscriptions door posts, the people of
Fompeii were not strictly yirtaouS in every re-
srect for there is everywhere evidence that trey
had reached q remarkably high or low degree of
RIGHTEOUSNESS, as well as OF luxury. Almost every
houSc had its fountain its hot and cold bath, its
spacious yard garden, its statuary and pictures,
ana excellent culinary arrangements But now it
la silent city. It's houses are tcnautleSs, and its
streets are trodden only by the feet OF curious tour
ISIS. All is dcsOlatiOn-stili beautiful and Won
uEojIsly attractive, but dead, very dead Despite its
paintings and its statues and its glorious sunshine,
IL was TO me but pathetic suggestion of woe and
despair. would not care TO liyein dead city, and
al did could find one nearer home.-G. {. jaitc
E.'lF,ut iagrricqg