The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-06-02
THE EXCAVATIONS AT POM.
PEI.

y
of some bronze utensils and a few stat
ues beneath the soil of the plain which
stretches from the foot of Mount Vesu-
vius TO the sea attracted the attention of
the art and antiquity loving monarch,
Charles III. of Naples, and led to the
unearthing of the buried city of Pompeii.
Within that time nearly one-balf the
ruins have been freed from the superin-
cumbent mass, in some places more than
twenty feet thick, which covered them.
Two hundred and sixty-four thousand
six hundred square meters have been
excavated, and 398,0S4 still remain to
excavate.
The works are at present, and have
been for period of nearly twenty years,
under the able direction of Signor
Michele Ruggiero, to whom the writer is
indebted for the principal facts contained
in this article. The title which Signor
Ruggiero bears is that of Directing
Engineer of the Excavations of the
Antiquities of the Kingdom of ITALY,"
The greater part of his life has
been devoted to unearthing the
relics of the ancient Greek and Ro-
man civilizations, the latter of which
fourished so abundantly at the begin
ming of our era, IN the vicinity of the
present city of Naples. In 1913 he was
made director of the excavations at
Pozzuoli, In 1862 he assumed the direc-
ton of the works at Pompeii, and in
1877 he received his present title. Signor
Ruggiero is the contemporary of NJ.
Fiorelli, whose name is perhaps better
known than any other in connection
with Pompeii. NJ. Fiorelli, now in his
9th year, resides at Rome, where he
administers the affairs of the various
museums devoted to antiquity through
out Italy, the works at Pompeii and
elsewhere being carried on by his sue
cessor according to the plans devised by
him.
The history OF tho excavations at
Pompeii may easily be sketched. The
town was twice destroyed. In A. d. 90,
when Vesuvius had been quiet for cent
uries, a terrific earthquake shock oc-
CURED, evidencing the reawakening of
the volcanic forces. A great part of
Pompeii-its colonnades, theaters and
private dwellings - was destroyed.
Scarcely had the inhabitants begun to
rebuild their town, when it was over
taken by the final catastrophe of the
Oath of August, A. d. 70. The first at
tempts at uncovering the ruins were
made by the ancient inhabitants.
Though deferred from any second at
tempt at rebuilding their city by this
last and most awful visitation, occurring
while they were in the act of restoring
the ruin wrought by the earthquake,
they nevertheless returned in parties,
A. ~
lava such Of their valuable treasures as
were within easy reach. Subsequent
eruptions covered the traces of their
work. Finally, those who had lived In
the city died and were forgotten, the
story of Pompeii became a historical
legend, and all traces of its existence
passed from off the face of the earth.
During the Middle Ages Pompeii was
entirely unknown. In 1892, the archi-
tect Fontana, while constructing a SUBJ
terranean water conduit to supply the
town of Tore dell Annunziata, cut q
passageway through a portion of the
ruins, but made no further investiga.
tions. No attempts were really made al
excavating the ruins until the work was
set in motion by Charles III. in 1748.
Then the amphitheater, theater and
other parts we're disinterred, and the
world began to discover that here
guarded by the earth for seventeen cent
uries, were the remains of Roman
city in such a state of preservation, anc
containing such relics. that the whole
public and domestic life of the inhab-
itants, their manners, customs and hab-
it's, might be understood, from the hold
ing of a tribunal in the Forum to tn,
baking of loaf of bread in baker
oven.
The wonder and enthusiasm that fol
lowed are indescribable.
The number of workmen now EN-
ployed in the excavations, under the di
rection of Signor Ruggiero, may be esti
mated at about 100. At times Their,
may be twice as many engaged, but thi
Is about the general average. A fore,
OF about eighty is employed in DIGGING
the earth, which is removed by railwa,
beyond the limits of the city. This rail
way, which was built in 1861, is an limo
vation upon the manner in which tn,
business OF transporting earth is usual,
accomplished in Southern Italy. It i
the habit of the workmen-or the won
on. by whom such labor il frcuuentl,