Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-18

lPaH Xou Gsseste, Oct. 2.l
The work Of exploration which haa
been steadily going ON in Pompsii fos
over . century. from the day when ex-
cavatlon hrst began ON the site Of what
was then vaguely called La Civita, .
In 1915, has led 70 other than purely
archaeological results. II has enabled
q falrfy accurate notion to b formed of
tae nature and extent Of the catastro-
phe. We know, for instances, that the
lava stream did not reach Pompoii, and
snAt the city was not DESTROYED By fire,
We know als0 that the eruption vae 40
companied by one or moro shocks OF
earthquake, which threw down houaos
here and there and buried mon and
women under their ruins. From the
face that skeletons have bsen found at
the entrance of the public bath, which
vas Quilted hastily by the few grand
ladies' Who were not at the Rladiaforial
performance at the amphithsatee, the
time OF the catastrophe can b iixed
with appropriate accuracy at or about
moot. Above all, the discoveries of akel-
etOns, every one Of which has been care
fully recorded for at least q century,
enable some conclusion to b drawn e
to the total number Of victims Of the
Il would be 0 mistake to
suppose that the majority or even very
large proportion Of the inhabitants OF
Pompeii periahed.
The effect Of the ashen shower vas
not instantaneous, and every one who
could get away from the city on the first
alarm probably saved his hfe. The bulk
OF the people were in the amphitheatsr,
which was sltuAted near ono Of the CITY
gates on the side remote from Vesuvius,
and there was nothing to hinder every
one IN the great audisnos from getting
away In time. Those Who perished were
those who deliberately put Of their fight
to save wife and child, or still more
often valuables. OF such victims, $50
have already been found. From the
year when the excavations began in
l74S, to tho year 1876, the total number
OF human remains discovered was 16O;
from 1927 to 1916 il was 60; from 1861 to
1872 1t was 81, and from 1873 to 1881
about 100. But it Is to be remembered
that that only two-ffths Of tho buried
surface has been brought to light. On
the whole there appears good reason for
putting the total number Of human
beings who persisted in tho eruption at
least a. high a. HOO. To these should
be added the skeletons Of 3 doQs, 7
horses, IL hens, 2 t0rt0ises, Is pigs, 10
mails. The remains Of one Of these dogs
we're found in the porch Of the "House
Of Orpheus," and the cast which Sig
Dor FlOrelli has taken brings before us
with painful vividnees one of the minor
tragedies Of that awful day. Tho poor
beast was chained TO his post, and in
the general panic and confusion no
one remembered to lot him loose. The
cham lay by the remains when they
we're found, and il il evident that the
creature had strained his tether TO the
utmost IN his effort to keep himself
above tho masses of ash and pumioe-
stone that rapidly accumulated around
and over him.
The cast 10 to be seen in the little mu-
scum at Pompeii. The dog lies half on
his side, half on his back, his slender
head and open muxzle, RaspilQ for .
little air, buried between the hind legs,
which we're Convulsive,y brought for
ward in tho last a9onies Of death. But
the process, which has bean % success
full In producing tho very form and
likeness Of this creature a. he lived and
died, has produced result no less ex-
tra0rdinary in the case Of the human
victims Of the catastrophe. The idea
OF pouring plaster Of paris in liqaid
state into the molds loft BY the bodies
In the soft ash did not OCCUR to anyone
till it suddenly flashed across the mind
Of Fiorelli 70 years ago.
Il il only from tho Journal Of Excoua-
tions for the year 1881 that We know of
the touching and famous sight which
greeted tho eyes of the first discoverers
Of the "House Of the Faun." On tho
floor Of the banquetinR hall lay the
tress Of the house, with her jewels scat
spair Of rescue or escape. The roof had
been crushed in by the weight Of falling
nsh and pumicestone, and the hands Of
the dying woman were upstretChod IN .
vain effort to keep of the impending
weight. Parts Of the body and clothing
could still b made out, and dra y ing
could be made Of one charming foot.
But such records are ifelsos and tame,
indeed, beside the extraordinary por-
trait statues which are now 10 be seen
in the little museum at P0mpeii. There
are nine Of these, or were short time
since, and 10 zee them ID like seeing
the men and women themselves Of
eighteen hundred years ago. Fiorelli's
method ID a. simple a. possible. A
small opening il made, tho plaster is
delicately poured in, and when il has
had time 70 harden the surface crust of
ash il peeled OF, and the man or woman
comes back to life again. The details
Of clothing and features have all left
their mark ON the soft ash, and arc
faithfully preserved in the plaster cast.
The results achieved By Fiorelli are
striking and complete. Take the case
Of the elderly slave, for instance, pro-
who APPEARS to have .been taking his
siesta when the eruption began, and to
have BEEN painleasly aaphyxiated in his
sieep. He lies On his right aide. the
knees Q little bent, the left lex drawn
mp and the cheek resting on the right
hand. The ooarse, STRONGLY -maxfed
textures and peaooful expression Of The
sleeper have al been perfectly pro
served. a hradly leoD coy death mus
have been the los Of the four parsons
found lying on their back in the street..
Three Of these were men, one Of them Q
negro Of the most pronounced type.
The fourth Wns woman Of unusual
stature, whose time for beo6ming q
mother was evidently mot far OF. The
three persons found lying on their
faces do NOT appear 10 have found quite
% quick Q Death. Two Of them are
a. - 49, - AlSa>~lv -sr.a~~