The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-08-30


1872 over which the road winds for long
distance: II is perfect picture of desoia
ton. The lava stream is nearly black aud
lies-iugreat folds an dridges, formed by the
semi fluid mass pouring down the side Of
the mountain aud stfIening as It cooled
The foot Of the cone is reached without
serious difficulty, and from this point
cable railroad runs nearly to the summit;
hut having attempted 10 make the ascent
OF Vesuyius on foot we scorned all such
modern INNOVATIONS and toiled on. The
cone which surmounts the mountain is
about 500 feet in hight and is composed
of loose scoria and ashes, with occasionally
ridge of layn. Its sides rise at an angle
Of about forty FIVE degrees and as the ashes
slp back under ones feet at every step, the
ascent is most fatiguing. 1t was as hard
bit of mountain climbing as we had ever
attempted.
From the summit magnificent panor-
anna is spread out before us. The country
for miles around dotted with little villages
is seer, with Naples on the northwest and
the beautiful bay in front, stretching far
away to where.
"Calm Capri waits,
Her sapphire gates
| Beguiling to her brigh. estates"
We descend to the cold crater" and pick
our way among the stesming, smoking is
sures which open far down into the depths
below. Masses of almost pure sulphur have
been deposited all around and at times the
sulphurous fumes are almost oyerpowering.
There has been no lava overflow for some
time and at tho principal opening in the
eastern part of the crater cone perhaps
fifty feet in hight has been built up Of the
cnders, scoria, ETC., which at intervals Of
perhaps a minute are thrown up from the
opening and fal in showers around. We
were soon satisfied with the horrors of the
place and the evident proximity TO the in
fernal regions, and descending the noun
| tain on the southern side we made our way
over vast beds oI lava and on through vine
yards and gardens to Tore Annupziala and
| from thence to the ruins of Pompeii. In
studying the ruins of Rome and the other
cities of ancient Italy we find that much
has been lost during the wars and POLITICAL
disturbances of past centuries; but in Pom
peli we find an ancient Roman city, y,embalm.
ed as it were, in ashes; thus preserving
for eighteen hundred years not only the
form of the buildings, but every feature oil
the home life of the Ro,nan ofthe first cen
tury of the Christian era. About rs acres
comprising nearly of the walls have been
uncovered aud the work of excavation is
still telng carried on. Nearly everything
which can be moved, even to the more i'm
porian irescoes is taken at once to the
museum at Naples, consequently the bare
walls and the deserted streets OF this city of
the dead, with few monuments, fountains,
ETC., are all that remain. The prInclpal
entrance is through the ancient sea gate of
the city; for although now far inland,
Pompeii was formerly a seaport. The
streets are regularly laid out, the principal
ones being "a feet and those of lesser iu%
portance only IA feet in width They are
paved with huge blocks of laya with deep
ruts worn by The chariot wheels, and at the
street corners are stepping stones for pedes-
trans, nearly foot above the pavement.
With but few exceptions the houses are
only one story high and are built on the
same general plan, a solid with a single en-
trance towards the street aud the rooms
ranged around an open court which was
ornamented and decorated with fountains,
statues, flowers, mosaics, etc, according to
| the fancy or wealth of the owner. Unlike
Hercuaneum which was buried beneath
lava flow to a depth of nearly 200 feet,
| Pompeii was covered with ashes and scoria
only to a depth Of about 20 feet, thus max.
ing the work of excavation much less
| laborious. In the small museum within
the walls are several figures made by pour.
ing plaster into the openings left in the
ashes by the decay and absorption of the
bodies of the dead who were overwhelmed
in the eruphon; thus showing the exact at
titude in which death overlook them. The
agony thus depicted on the faces as we'll as
indicated by the position of tho bodies is
most horrible, and even after a lapse of
nearly two thousand years 10 sufficient to
cause one to shudder at the horrors of that
dreadful night, when city, teeming with
life and prosperity was surprised and
| buried.
The National Museum at Naples con
tains much of interest in its valuable and
extensive collection of ancient statuary,
bronzes, Egyptian antiquities, ETC., but
by far its greatest attraction lies IN its vast
exhibit Of Pompeian relics. We find here
beautiful mosaics; frescoes and other mural
| decorations which IN form and color com
pare favorably with the works of the reuais
sancei thousands of articles of domestic
utility, including kitchen utensils, scales,
lamps, stoves, bedsteads, surgical and nlusi-
cal instruments, chairs, toilet articles, vases,
dishes, agricultural implements and many
other things very similar to those in use in
the present day; glass amphore still con-
tanning olive OIL several round black loayes
OF bread bearing the bakers name, as we'll
as many other articles of food and vast
assortment "too numerous to menti on" OF
articles taken from the buried city.
We return to Rome by the same road
over which We travelled in going to Naples,
and after few hours spent in revislting
the Forum and few other places OF inter
est, we took the train Tor Florence, q city
of about 100000 population located nearly
in the center of Italy. Oar route passes
Lake TFasemeuus, memorable as the sene
of Hannibal's great victory over the Romans
more than 200 years before Christ, as well
as manv other places of historical interest.
The city OF Florence is situated in an ex.
tensive plain surrounded by cultivated hills