The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-08-09
Excavations In Po,npeii.

| VIII ueCOEdLlOHSs OOHle VI TIE IudTDlC
tables are still standing the fountains
in the atrium and peristyle, with their
pretty little statues and mosiacs, look
as if they might begin to play at any
moment; the kitchen-hearths, built
like ranges, seem ready for their pots
and kettles; few flower-pots are still
in the garden; in the store-rooms are
some oil jars and wine jars ; it is as if
one might begin housekeeping to-mor-
row, and invite ones friends to dinner
the day after
One thing is difficult to conceive
without seeing it, and that is the gor-
geousness of the interiors Of the pri-
vate houses. The colors are now fad
ed the columns are broken the most
acs of the floors are generally destroy
ed; the fountains do not play the
| flower-beds are destitute of flowers !;
yet, even as it is, one is continually
amazed by the brialliant OBJECT of the
interior vistas. In one house the view
from triclinium across two courts,
both surrounded by gaily decorated
Corinthian columns standing before
walls painted from top to bottom in a
variety Of colors, is really dazzling to
the eyes. The old Pompeians lived in
rainbow atmosphere.
Another striking thing is the abso-
lutte cleanliness. You may say that
the dirt has all been taken away by
the Italian government. That is true,
but it is quite evident that in the old
times it never was there. Our mod
ern houses are not made to be clean
as were the Pompeian residences
The walls, the floors, every corner ol
their homes were finished with the
most admirable workmanship.
In their rooms no plaster ever fell
for it was of such excellent material
and so well put on that it soon be
comes like marble. They had nc
wooden walls, no cracks where dust
could penetrate. Water for cleansing
was found in every part of the house
and ran off through perfect drains
All the tables and bedsteads were O
marble or bronze even the well curb,
and the borders of the fower-beds were
of hewn stone. Hygiene must have
come naturally to the old Pempeian
he evidently had no chance to get ty
phoidal attack the only class of dis
eases he could not provide agains
were the eruptive, and one of these
carried him off at last.
The excavations are going on stead
: lily, and arc managed admirably. L
isa delight to see one room after IN
other revealed to the light of day
, The authorities are now beginning X
, replace the charred timbers OF tn,
roofs with new ones. In this way
, some second story balconies are KEEP
in place, instead OF being allowed t.
fall down as formerly. Over some o
the most richly decorated houses th'
roofs are restored exactly asthey were
with tiles made after the ancient pat
, terms.
j. You would be astonished at the siz,
of smoe OF the Pompeian houses, ant
OF the rooms and spaces enclosed
They look small because they are s,
empty, but when you measure then
find them very spacious. Houses o
thirty and forty roomsin the first sto
ry are not uncommon. The grea
space was the atrium, often thirty
five to forty feet long, having an open
!, ing for light in the centre of the rool
and just under this a marble-line'
basin, raised above the floor, int,
which the rain fell, and on the margin
of which were placed bronzes and vas
es. Out of this opened bedrooms, an,
at the end reception-room and din
ing-room.
Beyond these was n peristyle o
court surrounded by from eight t.
twenty colums, thus making broa,
corridor running all around. Som
of the peristyles were eighty or on
hundred feet square, with great va
riety Of rooms opening into then
Beyond the peristyle was the garden
sometimes $50 feet square, or more
= with all sorts of arrangements 70
plants and fountains. A good man,
of the elaborate niche-shaped four
;, tains are still perfect. The street er
frances to some of the houses are te
i, or fifteen feet in width, and had quaC
ruple or four leaved doors. In fac
SO spacious are these dwellings on tn
ground floor that it is generally b,
lieved that the upper story rooms wer
rented out.
Z The floors of the first and secon
4 stories were OF cement in white pa
y terms Of MOSAIC or tesselated wor
' were laid. Many OF these floors al
o. uninjured..
y The houses were admirably plal
+ ned to save space and the decoration
mural and otherwise, were far beyon