The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-07-07
EXCAVATIONS AT P01IPEII.
ONE-THIRD OF THE CITY UN-
COVERED.

, What is to he Seen in City Buried by VOL
cnno--Wonders in Marble and Bronze, skele-
tone, Frescocs, Etc.
A correspondent writes as follows to
the New York Journal of Commerce:
It seems odd to speak Of dead city as
q growing one. But that is exactly the
case with Pompeii. There are many
cities in Italy that do not grow half as
fast as the one buried by the ashes of
Vesuvius 1,S00 years ago. A person vis-
iting it at intervals Of year notices a
marked enlargement of its boundaries.
The Italians, you know, are the cham
pion diggers. They make the shovel fly
when they attack the grave of Pompeu.
We saw gang of them at work there.
A Government overseer watched them
Like a hawk. He wanted to be sure that
they pockcted no jewelry, coins, or OBJ
jects of art or utility yielded by the ex-
cayations. The only produce of their
tol! IN that line as We stood by was bit
OF iron, which the guide called a hinge,
and the fragment of a small marble col
llmn. The spades busily piled were
gradually bringing to light beautiful
house. The floors were mosaic, with
simple but graceful designs in scroll pat
tern-nearly as fresh of color as if laid
yesterday. The walls bore frescoes of
fainter tints-grinning masks, fawns,
cupids, birds, fish and fruit. It had
evidently been the home of a wel-to-do
citizen of Pompeu. The nervous move
ments of the workmen betrayed their
anxiety. They were hoping at every
moment to make valuable s'fnd." Per
haps they might hit upon a great iron
chest, studded with round knobs like q
boiler, and full of gold, money or orna-
ments, or they might strike. another
wonder in marble or bronze, or they
might be startled by coming suddenly
upon skull Or other human remains.
In the latter event, the work is suspend
ed till careful inspection is made.
The responsible and intelligent person
in charge proceeds to ascertain if the
dead Pompeiian has left mould of him
self or herself in the plastic ashes. IF
so, he prepares mixture of plaster of
Paris, breaks hole in the crust, and
slowly pours in the liquid till the mould
is full. When it has hardened, the cast
ing is tenderedly removed. Lo! thereis
a rough image, showing some poor crea-
ture in the agonies of death, prone on
the floor, face downward.
Thus, most usually, were the inhabit-
ants of the doomed city caught by the
destroying angel. The skull, or leg, or
ann, or whatever other part of the skele-
ton has not relapsed into its original
dust, may attach itself to the plaster cast
in the proper place, or may require to
be joined on by pardonable 'srestora-
ton" In either case, the effect is
thrilling in its horrible reality. Nothing
in painting or sculpture can shock the
beholder more than these self-produced
and truthful statues exhibited in the
museum, which is the first and most
interesting thing shown to visitors. But,
though neither gold nor silver, nor the
minutest scrap of skeleton, nor any
thing else Of importance was unearthed
for my benefit, quilted the new exca-
vations with reluctance to examine those
parts of Pompen with which the world
is already familiar through the medium
of books and pictures. found myself
quite at home in the bakery, the wine
shop, at the oil merchants, at the houses
Of Pansa, of Sallust, of the ''Tragic
Poet" and the rest. The high stepping
stones across the streets looked familiar,
as if had trodden them before. The
deep ruts cut by the carts as they groan-
ed up the hill, coming from the ancient
Stabia, were like friendly landmarks. So
fully have literature and art made us ac-
quainted with this disinterred city.
The guide tells me that only about
one-third of Pompeii has yet been un-
covered. I take his word for it. He is
also of the opinion that the best parts of
the city have already been dug out. He
evidently wishes that the work would
stop. He is very human in this, for he
finds it tiresome to show people about
the present Pompeii. Treble its size,
and his labor would be threefold. And
he is forbidden to accept money. But
imagine this very stern prohibition does
not prevent persons from offering him
(say) couple of francs on 'sthe sly" or
him from accepting them.
It may be true, as our guide insists,
that the temples, forums, baths, theatres,
and fine houses now above ground sur
pass anything of the kind that may here
after be discovered at Pompeii. But the
Italian Government is not disposed to
take that for granted. Liberal sums are
yearly appropriated to push on the work.
It bears fruit. A new temple or amphi-
theatre may not be struck every year,
but something is constantly being turned
up to instruct the world in the manners
and customs of the old Romans, so well
reflected in the representative city of
Pompeii. OF bronze or stone statutes,
household implements, and tools Of
trades, the yield is immense and steady.
These may be counted by the thousand
in the splendid museum at Naples. One
can see so many articles of luxury and
used exactly similar to those he buys
nowadays, that he is fain 10 pause and
try to remember what besides the steam
engine, the photograph, AMI the electric
telegraph we moderns have invented.
There being no more room at Naples to
store these treasures, the excess Of them
is huddled together in the cortyards
and houses of Pompen herself. 1t is
estimated that at the present rate this
mine of antiquities viii not be worked