Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-09-03
rmE Rims o. PomPEnI.

In these busy days when the pre-.
objection Of mankind is to look only
to the future It is scarcely astonish-
ing that not so much is heard of the
antiquarian treasures which are be-
ing unbosomed by the excavation Of
the lava buried city of Pompeii, q
work that though slowly Is still be-
ing steadily conducted by the Italian
government. An exchange says that
it seems odd TO speak of q dead city
as growing one. But that is exact
ly the case with Pompeii. There are
many cities in Italy that do net grow
half as fast as the one buried by the
ashes of Vesuvius 1900 years ago. A
person visiting it at intervals Of q
year notices q marked enlargement Of
It's boundaries. The Italians, you
know, are the champion diggers.
They make the shovel fiy when they
attack the grave Of Pompeii A gov
eminent overseer watches a gang of
them. He wanted to be sure that
they pocketed no jewelry, coins. or
objects of art or utility yielded by
the excavations. The only produce
of their toll in that line as we stood
by was q bit of iron, which the guide
called q hinge, and the fragment of
a small marble column. The spades
busily piled were gradually bringing
70 hight beautiful house. Thefioors
were mosaic, with simple but grace
full designs in scroll pattern-nearly
as fresh Of color As II laid yesterday.
The walls bore frescoes of fainter
tints-grinniDg masks, fawns, cupids,
birds, fish and fruit. 1t had evident
ly been the house of q wellto-do citi-
zen Of Pompeii. The nervous move
ments OF the workmen betrayed their
anxiety. They were hoping at every
mement TO make q valuable find"
Perhaps they might hit upon q great
iron chest, studded with round knobs
like boiler, and full Of gold, mon
ey, or ornaments. or they might
strike another wonder In marble OF
bronze, or they might be startled by
coming suddenly upon q skull OF
other human remains. In the latter
event the work IS suspended till q
careful inspection Is made. The re-
sponsible and intelligent person IN
charge proceeds to ascertain II the
dead Pompeiian had lefA q mould Of
himself or herself in the plastic ashes.
II so he prepares mixture OF plas-
ter Of PARIS, breaks q hole In the
crust and slowly pours In the liquid
tin the mould Is full. When il has
hardened, the casting is tenderly re-
moved. Loi there Is rough image.
showing some poor creature Ia the
agouies Of death, prone on the door,
face downward. Thus, most usually,
were the inhabitants Of the doomed
city caught by the destroying angel.
The skni. or leg. or arm, or what
ever other part Of the skeleton has
not relapsed into its original dust,
may attach itself to the plaster cast
in the proper place. or may require
10 be Joined on by q pardoaable
restoration" In either case, the
effect Is thrilling in its horrible re
atty. Nothing in painting OF sculp-
ture can shock the beholder more
than these self produced and truth
full statutes exhibited in the museum,
which Il the first and most interest
iBg thing shown 10 visitors. ''But.
though neither gold nor silver" says
q traveller, nor anything else Of i'm
portAnee was uDearthed for nay bene-
fit. Quilted the new excavations
with reluctance 70 examine those
parts Of Pompeii with which the
world is familiar through the medi-
I'm Of books and pictures / found
myself quite 81 home in the bakery,
the wine shop, ct the oil merchants,
~ the houses of PAnsA, Of SalIust,
Of the Tragic Poei, and the rsss.
The high stepping stones across she
streets looked familiar, Is IL / had
trodden them before The deep ruts
cut By the carts IS they groaned up
the hill, coming from the ancient
StahiA. were like friendly landmarks.
So fully have literature and AT made
rs acquainted with shis disinteTred
city. The guide tells ne ihai only
about onethlrd q P0mpefi hes JET