Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-09-04
EXCAVATIONS Al PosrpErI,

A correspondent writes as follows 90
the New York Jotrnag Of Commences
Il seems odd TO speak Of dead city
as 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 1900 years ago. Al person
visiting IL at intervals of Il year notices
q marked enlargement 0f its bolnda-
ries The Italians, you know are the
champion diggers. They make the
shovel tly when they attack the grave Of
Pompeii We saw 4 gang Of them 1t
work there. A government .Overseer
watched them like hawk. He wanted
to be sure that they pocketed no iowols
rs, coins, or objects nf art or utility
YIELDED by the excavations The only
produce Of their toll in that line rs We
stood by was bit of iron. which the
guide called hinge. and the fragment
OF q small marble column. The spades
bnsily piled were gradually bringing to
light beautiful house. The floors were
mosaic, with SIMPLE but graceful de-
signs in scroll patlcrn-ncarly as fresh
of color as if laid yesterday. The walls
bore frescocs of fainter tints grinning
masks, fawns. cppids, birds, fish. and
fruit Il had evidently been the homo
pf well-to-do citizen of Pompcii. The
nervous movements OF the workmen be-
trayed their anxiety. They were hop
ing at every moment TO make valuable
find" Perhaps they might hit upon
great iron chest, studded with round
knobs like boiler, and full of gold,
money, or ornaments, or they might
strike another wonder in marble or
bronze, or they might be startled BY
coming suddenly upon a skull or other
human remains. In the latter. event,
the work is suspended till careful in
spection is made.
The responsible and intelligent PER-
son in charge proceeds to ascertain If
if the dead Polnpeiian has left mould
of himself Oh herself i'm tho plastic
ashes. II SO, he prepares mixture of
plaster of Paris, breaks hole in the
crust, and slowly pours in Tho liquid Sill
tho mould is full. When il has hard
ened, the casting is tenderly removed.
10! there is rough image, showing
some poor creature in the agOnics az
death, prone on the floor, face down
ward.
Thus. most usually. were the inhabi-
tants of the doomed city caught by the
destroying angel. The skull, or leg, or
arm, or whatever other part of the
skeleton has not relapscd into lis Origi-
nal dust, may attach itself TO the plaster
cast in the proper place, or may require
10 be joined on BY pardonablc "re-
storation." In either case. the effect is
thrilling in its horrible reality. Nothing
in painting or sculpture can shock the
behOlder more than these sclf-produced
and truthful statues exhibited in the
museum. which is the first and most
interesting thing shown 10 visitors. But,
though neither gold nor silver, nor The
minutcst scrap Of skeleton, nor any
thing of Importance was unearthed for
my benefit, quilted the new cxcava-
tons with reluctance to examine those
parts of Pompeii with which the world
is already familiar through the medium
Of books and pictures. 1 found myself
quite at home In the bakery, the wine
shop, at the oil merchants, at the hons-
es 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
groaned up the hill. coming from the
ancient Stabia, were ike friendly land
marks. So fully have literature and
art made us acquainted with this disin-
TERED city.
The guide tells me that only about
one-third OF Pompeii has yet been un-
covered. take his word for Il. 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 Pompcii. Treble its
size, and his labor would be threefold.
And he is forbidden to accept money.
But | imagine that this very stern pro-
hlbition does not prevent persons from
Offering him Lsay) couple Of francs on
s'tllc sly. or him from accepting them.
Il may be true, rs our guide insists,
that the temples, forums, baths. theaters,
and fine houses now above ground sur
pass anything OF the kind that may
hereafter be discovered at P0mpeii. But
the Italian government il not disposed
70 take that for granted. Liberal sums
are yearly appropriated 10 push on the
work. IL bears fruits A new temple
or amphithcater may not be struck every
year. but something is constantly being
turned up 10 instruct tho world in the
manners and customs of the old 10.
mans 50 well reflected iii the represen-
tatiVe city 0f P0mpeif Of bronze or
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