Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-14
UNcoYgatga 4 CITY.
Interesting Report of the Excavations
Going on st Pompeii.


Interesting Report OF tho Excavations
Going on st Pompeii.
A correspondent writes as follows TO the
Boston journal Of Commerce: II seems odd
to speak of dead city as g 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 VesuYius 800 years ago. A per-
son visiting il al intervals of a year notices
marked enlargement OF lis boundaries.
The Italians, yOu know, are the champion
diggers. They make the shovel fly when
they attacl; the grave of P0mpeii. We saw
n gang of them at work there. 4 Govern
ment overseer watched them like hawk.
lie wanted to be sure that they pocketed
no jeweiy, coins, or objects OF art or utility
yielded 10y the excavations. Tue only pro-
duce OF their toll in that line as we stood
by was bit Of iron, which the guide
called hinge and the fragment of a small
marble column. Thr spades buSily piled
were gradually bringing to light beauii
ful rouse. The floors were mosaic, with
simple but graceful designs in scroll pat
ern-nearly as fresh of color as If laid yes
teriay The walls bore treseoes Of fainter
iints-grinning masks, idwns cupids, birds
fish. and fruit. 1t had evidently been the
home of o weli-to-do citizen Of Ponpeii.
The nervous movements of the w0Fkmcn
betrayed their anxiety. The were hoping
at every moment 10 make 81 valuable
fadn Perhaps they might hit upon
great iron chest, studded witt round knobs
like q boiler and full of pa.d. money or
ornaments, or they might strike another
wonder in marble or bronze or they might
be startled by coming suddenly upon q
skull or other human remalns. In the
latter event, the work is suspended till
careful inspection is made.
The Responsible and intelligent person Ia
charge proceeds to ascertain if the dead
Pompeiian has left mold OF himself or
herself in the plastic ashes. If So he pre-
peres mixture OF plaster o. Paris, breaks
a hcio in the crust, and slowly pOurs in the
LIQUID til the mold ia full, When it he's
hardened the casting is tenderiy removed
Lo there is 8 rough tsnage, showing some
poor creature in the sI1nies of death, prone
on the floor, face downward.
Thus, most usually, were the inhabitants
of the doomed city caught By the destroy
ing angel The skull, or leg, or arm, or
whatever other part Of the skeleton has not
reapsed into its original dust, may attach
itself to the plaster cast in the proper place,
or may require to be joined on by par
dnnable restoration" In either case the
effect is thrilling l.: Its horrible reality.
Nothing In painting or in scnlpt- |
ure can shock the beholder more
than these selt-pyoduced and truthful
statues exhibited in the museum, which |
is the frat and most interesting thing shown
to visitors But, though neither gold nor
silver, nor the minutest scrap of skeleton,
nor anything else of importance was IN
earthed fer my benefit, l quilted tbs new
RI niY1a
those parts of Pompeii with which the
world is already familiar through the me-
dunn of books and pictures. ! found nay
self quite at homs in the bakery, the wine
shop, at the oil merchants, ut the houses
of Pausa of Sallust. of the e Tragic Poet"
and the rest The high stepping stones
across the street looked familiar, as if had
txodden them before. The deep ruts cut by |
the carts as they groaned up the hill, COM |
ing from the ancient Stabia. were like |
friendly landmarks. So fully have Etera- J
ture and art made US acquainted with this !
disinterred city.
The guide tells me that only about one
third OF PompeIi has yet been uncovered. |
| take his word for it, He is also of the
opinion that the beat 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 be is forbidden 10 accept
money. But | imagine that this very
stern prohibition does not prevent persons |
from Offering him. say, u couple of francs
on +" the sly" or him from accepting them. |
X may be true, as our guide insists, that |
the temples, forums, baths theaters, and |
fine houses now above ground surpass any |
thing of the kind that may hereafter be |
discovered at Pompeii. But the Italian |
Government is not disposed to take that !
for granted. Liberal sums are yearly ap-
pr0priated to push on the work. IL bears |
fruits. 4 new temple amphithester |
may not be struck every year, bat |
something is being constantly turned up to
Instruct the world in the manners and cGs- |
toms Of the old Romans, SO we'll reflected |
in the representative city of Pompeii or |
bronze or stone statues, household nipple |
ments, and tools of trades, the yield is i'm.
mense and steady. These may be counted
at Naples. One can see SO many articles o.
luxury and use exactly similar TO those he |
buys nowadays, that he is fain to pause |
and Try to remember what besides the !
steam engine, the photograph, and the |
electric telegraph we moderns have in
vented. There being no more room st Ma .
pies TO store these treasures, the excess OF
them is huddled together in the courtyards
and houses Of Pompeii herself. Ii is esti- /
mated that at the present rate this mine of
antiquities will not be worked out in fifty |
wears