Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-07-03
EXCAVATIONS AT POMPEII.
A correspondent writes as follows TO
he New York Journal of Commerce:

Ii seems odd 10 SPEAK oi Il l.. -
is a growing one ia tH-. t-
the case win Poupcu. "a 90.
many cities III lGaiy tuat ,iu ~, :.
halt as fast as the one Darled by the
ashes of Nesuvius 800 years ago \
person visiting 1t at Intervals OF Il year
notices a marked enlargement OF its
boundaries. The Italians, You know,
are the champion diggers. They make
the shovel fly when they attack the
grave of Pompeii. We saw gang of
them at work there. A government
overseer watched them like hawk.
He wanted to be sure that they pocket
ed no jewelry. coins, or objects of art
or utility yielded by the excavations.
The only produce of their toll in that
Iime as we stood by was bit of iron,
which the guide called a hinge, and the
fragment of a small marble column.
The spades busily piled were gradually
bringing to light a beautiful house.
The floors were mosaic, with simple
but graceful designs in scroll pattern
nearly as fresh of color as if laid yes
terday. The walls bore irescoes of
fainter tints-grinning masks, fawns,
cupids, birds, fish and fruit. 1t had
evidently been the home of a well-to-
do citizen of Pompcii. The nervous
movements of the wOrkmen betrayed
their anxiety. They were hoping at
every moment to make valuable
''tind." Perhaps they might hit upon a
great iron chest, studded with round
knobs like a boiler, and full OF gold,
money, or ornaments, OF 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 suspended till a careful in
spection is made.
The responsible and intelligent per- :
son in charge proceeds to ascertain if
the dead POmpeiian has left a mould of
himself or herself in the plastic ashes.
If so, he prepares mixture of plaster
of Paris, breaks a hole in the crust,
and slowly pours in the liquid till the
mould is full. When it has hardened.
the casting is tenderly removed. Lo!
there is rough image, showing some
poor creature in the agonies of death,
prone Oh the floor, face downward.
Thus, most usually, were the inhab-
itants OF the doomed city caught by the
destroying angel. The skull, or leg,
or arm, or whatever other part of the
skeleton has not relapsed into its Origi
nal dust, may attach itself to the plas-
ter cast in the proper place, or may re-
quire to be joined Oh by pardOnable
restoration" In either case. the ef-
feet is thrilling in its horrible reality.
Nothing in painting or sculpture can
shock the behOlder more than these self
produced and truthful statues exhibit
ed 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 q
skeleton. or anything else of impor-
tance was unearthed for my benefit, I
Quilted the new excavations with re-
luctance to examine those parts OF
POmpeii with which the world is al
ready familiar through the medium of
books and pictures. found myself
gniie at home in the bakery, the wine
shop.at the oil merchant s, at the houses
of Pansa, of Sallust, of the "Tragic
Poet" aud 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
9roaned up the hill, coming from the
ancient Stabia, were like friendly land
marks. So fully have literature and art
made us acquainted with this disinter-
red city.
The guide tells me that only about
one-t third OF Pompeii has yet been un
covered. 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 that this very stern pro-
hibitiOn does not prevent persons from
Offering him (say) couple of francs
on "the sly" or him from accepting
them.
1t may be true. as our guide insists,
that the temples, forums, baths, theaters,
aud fine houses now above ground sur
pass anything of the kind that may
hereafter be discovered at POmpeii.
But the Italian government is not dis
posed to take that for granted. Liberal
sums are yearly appropriated to push
on the work. 1t bears fruits. A new
temple or amphitheater may not be
struck every year, but something is
constantly being turned up to instruct
the world in the manners and customs
: of the Romans, so we'll reflected in the
representative city of POmpeii. OF
bronze or stone statues, household i'm
plements, and tools of trades, the yield
3 is immense and steady. These may be
counted by the thousand in the splendid
3 museum at Naples. One can see 80
many articles of luxury and use exactly
, similar to those he buys nowadays, that
he is fain to pause and try to remem-
ber what beside the steam engine, the
photograph, and the electric telegraph
I we mOderns have invented little /.
There being no more room at Naples
: to store these treasures, the excess OF
t them is huddled together in the court
; yards and houses of Pompeii herself
I 1t is estimated that at the present rate
D this mine of antiquities will not be
3 worked out in fifty years.