Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-13
AT POMPEII.
/. Houss RESTORED WITH A SPADE
ANXIOUS DIGGING.
Tn. wuseum with It's Bare sights-A Near
view Of vssuvius-A Settling
Mass.
IInnrnai Of Com merce. ]

there. A Government oyerseer Watcned
them Ike q hawk lie wanted 10 bes'lre that
,hev uocketed no jewciry, coins, or objects OF
ART or utility yielded by the excavations.
rrbe only produce OF their toll In that line,
90 we stood by, was bit OF iron. which the
onide called a hinge, and the fragment OF
Email marble column. The spades busily
nlied were gradually bringing to light
beautiful house. The floors were mosaic,
With simpIe but graceful designs In scroll
nattcrn-nearly as fresh Of color a. II laid
yesterday. The walls bore irescoes OF
fainter tints-grinDing masks, lawns, Gu
pids, birds, fish. and fruit. II had evident
liz been the home Of well-to-do citizen OF
Pompeii. The nervous movements OF the
workmen betrayed their anxiety. They
were hoping at every moment 70 make a
valuable "fnd." Perhaps they might
hit upon a great iron chest-studGed With
round knobs like boiler and full OF
cold. money, or ornaments, or they might
strike another wonder in marble or bronze,
or they might be startled by coming sud-
denly upon q skull or other human re-
mains. In the latter event the work is sus-
pended till a careful inspection Is made.
The responsible and intelligent person IN
charge proceeds 10 ascertain II the dead
Pompeiian has left mould OF himself or
herself in the plastic ashes. III so, he pre-
rares mixture OF plaster OF paris, breaks
a hole in the crust and slowly pours in the
LIQUID till the mould is full. When IL has
harden ned the casting Is tenderly removed.
Lo there is rough image showing some
poor creature in the agonies OF death, prone
on the floor, face downward.
Thus, most usually, were the inhabitants
10 IA -. l.a
ing angel. The skull, or leg, or arm, or
whateye, ether 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 to be joined on by par
donable restoration" In either case the
effect is thrilling in It's horrible reality.
Nothing In painting or sculpture can shock
the behOlder more than these self-pro-
duced and truthful statues exhibited in the
museum, which i the first aud most inter-
esting thing shown TO visitors. But,
though neither gold nor silver, nor
the minutest scrap Of a skeleton, nor
anything else OF importance was unearthed
for my benefit. | quilted the new eXcava-
tons with reluctance TO examine those parts
OF Pompeii with which the world /, nj.
ready familiar through the medium Of
at home I'm the bakery, the wIne-ShOp, at
the oil.mcrchant's. at the houses Of Pansl,
OF Salust, OF the "Tra"ic Pot" and the
rest. The high stepping-stones acros. the
streets looked familiar, rs ii had irodde1
them before. The deep ruts cut by The
carts as they grJancd up the hill coming
from the ancient Stlbia were like friendly
landmarks, 50 fully have literature and art
l., oil will Al
city.
The guide tells ne that only about one
third OF Pompei has yet been uncovered.
| take his word for Il. lie /. also Of the
opinlon that The best paris OF the city have
already been dug out. lie evidently wishes
that the work would stop. lie j. very
human in this, for nc finds it tireSOme to
show people about the present Pompeii.
Treble is size, and his labor would be
three.fold. And he Is forbidden 10 accept
money. But imagine that this very
stern prohibition does not prevent
persons from Offering him say
couple OF francs on "tae sly or
him frol accepting them. Ii may he true,
as our guide insists, that the temples,
forums, baths, theatres, and fine houses
now above ground surpas' anything OF The
KIND that may hereafter be discovered at
Pompeii. But the Italian Government i
not disposed to take that foT granted.
Liberal sums are yearly Appropriated to
push on the work. Ii bears fruit. n new
temple or amphithoatre may not be struck
every year, but something is constantly
being turned up to instruct the world In
the manners ana customs OF the old lto-
mans so we'll reflected in the representative
city Of Pompeii. OF bronze or stone
statues, household implements, aud
tools OF trade, the yield Is i'm
mense and steady. These mly be
counted by the thousand in the splen.
did museum at Naples. one can see 50
many articles OF luxury and Use exictly
similar to those be buys nowadays thai be
is iain to pause and try to remember what
besides the steam engine, the photograph,
and 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 court
yards and houses OF Pompeii herself. Ii is
estimated that at the present rate this mine
Of antiquities Will not be worked out in
fifty years.
VesuIius is the most deceptive OF noun
tans. We know how treachcrOus and
cruel he is. But, as we see him pently
smoking in the haze OF this soft, eneryating
atmosphere, we tLink him very much mt
igned. The chimney OF a well-regulated
house could not be steadicr OF behavior.
His sides look sleek in the distance. One
would never suspect that all that brown
softneSs Is lava fifty feet deep and covering
thousands Of acres. When assembled the
volcano on fair day this week, realized
how il.usory are impressions when formed
a. r. InpffHf
Resina fold Hcrculaneum) the carriage
climbed a steep slope between country
villas with "plenty on fruit aud shade" Us
an advertisement would say. Presently
sharp turn IN the road brought me face to
face with the head Of a lava stream which
had been mercifully stayed at that point
wears ago. The road has been cut through
il, showing its depth, ana that was enough
to have buried in Ms path any Of the villas
bad seen below. From this point on h the
station Of the Funicular railway the roal
for the most part passes between gray-Diack
walls of lava, the tops OF which are curled
like waves or twisted into capricious spiral
forms, and there forever stiled. Not
flower or blade OF grass grows there, eX-
cept IN creyices where dust may have fallen
and the wind has scattered seeds.
1be desolatlon mile after mile Is oppress-
i've 10 behold. One seeks relief by looking
lack over the blue Mediterranean aud the
Ieddish-whte cities Of the plain, or else he
looks ahead and up to Vesuylus, whose
terrible msiesty now begins TO appear. |
now see that where the sea OF lava ends the
ashes begin. The vapor, which seemed to
curl so peacefully and thinly-from the
standpoint OF Naples-is mounting to the
sky in great volume and whirling as II in
cyclone. one magines a roar as that hot
steam rushes from the crater. Hesees specks
tossed into the air. These are stones flung
aloit 200 10 800 feet and dropping back into
the yawning PIT to be presently elected
again. He has been told that VesuVius is
q little more active than usual. He can
now readily understand OF what frightful
deeds the volcano Is capable when in the
maddest humor. Not only all the little
cities near his base, which have been re-
built in their chidEke faith that they never
again will be destroyed, but proud Naples,
which has 50 far been spared, are At his
mercy.
After l had assembled by railway to a
nearer view Of the monster, and completed
my acquaintance with him as far As was
safe, familiarity did not lessen my respec,
for his power. Ii seemed impudently in
quisitiye for a party OF tiny mortlls 10 be
throwing stones INTO his enormous mouth