Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-03
THE MOMENT OF DEATH.
Some Terrible Pictures of the Last Strug.
gle From Pompeii.

| gle From Pompen.
| Some years ago, In a small street, til,
workmen employed in the excavations a
Pompeli discovered an empty space of al
unusual form, in which were some skele
tons. Before disturbing them they called
| Signor Fiorelli, who was fortunately a
hand. A singularly happy thought STRUCK
him. He had the empty space filed will
liquid plaster of Paris and repeated the
process in the case of some other openings
which presented similar appearance
| AS soon as the plaster was hardened the
surrounding ashes were removed and dis
played the perfect casts of four human
bodies.
All four are now in the museum there
and more singular and affecting sight is
perhaps not to be seen in the whole world
The plaster was hardened around the ash
es so perfectly in the shape Of what may
be termed the mould formed by the fallen
ashes around the living bodies that the
whole aspect of the dying frame is pre-.
served, even to the minutest details, ex
cept that here and there the bones of the
skeleton within are partially uncovered
Egyptian mummies are bare, black and
hideous and arranged in an artificial
posture for their burial, while in the ex.
humed Pompeians we see human beings
in the very act of dying,
One of them is the body of a woman,
close to whom were found a large number
of coins, two silver vases, some keys and
some jewels, which she was carrying with
her when the falling ashes ar-ssted her
flight. 1t is easy trace her bead-dress and
the material of her clothing and on one of
her fingers are two silver rings. Her
hands were so casped in agony that the
nails had pierced the flesh. With the
exception of her legs, the whole body is
swollen and contracted. 1t is plain that
she strove violently in her dying struggles.
Her attitude is that of the last agony,
and not that of death Behind her lay
another woman and girl, evidently of
humble rank.
The elder of the two, possibly the moth
er, has an iron ring on one of her fingers.
The signs of dying struggle are evident,
but the death seems to have been easier
than in the case of the victim last de-
scribed. Close to her lies the girl, almc.
a child in age. The details of her dress
are preserved with a startling faithful
ness. One can see the material and stitch,
ing OF her frock, the unmended rents in
her long sleeves, her dress over her head,
to ward off the torrent of ashes, an fall
ing headlong on her face had rested her
head on one of her arms, and so died APP
parently without struggle.
The fourth body is that of large and
powerful man who had sat down to die
with arms and legs straight and fixed
His dress is completely preserved; his
trousers are close, his sandles are laced tc
to the feet, with nails in their soles. On
one finger is an iron ring; lis mouth is
open, and shows that he had lost some OF
his teeth; his nose and cheeks are strangely
marked; the eyes and hair have disap-
peared, but the moustache remains. The
whole sight is tragic to the last degree
After the lapse of eighteen centuries, the
terrible death seems to be anacting Itself
before US with all appalling sufferings