Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-06-25
Household Implements of Ancient
Times, and Sketches Of the Great
Excavations.
The Great Military Road TO Naples,
Which Ran Through Part
Of POmpeii.


grew TO have gre az fascination for US,
and dufing our stay IN Naples we did not
feel our surroundings complete ualess
some window or verandah was within
reach, from which We could watch 1t dur
ing the evening. Of course, as long as
the daylight lasted, We cJuld ouly SEE the
smoke, which arises ike a column OF per
petual incense all the day long; but after
time it comes IN contact with a higher
curren: of air and separates into two lat.
eral divisions, suggesting two ouystretLhed
arms-one seward, the other landward.
| could never look DIT it without recalling
Buchanan Reads description, it was ex-
actly true
With outstretched hands,
The gray smoke stands
O'erOoklng the volcanic lands.
But at night it could be seen IL all its
savage beauty. Every few moments the
flames would spring up into the air, and
then die down again, like some lmpris0n-
ed spirit, trying to escape from its fiery
prison house.
Ii Is ''passe' to enlarge upon the be- uty
OF the Bay Of Naples, and the superb low =
illness OF the situation OF toe city. lhe
Neapolitans nave CRY stalled their appreci
alton into the saying, Eedl Ndpoll poi
mori' see Naples, tEen die'-and surely,
notwithstanding thor narrow, uncleauly
Streets so bcset with tattered beggars,
and the distressing sight of their sorr}
beasts Of burden, this ever present pyro-
technlc display Of burning mouutaln l.
something they can boast OF az peculiarly
their own; also The buried clLles at lie
base, victims Of its Embossed fury that
have been blotted cut not only from the
sight Of man, but from his memory. A
century and a half ago, the very existence
Of these cities wa a disputed 4act, and
Pliny'5 letter describing the event Wa.
looked upon as imaginative literature.
Taking the tramway a vapofe, steam, at
Naples, about fourteen mites distant, we
st on found ourselves at the main entrance
10 POmpell, bargaining for guide VINO
could talk English. After paying our
entrance fee, we were allowed to pass in
and as we gazed upon this deserted cItJ
once snelteIIng twenty or ihlrty thousand
people, and ga2ed upon the rood s. and
wlndowless houses OF the excayattd por-
ton (about one third OF the town., there
came new realization Of the Lorr e.
catastrophe that overlook this p"opl-
on the Oath of August, 70 A. d
Dur guide first took rs to the museum
whore i'll glass cases are preserved 80
casts of soGIe of those unfortunate beings,
who paris ned III this universal destruction
These we've too horrible TO contemplate,
Ill of them showing some contortion 10
their death agony, more ct them having
the calmness or majesty SO often seen l.
death, but you can not withhold your ad
mlration of the ingenuity displayed in
their d eServation-the bones were care
lully removed from the body embedded IN
the ashes and the cavity filed with plas-
ter, thus obtaining the exact cast of the
body.
There were also many c3rbonizpd arti-
Giles OF food amt utensils of household use,
but we were glad to pass on to something
not quite so magerlaistic and realistic.
For instance, the numerous wall paintings,
although many of the finest had been IT,
moved to the Naples Museum, Ire dur
ability of the plaster upon which these
paintings were irestoed Is something as
tonishiug, This last coat of plaster con-
talns marble dust, which gives il
smooth hard finish, and only SO much is
put ON at a time as will be used by the
artist during the day, the painting being
done while the plaster Is wet. u course,
moving the picture, as has been done so
extensively, involves the cutting of the
plaster from the wall, and that without
any fractures. 1t is the popularity of the
modern mind to think that there mas been
great Improvement in modern methods,
but doubt II there be any improvement
in the plasterer's trade, even after the
lapse of 1000 year..
Many OF the pictures are In a good state
of preservation when you take into con-
siderati0n the huudrt DIS of years that have
passed since the hands that painted them
have been dust OF nothingness. Generally
the wal is SOME PLAIN color, pink. yellow,
or P5mpeian red, and those single figures
of graceful dancing nymphs, In galzy
drapery, surrounded BY border, make
very beautiful wall panel, bu, very great
proportion If the subjects are classic stor.
les, as The Saculce OF lpalgsnla,
scenes from the HAD, etc. lGp first
mentioned was found on the wallis If tie
House of tie Tragic Poet, although
tais name was given TINS particular house
from % picture, representing a poet read
ing, and q theatrical rehearsal that Is sup
posed tg oe in progress.
Thi, house Is Away visited by tourists,
whose luteres IN lt mas bleu akeued uy
seeing 20 many painting, ana m1s0cs
taken from Ii IN the museum IN Naples,
and also because BGiwer, Ia bis INST
DAYS OF Pampeii, represents II as tine
house of G.aucus. The mosaic # the
chained dog with the warning Cave
Canem Beware OF tine da-), was aiken
from its threshold