The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-24
STAR 5TURs coURS E.
DIR. TaImage Takes nm Audience on
n Visit to POmpeii.


Visit to Pompeii.
The last lecture in the Star course was
given at the First NJ. E. church last
evening His subject was "A Visit to
Pompeii," and it was illustrated with
stereopticon views.
The speaker gave a description of the
towns of Italy, referring briefly to Flor
ence, Rome. and Naples. Naples was
described as city of contrasts, palaces
and novels. OBSERVATIONS wealth and grow
cling poverty. cleanliness and filth.
Naples has never been famous for it's
works when compared with other towns
of that favored country, but it will never
be known for its beauty. The richness of
observation-disclosures shrubs fifteen feet
hlSn, oleanderS towering 10 a height OF
twenty feet, magnolias no less stately, cy-
press and lemon, orange and olive ponne-
Srehate and fig. The palaces of the rich
ana the cave homes of the poor hewn
-. $50 iOCA, were pIedsingly described.
Inc audience was then conducted on a
journey from Naples to VeSuViuS, through
Rosslna, which is built upon the tomb
oil Herculaneum. Then Fastening to
Pompen an outline of the city'S history
was presented and then came rich COL
Iecuon OF pictures illustrating the place
as 1t is. The views thus projected upon
/ the screen were described and a very
perfect picture OF Pompeiian life was pre-
/ sented
/ The present aspect of Pompeii is that
! OF a town in ruins. The houses are roof
( less and the walls of the first story only
+ are standing. 1t is probable that the
I upper part was constructed of wood and
/ long since destroyed. 1t is known that
] IN a. ID. % an earthquake DESTROYED or
/ injured many of the finest edifices. and
4 while the work of reconstruction was
going on the Nesuvian eruption, A. ID.
( 10. completely ruined the place from
mortal eyes. The eruptive material con-
1 sisted mainly of volcanic ashes or iapii
and cinders. which. with the condensed
vapor, formed mud since hardened into
/ TUT More than half of the buried town
mas already been exposed once more to
/ ton is still in progress.
Pompeiian streets are narrow and are
paved with large irregular blocks of lava
in which the ruts of old time wheels are
I plainly seen. The elevated sidewalk or
/ trottoir, borders the street on each side.
The houses were secluded from the
streets, the outer apartments serving as
shops and having no direct communication
/ with the interior. Entering a Pompeian
mouse one passes through a narrow pass
age, the Yestibulum, and enters a square
/ apartment, the atr1um, around the walls
OF which are tiny rooms, little more than
cells, termed cubicula, and serving as
sleeping apartments. In the center of the
atrium is a tank known as the i'm
pluvium, which served to hold the rain
water that came through the correspond
ing opening in the roof known as the
compluvium- Proceeding inward one
passes the tabEnum and enters a large
space known as the peristylium, around
which are the cubicula and the triclinia
or dining rooms, with a kitchen near by.
Still beyond one sees a tiny garden or
xystos. Well preserved ruins of fish and
wine shops and bakeries have been found
and also those of apothecary's shops. In
one of the bakeries a number of leaves
of bread and the bones of d tiny pig
which had been trussed for the table were
found Among the temples the ruins OF
the shrines of Jupiter. Isis, Mer-
curry. Apollo. Venus and Fortune were
exhibited and described. Among the
most interesting houses were those
known in this day as the houses of Cor
ne.ius Rufus. Lucrezio. the Chase, The
Fawn, the Tragic Poet. named by Bull
Wer the house of Glaucus), Sallust, and
the mansion of Panza. The theatres were
well described-the small theatre for
comedy; the large for tragedy; and the
amphitheatre for gladiatorial combats.
In the museum one sees the casts Of hu-
man ana anlInal oodleS thal were ourled
beneath the tuf; amphorae or wine jars;
cooking utensils. and bronze vases and
cups with carbonized remains of food
/ such as bread olives and figs: coagulat-
ted oil in bottles; half finished pieces Of
netting; money chests; gold and silver
ornaments and precious stones. pictures
and sculptures. Overlooking the city is
the giant of destruction, Nesuvlus him
self. About his head is a wreath Of
smoke, the only symbol of his royal
power which he displays on ordinary
occasions, Out winch dt times Is ldlu dSlue
J for the crown of fire which he puts on
when issuing his DEGREES Of terror and
. destruction.
Pornpeii and its sister cities in death,
Herculaneum. Stabiae, and Cumae may
in truth be described as fossil towns.
Like the leaf which is buried beneath the
mud of lake or sea with its evenings and
delicate structure still preserved. these
cities have been covered and hidden from
the sight of man for nearly eighteen
centuries and are now unearthed with all
no DOTS Ia nf bpir
veaIed. Not only is this so with the in
: dustries and the works of art. but the
public doings of those ancient peoples are
declared and also are their innocent and
sinful pastimes; their virtues and their
vices.
The closing entertainment will be given
, next Tuesday evening, when a musical
and literary programme will be rendered.