St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-04-02

cripples, minus one or more arms OF 'eSs'
at every step, but it is one OF the features
of Neapolitan life and will probably last
forever.
The aquarium interested me more than
any other place in the city, except the
museum. Its collection Of live fish is far
behind our exhibit at the Worlds fair or
the new aquarium in New York, but in
the lower forms of animal life it sur
passes the world. watched for hree
hours the beautiful jelly fish, the bril-
liantlv colored coral builders and the
plant.like animals that unioIded their
eelers before your eyes like the opening
of the night blooming ccreus. There was
fascination about all III sc lower forms
of animal life that especially appealed
to me because knew that the Mediter-
ranean sea was the home OF the finest
specimens The aquarium WAS estab
lshcd by German biologist and several
countries in Europe as well as the United
States support students in the labora-
tory connected with the institution.
Everyone goes to the museum first. In
this great building are the finest spec-
mems OF frescoes, marbles and bronzes
from Pompcii. Many OF the frescoes are
badly discolored by the hot ashes that
DESTROYED the ancient city, but even III
their present condition are admired by
everybody for their delicate tracery and
artistic excellence. The mosaics were
affected the least by the heat and these
are preserved intact Here, too, are
some Of the finest bronzes in the world,
and as they are at least 1000 years old
one cannot help going into ecstasics over
their beauty. The cities of Pompsii and
Herculaneum have been stripped OF their
art treasures, but most OF them are pre-
served in this museum where they will
remain for all time in a much more excel
lent state of preservation.
visited Pompei twice and found
much to interest me on both occ asons.
Surely alter visiting this buried city one
realizes more than ever before that there
is nothing new under the sun. The
houses built long before the Christian
era show that architecture was by no
means in its infancy. The city has n
complete system OF drainage, the lead
pipes that conveyed the water to the
houses are joined by wipe joints that
would do credit to a modern plumber
and the doors to the houses swing on
hinges and are closed by brass locks and
keys as are the houses of the present day.
The kitchens have brick arches for ovens,
the public and private baths are piped
for hot and cold water and the windows
had glass that was all cracked by the
heat OF the ashes that buried the whole
place nine years after Titus captured
Jerusalem. In the small museum they
will show you loaves OF bread, silk and
wooden fabrics, iron safes, druggist S
moitars and pcstles, surgeons instru-
ments, wire cables, and even little
earthen jugs with slots for the copper
coins, like the Sunday School money jars
OF the present day. Hydraulics, plumb
ing and similar mechanical arts were by
no means in their infancy, while the
beautiful mosaCs and frescoes suggest d
lost art. Only two-6lths OF the city is
uncovered and the whole place is the
property o; the Italian government who
have planned to spend 60 years more ii
the excavation. One of my fellow travel
lcrs remarked that in the United State!
all this would be accomplished in two
years and that we would want to watcl
the men do the work The contras
between the ancient and modern is con
tlnually appearing in Italy. You go tC
Pompcil ON the raiiroad and are lanlcC
right at the gate OF the ancient city. Fo
two francs (l0 ceutS) YOU can spend tn
day here, and it will be one full of inter
esting sights and delightful memories.
Prot. Comstock very thoughtful,
advised me to climb Vesuvius on horse
back from Pompeil, and it you can kee
on the horses back on a so-caled gallo
and keep your head level as the ANNA
winds around the lava trail you wi
, have thoroughly enjoyed an exciting ant
, somewhat perilous ascent of this famou
, volcano. 1t is hard journey but s
wierd that the climb is an experience OF
l lifetime. No signs OF vegetation are see
: on any portion OF the mountain, which
| owing to frequent eruptlons, is COT
b stantly changing lis contour. Near I'll
4 top you are shown a assure in the rock
d, where hot steam aud smoke are comm
7 from no one knows where, but decided
c suggestive OF very bad place Only
l. year ago the trail was demolished by a
overflow Of lava, and history will SOM
=, time repeat itself and the whole regio
d will be buried again, perhaps in our da,
!. We made the ascent ON cloudy day an
c long before we reached the summit Il
e clouds had gathered so that no OF
h could see any OF the rest oil the party
/, five. On the steepest part OF the trip
!; was thus enveloped in clouds aud mac
1t to realize very iorcibly that the horse
u had previously abused Tor his nhnmin!