Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-06-27
OLD BUILDINGS OF POMPEIi
CONSTRUCTED OF BRICK AND
VOLCANIC ROCK.
Houses Small, Not Over Three Stories In
Height, Set Close Together and
Decorations Are Almost
Wholly of Red.

The city consists of vast collection
OF roofless houses, with tall columns
scattered here und there among them.
says the Detroit Free Press. The in.
terror Of the houses are filled with
bricks and mortar, the debris of brok-
en- walls and columns, among which
hundreds Of little chameleons are seen
running around, summing themselves.
The buildings of Pompeii were not con-
structed of anything like the same
costly material as those in Rome. They
We're constructed Of bricks and mortar
and volcanic rock. The columns now
standing are fluted In their upper parts
but the huting Is filed In near the
base with plaster stucco painted red.
The Pompeiians seem to have been
very fond Of red, as it is the prevail
ing color used in their decorations.
The houses are small-not more than
three stories in height-and are set
close together.
The widest streets are not more than
thirty feet in width, and the smallest
are only fifteen. There is one curious
thing connected with them-in spite Of
their narrowness, they have placed, at
short intervals, to enable people to
cross with ease, large stepping stones.
They are certainly too high and broad
for horses to have stepped over them
and there Is very little room between
them. Nevertheless, these same streets
that have the stones are deeply mark
ed with wheel ruts. Verify, driving
in Pompeii must have been an amuse-
ment filled with danger for all con-
eerned.
The people of Rome Of wealth and
refinement used to pass their summers
in Pompeil; consequently, there was
some villas of great elegance. Some
of the houses that have been axcava-
ted are still adorned with paintings of
great beauty. 1t Is really astonishing
to see how fresh the colors are. In
some cases the pictures are not even
scratched. The subjects Of these pic
lures are usually taken from Greek or
Roman mythology, and commonly rep
resent some scene in the life Of the
"godlike' Menelaus, or the "wise"
Ulysses. The Pompeiians carried
their passion for mural decoration
even into the gardens, and adorned
the walls with all manner Of birds and
beasts. But these have not the same
artistic merit as those found in the
houses.
| The paintings In restaurants are
naturally crude, and are intended to
appeal more strongly to the palate
than to the eye. They depict Holsters,
crabs, fat young pullets and other
things that would delight an epicure.
| But, considering their common sur
roundings, they are really very well
done, and w that the art of paint
ing was well understood in Pompeii.
The excavating of the city is pro-
ceeding very slowly, and will probably
| continue to proceed so, since it is be-
ing conducted by the italian govern
ment. The work is done by crowd
Of men, boys and girls with wicker
baskets. They fill their baskets, and
then walk leisurely away to empty
them. Up to date have not heard Of
any one getting sun-struck in working
| on the ruins. There are some things
we cannot do in this country; but If
we had that city over here and there
was any money to be mada by uncov-
ering it, we would have 1t all dug out
within six months
Vesuvius is less than q mile from
the city Of Pompeii 1t stands out
clearly in the blue air, and certainly
seemed very harmless when I saw it.
But its wreath Of smoke is always
there, proving that the Forge Of Vul-
can" has merely shut down for
time and not gone out of business. 1t
has done it's worst for Pompeii, and
the day Of judgment for that little
city Is past.