The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-13
POMPEII AND GALVESTON.
A Companion ofthe Disasters That Be-
fell the Two cities.
lFrom ths Washing.on Post.l

(From the Washington Post.)
pompeii is believed TO have had rather
more than $1,000 inhabitants. The city
stood on an elevation overlooking the
sea, the whole OF the Bay OF Naples in
view, while in the background doomed
grim Vssuvius, thu destined destroyer.
Gloss by flowed the river Sarno, which
was crossed by q bridge. The volcano
was supposed TO be extinct, and its sides
were cultivated all the way up 20 the
summis. Grapes were largely grown,
and wine making was an important In
dustry In the neighborhood, which like
wise produced cabbages famouts for the
excellence.
Il was the city of the clan of the Pom
pegs, founded by tho Oseans, an ancient
Italian tribe, In the sixth century b. O.,
or earlier, afterward conquered by the
Samnites, rival tribe, and eventually
absorbed by mighty Rome. The culture
of the people was very Greek; they wor-
shipped various Greek gods and used the
Greek names for thsir weights and meas
ures. Being so beautifully situated and
having a delightful climate, Pompsii was
favorite resort of wealthy Romans.
many OF whom had villas there. Cicero
had handsome cottage" as it would
now be called, and the imperial family
maintained palace oloss by. The villas
were mostly on the high ground back OF
the town toward Vesuyius and.facing the
sea.
Small earthquakes were frequent, but
not mucn was thought of them. On the
5tn day OF February in the year " A. ID.
there came tremendous shock, which
was a warning of what was to follow. 1t
threw down large part of the city, In
GLIDING the beautiful temples of Jupiter
| Apollo, and Isis, but most OF the DAM
| age was repaired by the time OF the greas
| catastrophe.
memorable began early In the morning
| OF February "a, 70 A ID. Spectators. look
1 ing from great distance saw mighty
cloud spread and overhang the city like
a vast and ominous umbrella. There was
| stu plenty Of time to get away In safety,
and doubtless O majority OF the people did
escape before the impending volcanic
storm began. Judging from the number
| of skeletons thus far discovered, IL seems
| probable that not more than rbout 2,OO0
persons actually persisted, However,
| great many who attempted to leave In
| boats may have lost their lives.
| Admiral Pliny, with fleet, was mos
far away, and letters brought by mount
| ed couriers reached him as early as
m. that day, begging him to come as
quickly as possible with his ships and
| help to rescue the people. He set sail Inn
mediately, and, arriving within sight OF
Vesuvius at nightfall, ran into the rain
of pumice, that was then falling. 1t
| was impossible to make landing at
| Pompsii, and so he disembarked at
Srabie, where 1t was hailing cinders at
such rate that during the night he was
| Obliged TO leave the room In which he
| slept for fear lest the door might be
blocked up. On the following morning
he died, being suffocated by volcanic
| fumes.
| ksEarly in the afternoon OF Feb. "a this
hail OF pumice began to fall upon doomed
| Pompeii, the pieces averaging about the
gtzs Of a walnut, together with torrents
of rain. IL must then have been almost
too late for anybody who remained in the
| city to get away. Repeated shocks or
earthquakes contributed TO the horror OF
the scene, Incidentally demoiishing the
| bridge over the Sarno and SO shutting of
ESCAPE In that direction. Meanwhile,
rivers OF pumice mixed with water
| flowed down the slope OF Vesuvius on
| the other side, and overwhelmed the
neighboring HercuianeEm.
The pumice fell in Pompeh until the
streets OF the city were covered eight to
In the roofs of many OF the houses, and
the destruction OF lives must have already
| been frightfuI. Nevertheless, many OF
the people still survived, seeking refuge
In cellars an other such places of retreat.
They must have imagined that there was
still hops when early in the morning OF
the next day (Feb. 20) there came great
| shock, ant ashes began falling In a con
| tinuous shower with ths rain. Though
day had arrived, 1t grew darker II posi-
bic, cloud of frightful blackness set
ting down over the land, while the light
ming and thunder wers appalling. Shook
followed shock, and the survivors must
at last have concluded that their last
hour was at hand. Such was In truth
the case, The storm OF ashes lasted near
iy all day long; they drifted in through
the windows OF the houses and sutfooatea
all who remained alive. They covered
the city with sheet Of death six or seven
feet thick.
thus was completed the destruction OF
Pompeii. II the estimate OF fatalities
above quoted be fairly correct. the loss OF
life was not more than one-tntru as great
as during the recent hurricane at Calves
ton, whose terrors may be said to have
| fairly eQualled those of this ancient
catastrophe, though SO different in kind.
When ft was all over the roofs or many
OF the houses still emerged above she vol
eanio debris which had overwhelmed tine
city. Herculaneum, however, had wholly
disappeared un der the streams OF mud,
sixty five feet deep In spots. which had
| flowed over 1t. This mud being sort OF
natural concrete, soon hardened into
stone, which L. today OF such soiidity as
to make excavation work extremely dill