The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-25

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ures Being so beautifully situated and
having delightful climate. Pompeii was
q favcrite resort of wealthy Romans,
many OF whom had villas there cicero
had q handsome cottage" as II Would
now be called. and the imperial family
maintained q palace close by. The villas
were mostly on the high ground back OF
the town toward Vesuvius and facing the
sea.
Small earthquakes were frequent. but not
much was thought OF them on the sth
day OF February. in the year s. A. p.
there came tremendous shock. which
was a warning Of what was to follow. IL
threw down a large part of the city, IN
ending the beautiful temples OF Jupiter,
Apollo and Isis, but most OF the dam
age was repaired by the time OF the great
catastrophe.
so memorable began early in the morning
Of February "A. - A. ID. Spectators look
ing from a great distance saw a mighty
cloud spread and overhang the city like
vast and ominous umbrella There
was still plenty OF time 10 get away In
safety. and doubtless a 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 5000
persons actually persisted However, q
great many who attempted 10 leave IN
boats may have lost their lives.
Admiral Pliny. with fleet. was not far
away. and letters brought by mounted
couriers reached him as early as p. m.
that day. begging him to come as quickly
as possible with his ships and help to
rescue the people. He set sail immeds-
ately. and. arriving within sight Of vesu-
yius at nishtfall ran into the rain OF
pumtee that was then falling, II was Inn
possible 10 make landing at Pompefi
hn tfxo- III al NJ fnh
u was hailing cinders at such rate that
during the night he was Obliged 70 leave
the room In which he slept for fear lest
the door might be blocked up On the fol-
lowing morning he died. being suffocated
by volcanic fumes.
Early IN the afternoon OF February "a
the hatl OF pumice began 10 fall upon
doomed Pompei. the pieces averaging
about the size OF a walnut. together with
torrents OF rain. 1t must then have been
almost too late for anybody who remained
IN the city TO get away. Repeated shocks
OF earthquake contributed TO the horror
OF the scene. incidentally demoiishing the
bridge over the Sarno and so shutting
on escape In that direction. Meanwhile.
rivers OF pumice mixed with water flowed
down the slope OF vesuvius on the other
side and overwhelmed the neighborinR
Herculanepm.
The pumice fell In Pomnei until the
ohtSts VI the CITY were covered eight To
ten feet deep With H. Its weight broke
In the roofs Of many OF the houses. ana
the destruction OF lives must have already
been frfghtfui- Nevertheless many Of tho
people atil survived seeking refuge IN eel
lars and other such places OF retreat. They
must have imagined that there was sim
hope when early in the morning OF the
next day. February q. there came a great
shock. and ashes began falling In con-
tinuous shower with the rain Though
day had arrived, II grew darker than ever.
" possible. cloud OF frightfui blackness
settling down over the land, while the
lightning and thunder were appa,Iine
Shock 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 nearly
all day long. they drifted In through ina
windows Of the houses and sufrocated all
who remained alive They covered the
city with sheet Of death six TO seven
feet thick.
Thus was completed the Destruction ~
Pompeii. II the estimate Of fatalities sh,va
quoted be fairly correct. the loss OF ,,fc
was NOT mare than one-third as great as
nurfng the recent hurricane at Galveston
whose terrors may be said to have fairly
cqualed those Of this ancient catastrophc.
though so different IN kind. When u was
all over the roofs OF many Of the houses
sun emerged above the volcanic dehrss
which had overwhelmed the city. Her.
culancum. however. had wholly disappear-
ed under the streams OF mud sixty-fve
feet deep In spots. which had flowed ov~r
". This mud, heing sort OF natural CON-
crete soon hardened into stone which ss
today of sach soidity as to make ex.
cavation work extremely dIfficuit.--wnsh-
ington Post