The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-30

escape in that direction. Meanwhile
rivers Of pumIce mixed with water flowed
down the slope Of vesuviur on the other
| side and overwhelmed the neghborinE
| town o. Herculaneum.
The pumice fen in Pompeh until the
streets OF the city were covered eight TO
ten feet deep with e. Its wight broke in
the roofs Of many Of the houses. and THE
| destruction OF lives must have already
| been frightful Nevertheless. many OF
the people stu survived. seeking refuge In
| cellars and other such places OF retreat
| they must have imagined that there was
sun hope when, early in the morning OF
the next day February -. there came a
| great shock. and ashes began falling in a
| continuous shower with the rain. Though
day had arrived. Il grew darker than ever,
| u possible, cloud OF frightfui blackncss
| settling down over the land. while the
lightning and thunder were appalling.
| shock followed shock, and the survivors
must at last have concluded that their
last hour vas az hand Such was in
truth the case. The storm Of ashes lasted
| nearly all day long; they drifted In
through the windows Of the houses and
suaocated all who remained alive. They
covered the whole city with a sheet OF
death six 70 seven feet thick.
Not - Had a. Galveston.
Thus was completed the destruction OF
PompeiL II the estimate OF fatalities
| above quoted be fairly correct, the loss
OF life was not more than one-third as
great as during the recent hurricane at
| Galveston. whose terrors may be said 10
| nave fairly equaled those OF this ancient
catastrophe, though so different IN kind.
When Il was all over, the roofs Of many
OF the houses stiil emerged above the vol
canic debris which had overwhelmed he
city. Herculaneum. however had wholly
disappeared under the streams Of mud,
siXty-hye feet deep in spots. which had
flowed over IL. This mud, being a sort OF
natural concrete. sOOn hardened into
stone. which is to-day OF such solidity a.
20 make eXcavating work extremely diff
cult
Excavations were first attempted at
Herculaneum In 17l9. al which date the site
OF ancient PompeiL afterward discovered
through accident, was actually unknown
Though a relatively small part Of the
latter city has been disclosed By digging,
much that Is Of the utmost interest has
been ascertained. The fullest account Of
the subject is given in the newly publish
ed work Of August Mau, 10 which the
writer is indebted for much of his a
terial. DR.. Mau states that the Emperor
Titus proposed 10 rebuild the town, using
ior that purpose money left by wealthy
victims Of the disaster who had no heirs
surviving. Probably, however, it was de-
cided that the task was too formidable,
for II was never undertaken.
Description OF the City.
Or. Mau says that the streets Of old
Pompeii were mostly from ten TO twenty
feet wide the broadest being Mercury
street. which was thirty-two feet In
breadth. All were paved with blocks of
basalt carefully fitted together. On both
sides Of each street were raised sidewalks.
neatly curbed, and paved sometimes with
small stones. and in other cases with
beaten earth. Broad ruts worn by wheels
are still visible, and at the CROSSINGS are
stepping stones on a level with the side
walks, between which the wheels could
pass. The two main thoroughfares and
chief business avenues were Stabian and
Nola streets. Driving for pleasure was
probably prohibited, the rich riding in
filters, because on most of the streets
one vehicle could hardly pass another
ana must therefore have been obliged 10
wait at a corner
AT many of the corners were fountains.
fed by city water. and the edges of the
stone basins show depressions worn by
the hands of those who leaned over 10
drink. On the sides of the streets were
pillars of masonry at intervals, with lead
pipes running up. There was a reservoir
on top of each pillar, from which water
was distributed by pipes to the houses.
all OF which We're supplied with running
water, except those of the very poor
Some dwellings had nearly a score of lets.
controlled by stopcOcks, much like those
IN use to-day. Just where the water came
from nobody knows, though IL was evil
dehtiy brought by an aqueduct from some
elevated place at a distance from the CITY
the mead being powerful Rain water
was allowed tc flow down the streets to
De carried off by storm sewers. which
work well even at the present time. Some
OF the houses, at least, were drained by
small! sewers
Arrangement of the Houses.
me houses were rarely more than two
stories IN height; their windows were
lew ard small, and they looked nor nm
v. IA
case OF rich mans dwelling. most of
'he mouse was taken up by courts, colon
nades and gardens, the sleeping rooms
being arranged along the sides usuaIIv
while the kitchen was put anywhere that
might happen 10 be convenient Entering.
the visitor passed through a vestibule into
a large, oblong apartment. called the
'atrium," which was the principal room
Immediately beyond the atrium was 4, ra-
ceptiOn-roOm corresponding to the modern
parlor, called the ''tablinum." Next be-
yond was the ''peristyle." or family sit
ting room, and in the rear was usually a
garden. Not so much is known about the
purposes TO which the seeond-story rooms
we're put.
In the kitchen the place of the modern
range was taken by a broad hearth of
masonry built against the wall The fire
was made on top of this hearth, and fuel
was stored in cavity beneath it, Small
iron tripods, or else projections of ma
sonry were utilized for holding the pots
and other utensils while the cooking was
being done Sometimes there was a small
oven for pastry, but bread was bought
from the baker, The heat from the kitch-
en- warmed the bathrooms above
The POmpeiian house did not often have
cellar. Some Of the windows had small
panes of glass set in them. but movable
sashes were as Yet unknown. The front
portions of houses on the main thorough
fares were used as shops, which had their
fronts open TO the street, so that Gus
toners could buy without going inside |
The function of the modern saloon was
performed by wineshops.
Most of the furniture of the Pompeiian
houses was of wood, including beds, |
touches, chairs and tables, but, being of
such perishable material, il has disap-
peared. A few bronze chairs and tables |
of bronze and marble have been found !
Kitchen utensils of bronze and red earth |
enWare have ben dug up in quantities, |
their forms stTikingly resembling those |
of the modern household. Pastry molds, |
ladies and water heaters, ia which live !
Goals were put, were among the conven- |
fences utilized by the ancient inhabitants, |
aS well as CuriOuS SDoOns with a howl !