Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-03-28

ay. These very much resemDled those
t Pompeii. The little plots of ground
It Pompeii that were originally gar
lens (courts) were kept for that pur-
,ose and were charming little places
moving flowers in bloom, pansies,
'ame as in our country. AT this spot
he gardens are not cultivated, merely
showing green grass and few shrubs.
Near one extremity of the ruins is the
sea wall, for 1t is known that the sea
IS slowly receding and from this sea
wall, over and beyond, is part of the
present city. But I must hasten to tell
Of sther things, for although there is
much that should be glad to tell you
still there must be limit to my letter.
February 10, at $50 o'clock
we started on our drive to Vesuvius.
We drove through the city and finally |
came to where the gradual ascent be-
gan. Our,team consists of three horses.
The road winds in and around the
masses of lava. We pass houses way
up among the lava beds. There are
little patches where the lava has disin-
tegrated and the soil has accumulated,
here are gardens, olive and almond
trees the latter in bloom resembling the
peach blossom, on, on, up, up, till the
observatory is reached, and although
the station from where the inclined rail-
way starts looks near, it is yet quite q
distance away; but the tired horses fl
nally came the distance, and although
we had deal of sympathy for them,
it was not sufficient to enable us to
walk and as 1 think the matter over, is
it not type of every day sympathy in
general as melted out one to another,
excepting always that of the order of
O.E.S.
And now let us think what our road
has passed over, the lava that centuries
ago wiped two cities from the light of
day and thousands of souls into eternity.
Oh, what fantastic shapes it assumed as
1t belched forth in all its liquid fiery
fury from its yawning chasm as if
a Gagged monster from Hades who had
permission to deluge the cities with his
destroying element. But must hasten
on. After we stepped from the railway
there yet remained several hundred
yards to climb through ashes over our
shoes and some of the time one foot in
depth, but we managed with the help
of the guide to reach the steepest part,
and oh thenl Another guide came to
the rescue and they carried me up one
steep incline and then taking an arm Of
each walked to the top although very
short of breath. Several ladies were
carried the entire distance from the
railway. 1t was an experience shat 1
do not care to repeat, but yet would not
have missed it. But the horror of it.
cannot forget as stood upon the
summit of the mountain and from the
overhanging edge gazed into the depths
of the seething whirlpool, and amidst
smoke and steam, hear the roaring rush
ing and rumbling, and catch the brim-
stone laden air, and with lurgs freely
filled with the same, anticipate posi-
BILE forever, an eternity of like condi-
tions. But delay too long, l want you
to see it as saw it, but that cannot be.
When we were on the summit we were
above the clouds, yet did not find it 80
very cold, although the wind blew.
When half way up, the view of the city
and bay was beyond any language at
my command, but must hasten back
to Naples. The next morning we re-
packed our trunks and at 4 O'Clock p. m.
took the boat for Alexandria. Before
we had sailed two hours We were over
taken by q rough SEQ and in short
time nearly every passenger was very
sick, ourselves among the number. We
encountered rough seas nearly all the
way and to do the best thing, the
course of the ship was changed and we
had voyage of five long days. Some
of the passengers were sick nearly all
the time but we had only two days of
the misery and on the 10th landed at
Alexandria among tho confusion of
Arabs, Greeks, Syrlans, Copts, Nubians,
Turks, Jews, Armenians Italians,
Maltese, French, Austrians, English
and Americans, each with their own
wants and making them known in their
own language. What a conglomera.
ton, an animated picture Most of tho
faces are the copper colored, intelligent
but sour looking, 80 different from those
seen at Naples. Here the beggsrs are
numerous and one can possibly get rid
of them, but what nuisance. We
had only few hours in the city as we
took train for Cairo at 8 o'clock. We
drove through the city to Pompey's
pillar, saw the Catacombs and tombs of
some old worthless. To the observatory
Ft. Napolean to get view of the city,
through the gardens and bazaars, saw
spinning of silk, spinning by hand,
most beautiful silk embroidering, all
done by men. The queer shops, so
small, so much to be seen here.and the
people not the least of the show. The
yelled women, young ladies wear white
wells, those unveiled are SO mortal
homely. Saw the Notifications and H..
r. II. red coats; the sEgyptian and
European quarters; the grand canal
from the Nile, 10000 men persisted dur
ina it, construction, removing the dirt