The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-31
VIVID PICTURE BY BULWER-
Horrors of Volcanic Outburst as Told
in Famous Novel About Pompeii.


The horror OF terrible volcanic erup-
ton is wildly portrayed by Sir Edward
Bulwer Lytton in his novel. Last DAYS
of Pompeii.' from historical material en-
writes as follows of the eruption of We
suvius, which. in 70 A. D., destroyed the
cities Of Pompei and Herculaneum:
The eyes of the crowd beheld, with in
effable dismay. vast vapor shooting
from the summit of vesuvus. in the form
OF gigantic pine tree; the trunk. black
ness-the branches fire.-a fire that shift
ed and wavered in its hues with every
dull and dying red. that again blaZed
terriically forth with intolera Die glare!
Then there arose on high the universal
shrieks of women; the men stared at
ment they felt the earth shake beneath
their feet: and. beyond in the distance.
they heard the crash of falling roofs: an
instant more and the mountain-cloud
seemed to roll toward them. dark and
rapid, like a torrent: at the same time
1t cast forth from its bosom shower
of ashes mixed with vast fragments of
burning whatsoever the desolate streets
over the amphitheatre itself-far and
wide-with many mighty splash on the
agtated sea-fell that awful shower!
Each turned to fiy-each dashing. press
Ing, crushing against the other Tramp
ling recklessly over the fallen-amidst
groans. and oaths, and prayers, and sud
den shrieks. the enormous crowd vom-
tied itself forth. Whittier should they
fiy? Some. anticipating a second earth
quake, fastened to their homes to load
themselves with their most costly goods
and escape while 1t was yet time: others
dreading the showers Of ashes that fell
fast. torrent upon torrent. over the
streets. rush I'd under the roofs of the
nearest houses or temples. or sheds
shelter OF any kind-for protection from
the terrors % the open air. But darker
and larger and mightier spead the cloud
above them. 1t was sudden and more
CHASTITY night rushing upon the realm of
noon.
Amid the other horrors the mighty
mountain now cast up columns of boil
ing water. Blent and kneaded with the
half-burnng ashes. the streams fell like
seething mud over the streets in fire.
quent intervals. And full. where the
priests of Isis had now covered around
the affairs, on which they had vainly
sought to kindle fires and pour incense.
one of the fercest of those deadly tor
rents. mingled with immense fragments
of scoria. had poured its rage. Over the
Bonded forms of the priests it dashed:
that cry had been of death-that silence
had been of eternity. The ashes-the
pitch stream-sprinkled the affairs. GOV
cred the pavement and half concealed the
quivering corpses of the priests!
Meanwhile the streets were already
thinned: the crowd had FASTENED to dis
perse itself under shelter; the ashes be-
gan to fill up the lower parts of the
town; but here and there you heard the
steps of fugitives branching them warlly
or saw their pale and haggard faces by
the blue glare of the lightning, or the
more unsteady glare of torches, by which
they endeavored to steer their steps But
ever and anon the boiling water or the
straggling ashes, mysteriously and gusty
winds, rising and dying in breath, ex-
tinguished these wandering lights. and
with them the last living hope of those
who bore them.
The fueitives hurried on; they gained
the gate: they passed by the Roman
sentry; the lightning flashed over his livid
face and polished helmet, but his stern
features were composed even in their awe
He remained erect and motionless at his
post. That hour itself had not animated
the machine of the ruthless majesty of
Rome into the reasoning and elt-actlng
man. There he stood amid the crashing
clements: he had not received the per
mission to desert his station and escape.
The cloud which had scattered so deep
a murkiness over the day had 1oW set
tied into solid and imnenetrahle ma SIS.
1t resembled less even the thickest gloom
of night in the open air than the close
and blind darkness of some narrow room.
But in proportion is the blackneSs gath
cred did the lightnlngs around NesuVius
increase in their vivid and scorchlng
glare. Nor was their horrible beauty con
fined to the usual hues of lire; no rain
how ever rivalled their varying and prod,
igal dyes. Now brightly blue as the most
a
snake-like green. darung restlessly to
and fro as the folds of an enormous ser
pent-now of a lurid and intolera ble
crimson. gushing forth through the col
umns of smoke. far and wide. ana llgnt-
ing up the whole city from arch to arch
then suddenly dying into stckiy pale
ness, like the ghost of their own life
IN the pauses of the showers you heard
the rumbling of the earth oeneath anu
the grooming waves of the tortured sea;
or, lower still and audible but to the
watch OF intensest fear, the grinding aud
Kissing murmur of the escaping gases
through the chasms of the distant noun
tain. Sometimes the cloud appeared &c
break from its solid mass, and, ny the
lightning to assume quaint ana Nas'
mimiCries of human or OF monster SHAPES
striding across the gloom. hurting one
upon the other and vanishing swiftly int
the turbulent abyss Of shade; so that. L
the ewes and fancieS of the aitrlght"C
wanderers. the unsubstantial vapors were
as the bodily forms OF gigantic toes-th'
agents of terror and of death.
The ashes in many places were alread!
| knee deep and the boiling showers which
came from the steaming breath OF the VOL
| cano forced their way into the houses
bearing with them a strong and Suffo-
| eating vapor In some places immense
| fragments Of rock. hurled upon the house
roofs bore down along the streets masses
of confused ruin. which yet more anc
more, with every hour, INSTRUCTED thu
way: and as the day advanced the mo
| ton of the earth was more sensihly rel
the footing seemed to slide and Greer
nor could chariot or litter he KEEP
steady, even on the most lever ground.
| The groans of the dying were broker
| by wild shreks of womens terror-nov
near, now distant-which, When heafd u
| the utter darkness. were rendered douoI'
| appalling by the crushing sense OF heip
| lessness and the uncertainty OF the peril
| around; and clear and distinct through
| all were the mighty and various noise