The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-18
LAST Days
Of P)APE||
BuIwer Lytton'S Description
in the Famous Novel.
CONFUSION OF CITIZENS
When the Dark Cloud De-
= scended Upon Them.


Lord Edward Bulwer Lytton. the IA
nous English novelist and historian.
probably wrote the most graphic account
and description of the terror, panic. and
despair which a volcanic eruption causes
in the concluding chapters Of his story
Of The Last Days of Pompeii-
A gala event OF unusual magnitude
had been arranged to take place on that
day and everybody had risen in happy
anticipation OF the event.
THE air was uncommonly sultry, a
thin and dull mist gathered OYER the
valleys and hollows Of the broad Cam
panian fields
But yet it was remarked in surprise
by the early fishermen, that, despite the
exceeding stiffness of the atmosphre,
the waves of the sea were agitated and
seemed. as it were. 10 run disturbedly
back from the shore, while along the
blue and stately Sarnus. whose ancient
vainly seeks TO discover, there crept a
hoarse and sullen murmur as it glided
by the laughing plains and the gaudy
villas OF the wealthy citizens.
Clear above THE low mists rose the
time-w worn towers of the immediate town,
the red-tiled roofs of the bright streets.
the solemn columns of the many temples
and the statue-crowned portals of the
Forum and the Arch OF Triumph.
Far in the distance the outlines Of
the circlng hills SCARED above the vapors
and mingled with the changeful hues of
the morning sky.
The cloud that had so long rested
over the crest of Vesuvius had suddenly
vanished. and its rugged and naughty
brow looked without a frown over the
beautiful scenes below.
Despite the earliness OF the hour. the
gates Of the city were already opened
Horseman upon horseman, vehicle after
vehicle poured rapidly in, and the voices
of numerous pedestrian groups, clad in
holiday attire, rose high in joyous and
excited merriment; the streets were
crowded with citizens and strangers
from the populous neighborhood of Pom
peii, and noisily. fast. confusedly swept
the many streams of lice towards the
fatal show.
-Four condemned men had been com
the many streams of life towards the
toral combat in the arena. The day
was nearly ended when one of them.
learned and crafty. noticed that Vesu-
vius was about to break forth.
BeholdV he shouted with voice OF
thunder, which stifed the roar of the
crowd; behold how the gods protect their
gultIess. The fires of the avenging Orcus
burst forth against the false witness Of
my accusers!
The eyes of the crowd followed the
gesture of the Egyptian, and beheld,
with ineffable dismay, a vast vapor in
the form of a gigantic pine tree; the
trunk. blackness-the branches. fiSel the
fire that shifted and wavered in its hues
with every moment. now fiercely lumi-
nous, now of dull and dying red that
again blazed terrihcally forth with in
tolerable glarei
There was a dead. heart sunken sill
ence - through which there suddenly
broke the roar of the lion, which was
the sharper and hercer yefls of its fell
low-beast. Dread seers were they Of
the burden of the atmosphere. and wild
prophets OF the wrath to come.
Then there arose on high the uni
versal shrieks of women; the men stared
at each other but were dumb. At that
moment they felt the earth shake be-
meath their feet; the walls OF the the
atre trembled, and beyond in the dis
tance they heard the crash of falling
roofs. and instant more and the noun
tain cloud seemed to roll toward them,
dark and rapid. like torrent; At the
same time. it east forth from its bosom
"a shower OF ashes mixed with vast
fragments OF burning stone. over the
crushing vines-over the desolate streets
over the amphitheare itself-far and
wide-with many a mighty splash in
the agitated sea-fell that awful shower.
NO longer thought the crowd OF jus
tice or Of Arbaces; safely for themselves
was their sole thought. Each turned TO
fy-each dashing. pressing, crushing
against the other. Tramping reckless
~ over the fallen-amid groans. and
oaths, and prayers and sudden shrieks,
the enormous crowd vomited itself forth
through the numerous passa ges-
Whittier should thy fy? Some, antici-
patiug a second earthquake. fastened TO
their homes 70 load themselves with their
most costly goods. and escape while it
was vet time: others. dreading the show
e-s OF ashes that now fell fast torrent
upon torrent. over the streets. rushed un-
der the roofs Of the nearest houses. OF
temples. or sheds-shelter Of any kind
FOR protection from the terr0rs Of the
open air But darker. and larger. and
mightier. spread the cloud above them.
II was sudden and more ghastly Night
- Q -
The cloud which had scattered so deep
a murkiness over tho day. had nov set
tied into q solid and inpenetrahle mass
il resembled less even the thickcst gloom
OF night in the open air than the close
and darkness OF some narrow Noon But
the darkness was broken by q fierce
IN their vivid and scorching glare. Nor
was their horrible beauty confined %
The usual hues Of IRE. TO rainbow over
-ivalled their varying and prcdiEal dyes
Now brightly blue as the most azure
aspth OF a southern sky-new II hTid
and srake-iiks green darling restiesslT
20 and frc AZ the folds 81 a. enormous
serpsut-now Of a iurtd and infoierahie
crimson gushing forth through the vol
ur,es Of smoke far and wide. and hEft-
ing up the Whole city from arch 70 arch
then suddenly diving iato sscklv pale
ness. ike The ghost ~ their 0wn ne
IN the pauses OF the shower you
hoard tne r1lr-bls1Es - tire earth b.
Meath. and she grcanins waves q me
tortured sea Or lower stiik ard audihss
a1, 10 the watch y intense fear. shs
grinding and hlssfaE nurruuv q fhs 80
captnr zasses through the cfssus q The
distant mountain Sometimes the cloud
snpear-s 70 break from soiid rzsss-
.-s s.- - e~Ar~s~r - assure 1usiat