Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-15
Its Terrible Destruction 1923
Years Ago.
A Parallel to the Destruction of St.
Pierre,
Interesting Excavations Made in the
Buried City.


though it has till now been the most
sudden and awful disaster Of It's kind
i'm the history of the world.
While no accurate estimate Of the
humber Of lives destroyed with the
burying of POmpeii under the terrific
shower Of dust and ashes from
Vesuvius can be made. the fact that
1he number Of bodies so far recovered
Il under four hundred and the size Of
The city indicate Il much smaller popu-
lation than that of st. Pierre.
Pompeii il situated on the shore of
The BAY Of Naples, within a very short
distance of the foot of Mount Nesu-
Mus. At the time of its burial it was 4
town Of Campania. AS town Of the
living it had no great reputation except
asa resort for Roman mobiles, and COM
uAtatively it'll" is known of il, but ~
the most remarkable relic of antiquity
i'll existence its fame is world wide.
The wonuers Of this ancient city and
The hol Of its destruction have made
appeal hundreds Of thousands Of
English speaking people through Bull
lvcr Lytton's splendid romance, THE
Last Days of POmpei-'
Tnmpeii. like most Of the cities in the
Z
\ery mixed population. A seaport
town, it was cosmopolitan to degree.
It's origin is quite uncertain, but 1t
passed iii ana out Of the possession Of
many nations before it was finally con-
uuered by the Romans after long
siege in 50 +. G.
Before the rnd Of the republic Pom
mi became the suburban home Of
many Of the Roman mobiles who built
beautiful villas in the neighborhood
ana greatly popuariZed the city among
people Of high degree. Cicero was one
prominent occasional resident and his
letters frequently mention with en-
thusiasm his villa there.
Under the Roman Empire the same
custom continued ana during the first
century of the Christian era it was a
hourishing place with considerable
population.
Only two historic events are record
ed of the city during this period. The
first was Il fight in the amphitheatre
between visitors from the neighboring
colony Of Nuceria and the citizens OF
Pompei. in which many We're killed
and wounded As a result of this all
.Iadiatorial and theatrical exhibitions
were prohibited there for ten years.
This was in 80 A. ID.
Four years later the city was pTac-
tically destroyed by earthquake. All
the ueighboring towns were injured BY
this disturbance. but Pompeii was the
most severely affected. Most of the
public buildings and very many of the
private residences were destroyed "r
50 badly injured that they had to be re-
built. This work of restoring the city
was actively under way when, III y
dny. the whole life Of the city was
wiped out ana the very location of the
flourishng little colony was lost To
remain So for many centuries
In 70 "A. d.. Nrsuvus, which had
been slumberinG for unknown ages.
suddenly burst into terrific eruption.
Vast masses Of earth and ashes were
thrown into the air ana fell in great
shower over the surrounding country
ana lava spouted from the mountain
crater. The whole country was violent
IL disturbed. Devastation was wrought
an around the shores Of the beautiful
.,ulf and the two cities of Herculaneum
and Pompeii were completely buried
under dense masses Of cindeTs ana
ashes.
The cities were destroyed in some
what different manner, however. over
Uerculaneum there came n solid mass
OF volcanic tufa that obiterated ~
Upon Pompeii there fell from eighteen
to twenty feet of cinders. small stones
and ashes thrown out by the volcano
II has been clearly established tha'
this was all done by one eruption
though there are two distinct strata
the lower one of the stones and heavier
materials and the upper of fine Whlt'
ash. which is often consolidated oy tht
action of water.
The devastation was at least so sud
den that the inhabitants had no chahC'
to escape They were caught IKE ra''
in a trap in their houses. i'll the streel'
and, in public buildings. Only rev
blind people, familiar by the sense o.
feeling. were able to make their escape
the city being covered, II IS belleNeu
with pail of blaekness like the uarh
est night. People We're overcome a
their work and fell where they STOOD
Soon their bodies We're covered VIII
the fine ashes. AS decay set IN thes
ashes absorbed the liquids ana SOY
q Of petrefaction took place. III man.
eases a shell was formed from Whlcl
an accurate mould of the bodies coui'
be cast. el.
Some of the Roman soldiers. standln'
ON guard. did not desert their posts an
were slowly buried alive. Their re
mains are found today where they die
standing at attention. almost as un
moving as the shells of their bodie
4 have been through the long centuries.
So entirely did this coating hide tn
city that its very site was forgotte
and ancient topographers looked
vain for it, There We're importan
changes in the topography of tn
country that helped to make its loca
ton difficult, and it was not till 1aa
that ii was accidentally discovere
that the vineyards and muiberr
grounds of the modern Italy covere
the buried city at point near the foo
of the mountain. Herculaneum ha
been discoN cred before this, but. oN
ing to the nature of its burial, its r.
mains were infinitely less perfect an
harder to get at than those of Pompe