Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-07-03
REV. Mr.. BURK'S LETTERS.
A DRIVE TO PoMPEII AND NEARBY
PLACES.
WHAT THE TOURIST SEES OF THE REMAINS
OF THE BURIED cITY-THE WONDERS OF
OLD TowNs-DRIvEs ALONG THE SEA-
RARE EXPERIENCE.

OLD T0WNS-DRIVES ALONG THE SEA-
RARE EXPERIENCE.
From Norristown Daily Herald, June 81.
1t was raining very hard when we awoke
on the day set for our trip to Pompeii, and
had to abandon our first plan of spending
nearly a day among the ruins. After
awhile the sun came out so we were able to
leave Naples on later train. 1t was our
first experience on an Italian railroad, and
we were not favorably impressed. The
cars were small and dirty, and had an I'M
pleasant way Of reminding the traveller that
there were joints between the rails How
ever, we were interested in the country
through which we passed, and as the train
was slow could note the methods in farm
ing. Irrigation was extensively used, and
every inch of the ground was titled.
The entrance to the ruins is not far from
the station, and once inside we were placed
under the conduct of a guide, an arrange
ment more for the preservation of the re-
mains than for the ediication of the torist,
| imagine. Everything is kept in the best
order, the streets are named and the houses
numbered. After passing through the old
gateway we were shown the musem, but as
we had seen the best things in Naples, we
did not larry. Here are kept the casts of
some of those who persisted centuries ago,
dying with the arm above the head to keep
off the deadly fumes or suffocating ashes.
In the city itself we saw the skeleton Of a
prisoner, just as the workmen found it.
For him there was no rescuing party, as for
the negro murderer released the other day
from the prison St. Pierre.
One cannot describe the weird sensation
felt in walking those deserted streets. The
paving is just as it was on that fatal day,
and often we could see where the wagon
wheels had worn track in the stones.
There were still the marks of the bad boy
on the stucco walls, as well as the traces of
fresco. A druggist had painted his sign
outside his store, and one can still see the
serpents of Aesculapius, proclaiming the
healing power of the drugs to be purchased
within.
We saw the marble stands of the ''res-
taurants,'' as they are called, but | wonder
if they were rather the butcher shops.
Then there were the shops of the oil and
wine merchants, their great urns in place.
We visited bakery, where the baker made
sure of good flour by grinding the grain
close by the oven. The guide was good
enough to turn one OF the smaller stones to
show us how the grinding was done.
The great public baths of the city were
remarkably fine, and very well preserved.
Imagine not only large swimming pool,
but pools for cold plunges and others for
warm baths, places for the clothes, seats
and couches, all of marble, rooms heated
by hot air between the walls, and the walls
beautiful with stucco fresco and marble.
Then there were open spaces for exercise,
where we saw the heavy stone balls which
were used to develop muscle.
In the streets were the basins of foun-
tains, and in many of the private houses
we saw arrangements for them, even to the
lead pipe and stop-cock. One fountain
especially remember was arranged as little
cascade, and as there was larger fountain
in the courtyard, it seemed as if some child
had had that as its own-a token of a par
ent's love.
The remains Of the public buildings, such
as the forum, the baslica, and the temples
are imposing even in their ruin. In the
theatres are to be seen the tiers of seats,
the entrances, etc, and one could imagine
the spectators and the spectacles which
they enjoyed. But the object of greatest
interest, it seems to me, is the House of the
Vetii, one of the latter discoveries in
Pompeii. 1t is not only very large house,
but is wonderfully preserved. In the cen
tire, following the usual pattern, is large
court, which has again been planted with
flowers. All around it and in the centre
were marble fountains. The triclinem or
dining-room was beautifully decorated, and
so were the bedrooms and other rooms.
Here are to be seen the oft-copied designs of
the cupids at work and the graces. Near
the entrance were the rusted remains of the
treasure chests, and the bronze and earthen
vessels were still in the kitchen. The
floors were of beautiful Mosaic, as were
those of several other houses. Indeed,
some of the sidewalks were adorned in this
manner There, | must stop, and only a
little is told.
From Pompeii we went by train to La
Cora, and it was the most uncomfortable
ride we ever had. The train was an accom-
mediation, stopping every little while and
going slowly when it did move and dirty
all the time. But the scenery was beauti-
full and we tried to forget the disagreeable
surroundings in the order and sweetness of
field and orange grove. The sun had set
before we reached La Cora, or Cora del
Tirreni. Let me quote guide book for
once, not only for its information, but also
for a good example Of how an Italian
translates his thoughts into English ''It
has about q, 200 inhabitants, and is very
good stay; it is called the Italian Switzer-
land, but Switzerland that has the groves
of olive-trees and the Neapolitan sky Cora
is the halt place of all tourists going to
Amalf, Paestum or Pompeii."
NNo f,,HooJ go frood or WI
in the charming Hotel des Londres, and at
dinner were glad to hear English spoken
by others in the dining-room. The blazing
logs in an open fireplace were a scource OF
great comfort even in Italy in the month
of May. And as to those Neapolitan skies,
they are no more blue than those of Norris
town, so far as we can judge.
Early the next morning we were on our
way to Paestum, and this time the train
accommodations were better. After pass
ing Salerno we rode through country
which fifty years ago was the haunt of
more, although there are large tracts over
which the buffalo grazes.
Whatever may have been our discomfort
in reaching Paestum, we were richly re-
paid. The temple of Neptune is remark
dDly We'll pTeSery0uj especially WHeH Oue
considers that it was built about $50 B. c.
Its preparations are we'll nigh perfect, and
is splendid example of the greatness of
proportion. Paestum was Greek colony,
and the temples of Paestum are the great
est Greek remains in Italy. On our way
we met party just back from tour
of Greece, and they declared they had seen
nothing as perfect in Greece itself, the
Parthenon at Athens only excelling in the
beauty of its marble. We had our lun-
cheon on the portico Of the old temple, and
then visited the Basilica, which is less
perfect than the temple. The temple of
Ceres, which we also visited is much
smaller, but has its own peculiar charm.
The desolation of the neighborhood of
Paestum is reminder OF the days of Sar-
acenie invasion, the whole population NOV
ing to the mountains and founding the
town of Capaccio Becchio.
At Salermo we left the train to take the
famous drive to Amalfi, Sorrento and Cas-
tellamare. A carriage had been sent from
La Cora with our baggage and was await
ing us. / was anxious to stop at the ca
thedral to visit the tomb of Gregory VII,
better known as Hildebrand. 1t was he
who formed that conception of the papacy
as a world power which was made fact
later for brief moment and has since
been the ideal of the Church of Rome, an
ideal pvpr moro and mora rprnntn from,