Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-25
HERCULANEUM PUZZLE.
Sulphurous Mud Holds Buried City in
Tight Embrace.

from the New 1ofk 1lmeS
A few years ago we seemed to be meas
urably nearer the solution Of the problem
how to excavate Herculaneum. Fortified
by the approval Of crowned heads. Prof.
Charles Waldstein of Cambridge Univer
sity was soliciting with fair prospect of
success that universal solvent, money, with
plenty of which in hand at least half the
battle was won. But Italy at large did not
agree with the encouragement given by her
government, and the matter was dropped.
Recently the project has been revived to
the discussion point by the new minister
OF fine arts, Signor Ricci who has given
darkly to understand that it was not the
project to which objection was felt. but the
methods and the personality Of the pro-
jector.
Ever since Pompeii and Herculaneum
were engulfed, the latter, a settlement of,
rich citizens with villas full of the art
spoils of Greece and Asia Minor, has been
the Dorm Roschen of archaeology. She has
waited in vain for the prince to find hts
way to her palace for she is grit about by
something worse than enchanted woods or
circles of fire. Pompeii suffered only from
the rain of coagulated ashes, falling in soft
pebbles without much admixture of water:
SO that soon as the worst was over the
returning citizens dug down where the
walls Of ruined temples and houses marked
their sites ana lOOL0U IHOSt Ol Tie
of the great part of all movable treasures.
Not SO with Herculaneun
There a very different material drowned
the town. An enormous mass of laphH full
of sulphur, and of ashes, fell on the slope
above the doomed place, and at the same.
time terrific sheets of water. came down.
This mass was fluid enough to roll down
the slope and literally obliterate Hercu-
laneum with sulphurous mud. in some
places to the height of sixty or seventy
feet. While Inis material was not glowing
lava, 1t penetrated courtyards and build
ings and incased everything in q mass
which became as hard as concrete. 1t Is
the toughness of the envelope, not its
depth. which has made the mining Of Her
culaneum puzzle to treasure seekers for
nearly two thousand years.
To excavate Herculaneum will be a very
costly and laborious task, unless chemistry
discovers method to soften and loosen the
concrete in some reasonably economical
way. Cement while setting takes up
very great quantity of water and converts
1t into the material of concrete itself Dis
asters that befall concrete buildings in
modern times can be generally explained
by the ignorance Of builders, who do not
allow this work to be thorough before re-
moving the wooden supports of columns,
walls, beams, floors. But there are said to
example, are said to soften the concrete
formed of cement and water. Perhaps the
problem of the awakening of Herculaneum
will be solved some day in double sense
material which will loosen the hard and
tough stuff which now holds everything in
it's grip. The chemical problem may be
complicated by the mixture of sulphur,
chloride of iron and other elements which
must have accompanied the downfall of
water and ashes. ------
Herculaneum must contain treasures
hundredfold finer and more valuable than
| those of PompeI when the latter was over
taken-and 1t has never, been plundered.
Often the suggestion has occurred that
some wealthy archaeologfst like Schlie-
mann might devote his fortune and time to
its excavation. and perhaps toward single
man the press of Italy would have been
! more favorable than toward Prof. Wald-
STEMS proposal to enlist the generosity of
the whole world. AS 1t was. the inference
was resented that Italy must look to other
nations for the funds required in such q
serious undertaking. There is no arguing
with national pride, especially not when
one has only to imagine the same PROPOSE
ton offered for a great public work ut
home.
/ Meantime the idea is stu troubling the
Italians, who are far from wishing to pose
i as churls. II congress OF archaeologists
were called. to meet in Rome or Naples,
and the Italian archaeologists were given
the leadership in discussion. as is their due,
/ 1t will be very improbable that some ar
arrangement cannot be made for an interna-
tional plan for excavations.