Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-26

rum They say that while abroad he
received a shock. Before it was con-
sidered necessary to retire him he
told me a great deal about the cause
of his trouble. From talks l had with
him have put together the following
narrative:
When In Naples wetmore went
often to visit Pompei. that ancient
Roman city the very site OF which
was lost for nearly 1000 years. An
eruption OF Mount vesuvius, FIVE
miles distant, during the first century
OF the Christian era covered it with
ashes, but during modern times two
thirds OF its area has been uncov-
cred.
And now one may walk about In
its streets, in which ruts worn in the
stones are plainly visible. or so into
the houses, in tolerable condition, ex-
cept their roofs. which have disap-
peared. Furniture, implements. statu-
airy and mural paintings have been re-
moved to the museum at Naples, where
they are inspected by hundreds daily.
Wetmore never tired Of roaming
about Pompeii or looking at the differ
ent articles that had been in use when
they were abandoned by the inhab-
itants fleeing for their lives from the
dread volcano. He was naturally q
dreamer and loved to sit on the frag-
ment of a wall or a pillar in the ex-
humed city and picture the scenes that
were going on within the range of his
vision before the fight began. Fellow
travellers passed on to visit other
scenes, their places were taken by 9TH
er tourists, yet Wetmore remained
One afternoon Wetmore strolled into
one Of the most spacious as we'll as
one Of the best preserved houses in
Pompeii-the house of Cassius. Pass
ing over a mosaic pavement in which
were inlaid letters composing the word
Welcome" he paused to look at a
bronze statue Of a dancing fawn In
the center OF the rectangular basin
called the impluvium. In the houses
of Pompeii. with an opening above and
beneath 1t, the impluvfum was sunk
In the ground to catch the rain. The
figure danced as lightly as it did when
it was made by the heather artist
From the impluvium Wetmore passed
into the garden In the rear.
1t was late when Wetmore entered
the house of Cassius Suddenly awak
ening from one of his day dreams, hi
hour that the gates were closed anC
started for the exit. But before ht
could reach 1T he heard the gate CLOSED
and locked. He ran to it, hammered
on it and called. Too late. He wa!
locked in.
Wetmore never could give me a sat
isfactory account OF a transition tina
followed. He said that when he founC
that he must pass the night in tn,
house of Cassius alone he deplored tn,
discomfort he would be subjected to
but felt no other reluctance. Their
are no seats in these houses, and Wet
more after lettering till he tired sa
down on a slab. He does not say tina
he fell asleep and dreamed or that h
awakened from sleep. He says that il
twinkling while he was feeling tri
de drowsy Cassius' house passed froI
a ruin to a Roman domicile in perfeC
condition for use.
So great was the change, so splendid
so richly adorned the edifice, that q
first he could not realize that he wa
In what had been the ruin. He wa
in a hall painted in bright colors, an
at each end were two Corinthian pila'
tiers. Under the opening of the roc
above was the impluvium. The ltgt
was poor since there were only o
lamps burning.
From the rear came a girl in Roma
costume. She was tripping alon
lightly, humming, when she caugh
I sight OF Wetmore. When she recoI
cred somewhat from her astoBishmen
she asked him the very natural queS
ton:
who are your"
Wetmore says she spoke in Latin. II
was educated in a German universit
. and learned to speak Latin tolerabi
well, but he says that her pronunci;
ton was so different from any he ha
ever heard that he found it difficult
{ understand ueT. AS he piOSLeS5Sd
became more used to it
"Who are you" the girl repeated
'and what do you here in that strang
dress? Are you one Of those strane
+ gods they worship in Greece OF Egypt
r 81 am no god" replied Wetmore.
was locked in here
Locked inY"
d ek n
eyes about him. dazed.
Are you mortal" asked the girl. e
half mortal, half god? Perhaps 20
are a FAUX"
II am a mortal from
1t occurred to Wetmore that II tn
was Pompeii as it had been before II
volcano burned it and the girl was
Roman of many centuries ago 81
would not understand If he told her
had come from a land that was nj
known to her.
Beyond the Pillars Of Hercules"
added. ~there is land-you would be
g know II as AtIantis-which is my nom
There are millions of people there
strange people to you. people wi
talk to each other from points tho
!. sands Of miles apart, some on wire
some through the air. They ride In II
cnachaG-manv cpachpg Gfr1Iy