The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-19

A4Cr CANnEA W q G0N0Cn S0SL ~ ia |
that impelled it, the force Of which de-
creased as It advanced upward, or the
cloud itself, being pressed back again
by it's own weight, expanded In the
manner ! have mentioned; it appeared
sometimes bright and sometimes dark
and spotted, according as it was either
more or less ~impregnated with earth
and cinders.
Youth Stays to Study.
"This phenomenon seemed to a man
Of such learning and research as my
uncle extraordinary and worth further
looking into. He ordered a light YES
sci to be got ready, and gave me
leave, If / liked. to accompany him. /
said / had rather go on with my
work and it so happened he had him.
self given me something to write out.
AS he was coming out of the house,
he received a note from Rectina, the
wife of Bassus, who was In the utmost
alarm at the imminent danger which
threatened her; for. her villa lying at
the foot of Mount vesuvius, there was
no way of escape hut by sea. She
earnestly entreated him therefore to
come to her assistance. He according
ly changed his first intention, and
what he had begun from a philosophy
cal he now carried out In a noble and
generous spirit.
HE ordered the galleys to put to
sea, and went himself on board with
an intention Of assisting not only Rec
tina, but the several other towns
which lay thickly strewn along that
beautiful coast. Fastening then to the
place from whence others fed with
the utmost calmness and presence of
mind as to be able to make and die
tate his observations upon the motion
and all the phenomena Of that dread
full scene.
Burning Rocks Fall on Ships.
ii was now so close to the noun
tain that the cinders, which grew
thicker and hotter the nearer he ap-
preached, fell into the ships, together
with pumice stones and black pieces
Of burning rock; they were in danger,
too, not only Of being aground by the
sudden retreat of the sea, but also
from the vast fragments which rolled
down from the mountain and Obstruct-
ed all the shore. Here he stopped to
consider whether he should turn back
again; to which the pilot advising him,
Fortune said he favOrs the brave /;
steer to where P~omponianus is"
The brave elder Pliny, his nephew
told Tacitus, won his way to the shore
where he greeted his friend Pomponi.
anus, maintaining a cool front In the
face Of nature cataclysm for the bene-
fit Of the latter by ordering a bath
and lying down to sleep as night came
OF and the turbulent waves prevented
them from sailing away. Pliny con.
tinues:
Nearly Hemmed In.
1.-THE court which led to his (thC
sleeping Pliny's) apartment being nov
almost filled with stones and ashes. 1
he had continued there any time
, longer, it would have been impossible
for him to have made his way out
So he was awakened and got up, an,
went to POmponianus and the rest o
his company, who were feeling to-
I anxious to think of going to bed. The,
consulted together whether it wOul
be most prudent to trust to the houses
which now rocked from side to sid
e with frequent and violent conclusion
s as though shaken from their yer
y foundations; or to fly to the Ope
II fields, where calcined stones and cir
l. ders, though light indeed. yet fell /
le large showers and threatened destrUI
q ton"
lie The trapped Romans finally decide
s. for the fields and went out "havin
le pillows tied upon their heads for pr
n, lection, and after going to the shol
A. of the bay the elder Pliny SUDDEN
fell and died. The opinion Of h
n, nephew was that death came from su
t, location from the fumes In the al
o. but 1t is probable that a sudden q
tack of illness was responsible, sin
Stabiae, whittier he had gone, W
about ten miles from the volcano
Of mouth. Pliny's account of his uncle
Of death was followed by another lett
to to Tacitus in which he described b
and his mothers escape.
in Earthquake Felt First
SsThere had been noticed for MAJ
as days before" he wrote, "a tremblf
cle Of the earth, which did not alarm
Ter much, as this is quite al ordinary
an currence in Campania; but 1t was
it'll particularly violent that night that
ad not only shook but actually ov
ing turned, as it would seem, everythi
ere about u.s."
ces Pliny and his mother were bC
awakened from uneasy sleep after
elder Pliny had gone and fed
as house to sit In an open courtya
SEQ There the youth began nonchalan
to to read "Livy." as he says, either
pie courage or folly" and he continu
the although q friend Of his uncle's
ion proved him. The tOttering buildil
the finally persuaded them to leave
la town.
sur Escapes With Mother.
and After this a black cloud Of as