Destruction of Pompeii.

The famous volcano of southern Italy named Vesuvius, which is now so
constantly in eruption, was described by the ancients as a cone-shaped
mountain with a flat top, on which was a deep circular valley filled
with vines and grass, and surrounded by high precipices. A large
population lived on the sides of the mountain, which was covered with
beautiful woods, and there were fine flourishing cities at its foot. So
little was the terrible nature of the valley on the top understood, that
in A. D. 72, Spartacus, a rebellious Roman gladiator, encamped there
with some thousands of fighting men, and the Roman soldiers were let
down the precipices in order to surprise and capture them.

There had been earthquakes around the mountain, and one of the cities
had been nearly destroyed; but no one was prepared for what occurred
seven years after the defeat of Spartacus. Suddenly, in the year 79
A. D., a terrific rush of smoke, steam, and fire belched from the
mountain's summit; one side of the valley in which Spartacus had
encamped was blown off, and its rocks, with vast quantities of ashes,
burning stones, and sand, were ejected far into the sky. They then
spread out like a vast pall, and fell far and wide. For eight days
and nights this went on, and the enormous quantity of steam sent up,
together with the deluge of rain that fell, produced torrents on the
mountain-side, which, carrying onward the fallen ashes, overwhelmed
everything in their way. Sulphurous vapors filled the air and violent
tremblings of the earth were constant.

A city six miles off was speedily rendered uninhabitable, and was
destroyed by the falling stones; but two others--Herculaneum and
Pompeii--which already had suffered from the down-pour of ashes, were
gradually filled with a flood of water, sand, and ashes, which came down
the side of the volcano, and covering them entirely.

BURIED CITIES EXCAVATED.

The difference in ease of excavation is due to the following
circumstance. Herculaneum being several miles nearer the crater,
was buried in a far more consistent substance, seemingly composed of
volcanic ashes cemented by mud; Pompeii, on the contrary, was
buried only in ashes and loose stones. The casts of statues found in
Herculaneum show the plastic character of the material that fell there,
which time has hardened to rock-like consistency.

These statues represented Hercules and Cleopatra, and the theatre proved
to