European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The ancient town of Herculaneum foreground is excavated about 80 feet lower than modern Ercolano. A Seaside town in ancient times Herculaneum is now about 500 Yards from the italian coastline. By j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau the locals must have been terrified when mount Vesuvius blew its top on a summer afternoon a Little More than 1,900 years ago. According to modern volcanology its the Volcano on the outskirts of Naples Italy rocketed a column of pumice 12 Miles into the stratosphere. That went on for nearly 11 hours on aug. 24, . 79. The sky turned Black. Pompeii a wealthy trading City of roughly 15,000, was relentlessly buried. Pumice covered it at the rate of six inches an hour. As the column began to collapse huge amounts of Ash  pumice fell on the Volcano s flanks. Around Midnight they turned into glowing avalanches. Pompeii where thousands perished was hit by one of the avalanches Early in the morning of aug. 25,  was buried from View for the next 1,300 years. The Seaside town we now know As Herculaneum a 10-minute drive from Pompeii today largely escaped the Ash  pumice that buried its neighbor. For years it was mistakenly thought that Herculaneum s population of fewer than 3,000 had time to flee As Pompeii was being buried before their town was hit. But recent studies financed by the National geographic society have revealed that Herculaneum no one knows the real name of the National geographic original roman town was hit by a killer Avalanche seven hours before the one that swept Over Pompeii. One of the findings that shed much Light on just How Herculaneum perished was made by or. Guiseppe Maggi a leading italian archaeologist who uncovered a number of skeletons in the town in 1982. At a recent meeting of the International archaeological society one of the largest organizations in the Naples military Community Maggi told How the town met its demise. Maggi said he first came to believe that the town s end must have been an extremely violent one because Only the feet of a Bronze equestrian statue could be found. From that  other clues he surmised that an Avalanche of hot mud had roared through the town violently carrying the statue  the residents into the sea. In All the years since Herculaneum had perished Only about a dozen skeletons had been discovered there. Then Maggi made a remarkable find. It happened after he had begun cutting a water Channel through an open area below the town. Presently Herculaneum sits nearly half a Kilometre away from the Bay of Naples. In its Early Days before the volcanic flows covered its Beach to a depth of nearly 80 feet it was a Small seaport. As Maggi Cut the Channel he spotted a victim s Skeleton then he saw two More plus parts of houses. In the seawall of the town in Chambers once used to store fishing boats Maggi found Mounds of victims including 13 members of a single family. It was a very moving sight he recalled. In the first moments of exploration we could recognize the expressions of the victims at the moment of death. Many of them had their Mouths open in fright. All were perfectly  before the Avalanche swept through the town Maggi said most victims sought Refuge in the rooms where their remains eventually were found. At the time a rain of pumice Stone was descending  traces of lava were flowing through the town so it was impossible for the inhabitants to flee. Also the sea was too rough to provide an escape route by water. The inhabitants were  he believes most of the inhabitants were killed by a super hot flow of mud that blasted through the town like a Hurricane. I think hundreds  hundreds of bodies must have been washed Over the town s Walls  out into the sea he said. Never economic rivals while they lived Pompeii  Herculaneum now vie for tourist Trade. Of the two towns Herculaneum was explored plundered is perhaps a better word first. All traces of Pompeii  Herculaneum had been lost until 1709 when a Well Digger acc Dently struck a part of the latter town s ancient theater. The ruling nobility of Naples backed exploration. Tunnels were dug  much treasure was spirited away. Proper excavations were begun at Herculaneum in 1738  10 years later at Pompeii. Excavating the Ash  pumice at Pompeii was fairly easy according to Maggi but Herculaneum buried for so Long beneath Rock hard mud  pyroclastic flows proved so difficult to unearth that excavation halted after a Short time. Except for some digging in 1869, Little excavation took place at Herculaneum until modern excavations began in 1927. Work continued there until world War ii brought it to a halt  those digs largely uncovered what visitors today can see. Archaeologists Are certain that More of Herculaneum remains buried on the North Side of the diggings but the area cannot be uncovered because the houses of present Day Ercolano sit on it. Its mud covering ensured that Herculaneum unlike Pompeii remained in a state of excellent preservation. Original artwork still adorns Many Walls. Mosaic floors furniture doors staircases  pottery Are intact. Herculaneum is the Gem of dead cities  Many people much prefer it to Pompeii. Two thirds of Oval shaped Pompeii about two Miles in circumference has been Laid Bare. There Are no plans to excavate the remainder since officials want to preserve what has been found. The unearthed buildings Are mostly Brick with Marble  plaster facing. The houses have no roofs because they collapsed under the weight of the Ash exposing to the Sun  rain the delicate Wall paintings. Large sections of Pompeii Are closed to the Public because there Are not enough Security people to effectively patrol the Large area. Government authorities recently announced an ambitious five year plan to restore certain portions of Pompeii to their original appearance. The plan costing More than $100 million will restore clusters of houses. Everything will be made As it was. The plumbing will work houses will be Zero old  frescoes Many of them stored away for safekeeping will be reattached. Houses will be furnished  equipped with original materials so that visitors will be Able to see exactly the Way Lite was lived in ancient Pompeii. Work on the project is scheduled to begin Early next year. To get to Herculaneum follow the Naples Autostrada South toward Salerno  take the Ercolano exit. Follow the signs for so Ivi i Ercolino excavation of Ercolano. Pompeii is a bit farther South just off the same Highway. Both Sites Are open from 9 . Until 3 . Daily admission to each costs 5,000 lire about $4 per person. Children under 12 Are admitted free. August 11, 1988 stripes Magazine 1 1