Pompeii

Kara On August 20th, the earth began to rumble and crack, and horses, cattle and birds became uneasy and restless, as if they could foresee what ws about to happen. Finally, on the morning of August 24th, 79 A. D. the volcano burst open with an earsplitting crack. Smoke, mud, flames and burning stones spewed from the summit of the mountain, sending a rain of ash and rock through the surrounding countryside. The mud seeped down the sides of Vesuvius, swallowing nearby farms, orchards and villas. Adding to the destruction were the mephitic vapors that caused deliriousness in their victims and suffocated them. Some people grabbed their animals and attempted to flee the area; others perhaps chose to wait until the streets were clear of the panicked masses. Others sealed themselves up in rooms, thinking that the ashes and poisonous gasses could not harm them there. The unfortunate people who could not escape in time to avoid disaster were killed by falling buildings, overcome by the mephitic gas, or simply buried by the rapidly falling ash. Their bodies were quickly covered by the volcano's mineral deposits in a layer more than 30 feet thick. Pompeii was found during an excavation that began on March 23, 1748, and excavations are still being made today. Portions of the site remain uncovered, and excavation and research teams are still attempting to reveal this mysterious city's secrets. A model of what pompeii looked like Pompeii"s citizens trying to flee the city after the first eruption. Families just trying to wait out the eruption were killed by the fumes and burried under all the ash.