Residents of Herculaneum, 9 miles northwest of Pompeii, watched as the column of ash rose from Vesuvius.  Because the prevailing winds blew the ash south toward Pompeii, the initial response may not have been one of great alarm. But as the column continued to rise, obscuring the sun and plunging the area into darkness, curiosity gave way to fear. For many years, it was thought that most residents of Herculaneum had escaped unharmed.  Only 32 bodies of the 5,000 people estimated to have lived in the town had been found. But excavations at the seafront from the 1980’s onward tell a more gruesome story, uncovering the bodies of almost 300 people.

Rocked by earth tremors from the eruption, some Herculaneans fled to the shore with the hope of escaping by sea. All evidence points to an orderly evacuation, as people gathered to wait in the boathouses and on the seashore. But around one o’clock on the morning of August 25th, the first of six surges would strike. Caused by the collapse of the eruptive column, the surge of superheated gas raced toward Herculaneum, reaching it within minutes. The surge cloud, which reached temperatures of almost 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, caused instant death. Successive surges covered Herculaneum under almost 75 feet of volcanic slurry. Recent excavations have uncovered the remains of more victims on the beach. Based on the positions of the remains, it is clear that at the moment of death, the adults were attempting to shield the children among them.

Pompeii
Suburbs