2007-03-10 00:33:33 · 14 answers · asked by Sarrya 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
In a nutshell, many arrogantly assumed their houses were strong enough to hold up against the volcano (and of course they could not have had any idea what they were dealig with). Many inhabitants didn't know where to go. It wasn't like today where people can be relocated almost anywhere. In those times, people would be reluctant to leave their homes, their villages, for fear of what lay beyond their scope of charted land.
2007-03-10 00:37:54 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius happened in 79 AD. At that time they were a very advanced society that even had indoor plumbing. However, the mountain had never erupted in anyones life time that was currently living there. They did experience an earthquake about 16 years prior to the eruption and the people that stayed in their homes then remained safe. When the eruption began, many thought that remaining in their homes like they had done during the prior earthquake would keep them safe. Unfortunately this earth quack was the start of something much larger. Some people had evacuated but when nothing happened except for many small tremors which was nothing uncommon. According to eyewitness accounts the toxic cloud appeared but didn't look that large nor did it look like it was from the nearby Mt. Vesuvius. After the siting of the cloud came the fall of the ash and hot rock. This made fleeing very difficult because the air became hard to breath. Some of the people that were still alive at this point did try to outrun the gas and hot ash but did not make it, some are perfectly preserved in stone casts. There is a very informative web site on Pompeii with the eyewitness accounts of the young boy who saw it all happen at...http://www.click2disasters.com/pompeii/pompeii_ch1.htm
2007-03-10 00:56:02 · answer #2 · answered by Michele T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of them did get away. About 20,000 inhabitants managed to leave by boat and on foot. Only about 2,000 remained to be burried by the volcanic ash. Also, many people didn't believe there would be any great danger because they didn't realise that the cloud developing above the volcano was actually a cloud of ash. And when the weight of the cloud became greater than could be supported by the heat rising from the volcano, the cloud collapsed and ran down the side of the volcano. This is known as a pyroclastic flow and happens very suddenly and at great speed.
2007-03-10 01:12:24 · answer #3 · answered by Alazon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of them did, but the area was often subject to earthquakes (Pompeii had been severely damaged only 17 years before the eruption of Vesuvius by a large earthquake) so most did not think anything out of the ordinary was happening when the foreshocks occurred.
Once the eruption started many were probably killed by the pyroclastic flows which can move at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour - far quicker than the speed anyone could escape at.
2007-03-10 00:43:05 · answer #4 · answered by the_lipsiot 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The explosion of Mt. Vesuvius knocked out their local television and radio stations so there was not time to get out a broadcast on the emergency broadcasting network!!
LOL
Just because our society is used to CNN, MSNBC, FOXNEWS and other 24 hour/immediate news outlets does not mean they were around forever.
2007-03-10 00:39:02 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They didn't have advance warning systems as we do today nor did they have sophisticated infrastructure capable of sustaining the exodus of such a massive amount of people. By the time they were aware of the impending eruption, it was virtually impossible for them to all get out safely.
2007-03-10 00:37:09 · answer #6 · answered by Megan Leggett 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason that today's western world leaders keep blocking any legislation to control the greenhouse effect and the ozone hole problem. Arrogance, and being engrossed in their material pleasures that they can't see the impending doom!
Go figure!
2007-03-10 00:42:26 · answer #7 · answered by Pabs 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was pyroclastic flow, just like Mt. St. Helens eruption. No time for escape.
2007-03-10 00:37:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They had no early warning system. The explosion was so sudden and fierce that people were literally stopped in their tracks.
2007-03-10 00:38:18 · answer #9 · answered by regerugged 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because then like now, they put to much faith into their Gods!
They did NOT understand the workings of volcano's!
Faith "v" science.
Only the idiots died!
2007-03-10 00:38:48 · answer #10 · answered by tattie_herbert 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋