The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-11
Exp,ar,ug ,ne BED of the T,ber.

One of the first results of the new life
arising in Rome, says the London Times,
will be the realization Of scheme which
has long been in cQntemplation-the eXplo-
! ration Of the bed Of the Tiber. The 1tal-
ians, who now, for the Fl 'st time since Con.
stantine, feel as if the great city were in.
deed their own, haye IN almost boundless
idea of the artistic, archaeological, and other
, treasures buried under the yellow sands
which the river he's accumulated on the
spot tor three thousand years. Every rev.
olution, they say, had to pay Its tribute to
: the river.
:; The scheme of a thorough excavation OF
the bed Of the Tiber, with view to call
the river to account and put it Gin
lquidation," compelling it to disgorge lis
jll.gotten gains, has been taken up by an
Italian association, ut the head Of which is
the well-known SigDor AlessanGro Castel-
lani, but which relies on the co0pera-
ton of many artists, antiquaries, and other
learned men Of Europe and America, all
+: Of whom have been strongly urging the
speedy commencement OF an undertaking
which has already been too long delayed.
1t is not as commercial or a financial
speculation that the work Is to be executed
| Those who set about it expect no other re-
turn for their trouble and expense than the
immense gain sure to accrue from 1t to art
and history-to archaeological knowledge
in I'LL its branches. Tne society reckon, of
course, on the aid OF the other company
which has been lately formed with view
to protect the city from those periodical
inundatiOus of the Tiber against which the
Papal Government would or could find no
remedy.
The New York Times, commenting upon
the proposed enterprise, says =.
The proposed researches in the bed Of
the I'iber suggest some interesting COM
ment and reminlScence. We are reminded
among other things that Addison wrote on
ago. His "Remarks on Several Parts of
Itsly in 1701," &C., refer to the crcum-
stance that the Jews had formerly proposed
to the Holy see to cleanse the bed of the
stream, taking for their pains whateyer
tboy might find. The Pope refused the
offer on the ground that the heats would
probably advance too far before the
work was finished, and that thus
pestilence might be engendered. Addison
observes that he had inspected the valley,
near Ponte Molle, in which the Jews pro.
posed to divert the Tiber until the old
channel was ready again for It's reception.
Another plan was submitted to the Roman
authorities in 1852 by q gentleman who has
just IouDitC euC ldSps liz ploposSu w
bring two English divers to Rome, and
With their aid to strive TO bring up yalua-1
bic relics. Yhis is the plan depended on to
recover the lost treasure OF the San Juan
de AIcantara. The Minister of the Board
Of Works at. Rome listened to the scheme
and gave audience three times to the pro-
jector but although the latter offered to
give up one-half Of what he secured on
condition that he was allowed to Keep and
export the other half, bis offer was de-.
,clined. +. 's-.',s ~ "a ,.'
The gentleman now announces, while
disclaimine any wish to participate In or In
terfere with the project on foot under the
auspices Of the Italian Government, that
he has given years of deep study to every
thing connected with the Tiber, and that
after comparing fragments Oh statues
which have been fisbed up in various
parts of the river, and "after lamenting
over the various works Of artWhich have
been thrown into it from the Castle Of st.
Angelo" history has led him to infer that
"n0t only statues, but gold and sil!
yer, such as was cast out of the window
Of the Chigi Palace into the Tiber, and
brsnched candlestick which Titus took at
the eiege of Jerusalem and deposited in the
Temple OF Peace, may be still embedded
in the sand near the Temple Of vesta."
The same authority is Of opinion that
while the discoveries can be far more
effectually prosecuted by turning the
course OF the river than by his own origl-
nal and more economical mode by divers,
that the latter will still be necessary to
bring out from the port Of Ciyita Vecchla
the magnificent bronze statue Of which the
arm alone is deposited in the Vatican.. i
Whether all Of the rosy anticipations ex- \
pressed by this and other projectors, are
destined to be realized is doubtful. Cold
is q perilously tempting commodity, and we
may well suspect that ornaments aud sa-
cred vessels OF this metal, when said to De
thrown into river or sea out Of Difference TO
national or religious prejudice, often found
their way to the melttng-pot. Statues and
broDzes, however, would not thus be dis
posed OF. and it is In these that we may
reasonably hope the exhumations from the
bed ofthe Tiber will be most rich and sat
isfactory. The search ts:fcertatnly highly
interesting one, and its products will be
looked for with eager curiosity by the
whole civilized world. - fsss A.$s,s.s' e
SENSATION! AMONG THE HOP. GROWERS
Chicago, Sept. S.--A dispatch from Madl-
son, Wis, says there Is considerable excite
ment among the h0p-growers. AS high rs
,fitty cents per pound is offered for new
hops, and twenty cents. for last years
growth. The quality this year Is PRO.
Iaounced better Ihsn Ior several years, but
the quantity Is limited, the crop be.ns. .estl-