The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-04-04

lower extremity, where they reach the
body of water stored up in the reservoir
with which they communicate each well
there expanding into conical shape, so
that II precisely resembles an inverted fun
mel. Such construction is perfectly use
less II designed to increase the quantity of
water to be drawn up through the well,
and consequently il is severywhere unknown
except, as we have said, in well which
communicates with reservoir of water, at
the ancient Etrurian city of Alba Tonga,
now Palazzuolo. The wells Of Romulus,
and the sides and bottom of the reservoir
into which they open, still exhibit remains
of the clay pudding with which they
were made water tight, the tufa in which
they are cut being porous and unfit for the
storing of water. The identity of the en-
gineoring ideas which prevailed both at
Alba Tonga and at Romo when its foun-
dations were laid is thus clearly made out;
and, so far, tho tradition is made out
which asserts that Romulus came of the
family ruling at Alba Longa.
The ARK, or citadel, which these wells
were meant to supply with water, when its
Inhabitants were shut up by beleaguer-
ing force, is the original fortified place
where Romulus ruled, and which goes by
the name of Roma Qaddrutd. SO far the
more moderate of the skeptical school will
admit, though even this will be contested
by those who believe that the old tradi-
tions are not worth the slightest consider
alton. But what is now made evident from
the recent excavations as interpreted by
ono who possesses the trained archaeological
eye, and understands the true test of age
in buildings, Is the great size and impor-
tancc Of the very earliest buildings of
Rome. IL is clear that Rome at once as
sumcd the nature Of a fortified city, and
that its rulers were rapidly in position
to command vast amount of enforced
labor. The additions to the original build
ings exhibit, moreover, marked changes
in construction, and are of extent and
character which precisely correspond to
the traditionary stories Of the succession
of Kings which ended with the second
Tarquin. In actual size the Roma Quad
rata was about 800 yards long and nearly
200 wide.
Its foundations are now at last open to
the eye, and in their masonry they cores
pond with that of some Of the chief cities
Of Etruria. They are constructed of OBJ
long blocks Of tufa, four feet long and two
feet high, roughly Clipped, were not got
out Of the quarry by some simple process
Of splitting. The horizontal surfaces of
the blocks were thus less rough, as they
followed the natural qualification of the
stone, than those at the ends The walls
Of this date are thus disti nguished by the
width of the vertical joints, which are
often so large as TO allow man to thrust
his fist into them. No mortar was used to
hold them together "
The first work of Romuius was sur
rounded by walls of this kind, twelve feet
thick, built up against the scarped cliff,
which was cut away to make all entry i'm
possible except by the gates. This work
crowned the Palatine Hill, and its con-
struction may now be seen in Mr.. Parker's
photographs. 1t is found nowhere else in
Rome. Here, in the Roma Quadrata, its
remains are still to be seen on three sides
Of the original parallelogram, in the foun-
dations of the temple of Jupiter Feretrius
which tradition says was begun shortly af-
ter the founding of the city, and in some
steps close at hand. 1t is not little re-
markable, also, that the size OF each of the
stones corresponds to the statement Of
Dionysius Of Halicarnassus, who says that
each Of them was sufficient to constitute a
cart load. Each stone as now existing in
this earliest work, is Of just that size which,
in the tufa Of which they consist, is to this
day called by the Roman masons cart
load. Until the recent excavations, the
space covered by this ark could only have
been guessed at even by those who bclicv-
ed its reality; but now the whole of the
deep loss which was cut ON the southwest
side Of the fort, when it was first built, has
been laid open. 1t separated the fortified
part of the Palatinc FROM the unfortifed
part where the population cougregated in
ordinary timcs-- CornhM Magazine.