The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-29

st. Maria In Via (vacca mem. e0.n
The writer then goes on TO say that save this
statue OF consul no dscoveryoi importance has
been made in the river. But must we, then, con-
clude that there is nothing concealed under the
waters OF the Tiber. scientific analysis OF the
problem proves the contrary; It can be assumed
IN Ill conscience that many works OF must have
fallen into 1t from tue monuments which stood on
tie rivers banks, and Others were cast into the
water with the express purpose OF saving them
from destruction by the hands OF the barbarans.
THE oUAYs OF THE TlBER
were ornamented with celebrated edlnces espe-
cialiy On that portion comprised between Ponte
Sisto and Ripa Grandc. In the section near onte
Sisto there was only the mausoleum OF Adrian.
the foot Of which was washed by the waters OF the
Tiber. "rhis tomb" says Procoplus as built Of
Paran marble and It's height exceeds that OF the
walls OF the city. On It's summit are statues OF
men and horses OF admirable workmanship in
Paran marble" He goes on TO state that 1T had
been converted into fortress considerably before
his time (probably by Honorius, A. d. 4a3). TINS
was done without injury to the decorations, but in
the subsequent wars against the Goths, the
statues were torn from their pedestals by the be-
sleged and hurled down upon the assaants. Tho
accuracy OF Procopius' account Is shown by the
discovery OF the celebrated statue Of u recumbent
Faun, made under Urban the VIII, in eXcayating
Tor the ditch which surrounds the modern castle.
(Winkc0ann H., 1901 1t is easy to state that
sculptures must have BEEN hurled down FROM the
mausoleum Of Hadrian also on the rivers side, as
1t is well known that the barbarians combined
their attack together from land ana water. The
theatres of Babus and Marceus the temples of
Cybeles and Fortuna Virilis, ,ho ship OF .Escu-
lapius in tho island of St. Bartoloneo, the bridges
the~portlcoes on the quay and other monuments
destroyed by time and men must have sent part
OF their Spolls into the bed OF the river.
THE ANCIENT SEWERS.
Besides must not forget that the sewers have
carried down In their currents a surprising guam
thy or smaller objects relating TO the usages Of
private lie, and even objects OF value. The pro-
lessional excavators always rejoice when
Client sewer Is discovered, since they are almost
sure to be rewarded with an ample discovery Of
curiosties. few weeks ago small sewer was
discovered between tho churches OF St. Antonio
and st. Euseblo, on the Esquilnc, which drained
or part OF the great market called Marcellum
Lviae. In tie space OF lew minutes there were
found p0rteeullle (paOtUare) in carved ivory,
inscribed with the name OF Gallienus Concessus,
Senator OF the third century; bracelet, cut out
OF that kind OF jet which Plny calls gagaes lapis,
from the Lycan river Gagls, which the
stone was found; three small amphore OF glass.
one Of which had the mark OF the Sidonian glass;
WORKS; gold earring, and seventeen
coins OF the largest size. 1t Is not difficult
TO imagine that quantities OF similar objects must
have been carried into the river, considering the
hil!y nature OF the surface of Rome and the
que Mt steepness of the sewers, washed out daily
by more than half million cubic yards OF water
But will the works projected Tor the excavation OF
the river bring to light the smaller objects as well
the larger works OF art? In other words, is the
fact that nothing has as yet been recovered In the
river to be attributed TO the tact that nothing has
been attempted, rather to the difficulty or the
imposslbiity OF the abor2 We are OF the opinion
that the second reason is the better one because,
as we have said before, there Is no doubt that
many attempts have already been made in the
Tiber, as well as In other streams In the vicinity
OF the city.
FORMER DISCOVERIES AROUND ROME
Under the p0nti1cate OF Benedict KILL, in the
port OF Antium was extracted from the bottom
OF the sea the large iuted and eXquisItely worked
bronze vase, sent gift by Mithridates, King
OF Pontus, to o college OF gymnasts, and now pre-
served IN the Cap1toline Museum. The sphinXes
with which Valadier ornamented the Piazza del
POpOlo are carved out OF blocks OF marble ex.
tracted from the same waters.
"VincenZO de Rossi, my IN aster," says Flamnius
Vacca "told me that the group Of lion attacking
horse, which is now in the Palazzo &c Conser-
vatori, was found in the time OF Paul ILL., by
Latino GiOvenale, master OF the roads, and very
curious In matters OF antiquity, In that stream
outside the gate OF St. Paolo, where now stands
mill, hall way to the Church OF the Saint" CO.
lossal arm, probably from statue OF Trajau, was
dug up not many years ago from the bottom VI the
inner dock in the harbor OF Civlra Vecchia The
Jour silver vases, with the itineraries from
Cadlz to Rome, now In tho Kircherian Museum,
were found In tho reservoirs Of the mineral springs
ct VicareiIo tAqu@ Apolinares), along with ON
immense quantity Of coins, weighing upward OF
n n np frnn tb0 rap1 "a ~
polished n!ns to the foil OF the Roman Empire.
Why has not been or could not DO the same with
the Tlberf Why antiquities or objects OF value
have not been or could net be found in Its shallow
bed; when they were easily gathered from waters
varying in depth from eight to twenty feets
THE GEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
OF the bed OF the Tiber enables US TO explain the
exceptional ditnculty, may be the mpossibility of
the wor<. The bed Is entirely composed Of light
mud, through which heavy objects sink With great
rapidity to q great depth. Tho central pier OF
the tubular bridge OF the Clvita vecchia Railroad
butt in 1864, not far from ST. Paolo was sunk
TO q depth OF sixty feet through the mud before
reaching the solid strata OF marine marls. stones
OF common size, thrown by accident into the
water, were met at level Of twenty and twenty.
i've feet, whittier they had sunk on account OF
their specific weight. In October, 1856, train of
twelve cars, loaded with stone mad crossed tho
pri0gc ana was stopped Oh the other side VI tile
river, where the rats have an inclination OF
about one per cent. Tho engine having
been carelessly detached the wagons slipped
back on the sloplng line and iel
into the river choking 1t up so as to render navi
cation impossible. me government Immediately
ordered Its engineers to clear away the deoris
from the river; but before the necessary ma
chinery was brought to the spot and q month had
elapsed all the cars had disappeared through the
mud. Not fragment OF the wagons, not o
solitary stone was recovered: all had been swal.
loved UP by the mire. In the year 1895 q large
vessel laden with poz2oidnt, belonging to NJ
Rgaccl, OF Rome, sunk At q distance OF about
three miles down the river. A week alLerward It
had entirely disappeared. Recently the govern
ment afiXed notice on the banks OF the river, at
rAlbero Beio, OPPOSITE the Porta del Ponolo