The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-04-02
ROme's Danger of InundatiOn.

A writer says: cit is surprising, as
De Fournon says in his learned and in
teresting work, "Etudes Statistiques,
that people SO powerful as the Ro-
mans, so truly skillful in all great
works, such as drains, bridges and
aqueducts, should have done nothing to
protect Rome against the scourge of
inundation. To be sure, the part of
the city most exposed to the overflow
had not in early times any great monu-
ments. But it is inexplicable that
Agrippa should have placed his superb
Pantheon in such low spot, which is
now only little over six metres above
the rivers level, and must have always
been submerged at the slightest over
flow Of the Tiber. The Temple of
Vesta was between the Forum and
the VelaDrun. The Velabrum was the
whole of the low ground lying between
the Tiber, the north point of the
Avantine, the south point of the Capt.
tOline and the west point of the Pala-
tine. This space, together with the
Forum and the hollow between the
Capitoline and the Palatine which con-
meets them, was a swamp IN very ancient
times. It was frequently overaowed
by the river until the stagnant waters
were carried off by the famous drain,
known as the Cloaca Maxima besides
the Cloaca, the river was confined with
in its bed by strong bulwark faced
with hewn stone. This parapet and
the Cloaca are amorg the few works Of
that early epoch which still remain
entire. At the southwest end of the
Velabrum, near the opening of the
Wallis Murcia, was the Forum Boarium,
or cattle market, under the Aventine
was the Emporium, or wharf, where
merchant vessels loaded and discharged
their cargoes it was likewise a large
marble wharf in imperial times, when
large quantities of costly stones and
marbles were brought to Rome for
public and private palaces. This EN-
porium was buried under the accumu-
lation of river mud and sand. For CEN
turtles only the tradition of it remained.
Seven years ago it was discovered, and
excited great interest. It brought us
very near to those far-off days when we
drove to the ancient Emporium, and
walked over columns and fragments of
costly marbles, which had on them the
quarry stamps, nearly two thousand
years old. The whole of that quarter
was connected with the Forum by two
great streets, the Vicus Tuscus and
the Vicus Ingarius. Thus it was very
easy for old Tlber to sweep up into the
city"
IT is believed that Fohi, the first
king of China, is identical with Noah.
The Chinese themselves claim that
Fohi has no father and Noah, although
subsequent to the flood the great pro-
genitor of the race, was himself at that
time fatherless. The mother of Fohi
is said to have borne him encompassed
with rainbow-an evident allusion to
the bow of promise revealed to Noah as
the sign of Gods covenant. F0hi is
represented to have reared seven kinds |
OF creatures, which he sacrificed to the |
Great Supreme. Noah also took into |
the ark clean beasts and fowls by |
sevens, which he offered to the God of |
heaven as offerings Fohi is represented |
as drawing off the waters which had |
deluged the earth, thus identifying him |
with the food.
Tur piano Harm Cabinet N~c.o,, - = |