Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-03-07
Ancient sicilisn Ouarriea

The objects which viii most Hurprisa
and delight the visitor to Syrsxlise are
the ancient q,Iarries. called hatoini,e,
perpendicular excavations of 10Ufcet or
more in the solid rock Of the plateau.
out of which tho stone was taken to
build the city. The principal are tho
Latomia del Paradise, the Cappnccini,
the CassiG. aud the st. Venefe.# These
vary in extent and in beauty. but all
have the same general c!laract6A The
larger have an area Of severaF acres.
When you descend into one at them
you find yourself in the most luNiriant
and sweetsimelling garden YOU shn inn
aginc. The high aud eyenly-cak walls
are hung with ivy, which SPREADS in
great masses Of green from gigantic
stems. The rich soil of the bottom
makes to flourish the orange and the
lemon and q wilderness of graceful
plants and cycr-blooming howsrs.s The
I air is vocal with the songs vt birtis Out
Of this paradise OF scenes and color, one
looks up toa sky rs blue us sapphire.
The excavations are irregular. Here a
single column of rock has been left by
the quarryman; here passage has
been opened into another enormous
apartment. vaster and more impressive
than any cathedral. Here the rock has
been cut under, and we are in a vast
yanlted chamber, the ceiling of which
has acquired by some chemical change
pink tingo. as if it had been decora-
ted for a bail room. Indeed. a superb
ball was given not many years ago in
one of these cyclop chambers.
iha-n hnrn honu
used in past times for various purposes,
for prisons and for burial-places, before
they were turned into gardens. In the
largest, the Cappuccini, it is supposed
that the 1000 captive Athenians were
confined in Alb Is. c.. until they perish
cd OF alternate cold and heat. and thirst
and hunger. 1t WAS then a horrible pit
of death, impossible to be conceived
from its present smiling aspect. OF the
1000, the few survivors were sold rs
slaves, although it is said that all those
were set at liberty who could rccite the
verses of EHripi,ics.
The Paradise is more wild and gloomy
than the o; her queries, although not so
beautiful, but it is mere famous, be-
cause il contains the Ear Of Dionysius."
This ear is one Of the historic frauds.
The story was that Dionysius had the
rock fewn in-tiic form of an ear, SO ,hai
by sfatnning himself in proper place
he roa.d hear what the prisoners below
said. and enjoy their lamentations.
There is q winding and lofty excava
ton in one part of the quarry not un-
like the passage of . giant ear. ana
from above there is n gallery leading
down to a small chamber communic:.t.
ing with it. Ii is evident, however, tiiat
in making this singular carved hail tie
quarryinen were only following par
ticilar vein of stone. The gro.to has
extraordinary acoustic properties. A
whisper made ut the entrances can be
heard IN the remote chamber above, and
the cavern gives back The most remark
able echoes and reyerbarAtioas. The
siamming OF the wooden door ST the en-
trance produces q sound resembling
thunder or the discharge of artillery,
and the tearing of Il bit of paper ut the
same place sounds like the crack OF il
revolver. 1t was Carayaggiq. who was
down this way in the sixteenth century
to execute some sacred pictures fen The
churches. who named this grotto the
"Ear of DiOnysius.''