The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-01-27
CORRESPOND NOE.
Letter from Europe.
RoME, ITALY, Dee. Both, '95

MeSSrS. EditorS,-On the first night
of our stay in Rome we had startling
experience which is worth telling, be.
cause it may be Of use to some one.
An American minister and his wife had
been travelling with us during the day
and took room near ours in the same
hotel. About two o'clock in the morn
ing we were wakened by faint cry of
"helpl" and heavy fall. We found
the minister's wife at our door in a
state of insensibility, lying on the floor.
After getting her to couch, we made
search for her husband, whom we found
in his room apparently dead. But dis
covering that he had slight pulse,
and realizing that carbonic acid gas
was the cause of the trouble, at once
opened the window and door that the
gas might pass out and good oxygen
come in. He soon began to evive, and
recovered from the almost fatal expe.
count for his feelings. Investigation
showed that the cause of it all was a
stove full of burning coke, with an in
terrupted draft. The room was filled
with it, to the exclusion Of the air, and
the lady awoke in time to get out,
though she fell insensible Immediately.
Let this be warning to all not to sleep
with anything in the room which may
produce this dangerous gas, without a
good draft to carry it off. All ordinary
combustion, whether of wood, coal,
coke, or charcoal, produces carbonic
gas in great quantity. If the draft is
Hafa IN, ht1r &
smoke awakens the sleeper and alarms
him, but in the case Of coke and char
coal, there is no smoke, and the car
bonie acid gas is entirely odorless in
itself 1t lulls the sleeper and finally
kills him, simply by the exclusion of
air, without which life cannot continue
long. Carbonic acid gas is not poison
OuS, but acts mechanically, in first di-
luting, and then excluding the air by
it's greater weight, and the person
under it's influence dies from lack of
oxygen.
Those who expect to find the climate
of Florida or Southern Georgia, in
Italy, will be much surprised when
they soiourn in Rome or Naples. There
are many days which are as delicious
as those of our Southern climate, but
when the wind blows, as it does very
often, from the north, or north east,
from the mountains, it becomes sud
denly cold, and ice is formed. This is
severe on those affected with pulmo.
nary diseases. Even in Naples the
orange only fourshes in protected
spots. This wind which is quite try.
ing, is called in Italy the "tremontana," +"
in Switzerland the "biSe," and in France
the "mtstraL." After thorough investi-
cation, / am prepared TO say that
whereas Florida and Southern Georgia
lack the magnificent Italian scenery of
mountain, valley, and sea, the climate
Of our Southern winter paradise is in
comparably superior to that of the
much admired " Riviera" or sea coast
Of the Mediterranean. The air of
Florida and Southern Georgia is balm
mess itself and generally free from
malaria, but the trem0ntaRd that comes
whistling down from the snow clad
mountains Of Italy is intensely cold,
dry, and rasping.
We have seen a great number Of
paintings by the old masters. They
are masterpieces indeed, and deserve
their fame. But the art of the middle
ages has been extremely cranped in
Europe. 1t has been largely confined
to tho portraiture Of religious subjects.
The artists generally selected their
subjects from the calendar of saints.