Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-16
TRAJAN's TABLET DESTROYED,
The Iron Gate About to Be Opened with
Key of Dynamite.

The destruction of the famous Tab
ula IraJana is a most eXasperating
event, says a Vienna letter to the n.
7. Tribune. but one scarcely knows
upon whom to pour the biggest walls
of archaeological wrath. The stupid
and illiterate fishermen who did the
actual work of destruction are of
course much blamed. Yet they did
not know what they were doing. The
government is also held at fault for
not protecting the precious stone, and
antiquaries and scientific men in gen
eral are similarly taken to task for not
having provided long ago for the pres
ervation of so unique and priceless
relic. But with all this blaming the
evil has been done. and done beyond
repair. The fishermen have converted
the tablet into fire-places, made great
holes in it, crumbled it by fire, and, it
is said, made the Inscription utterly
illegible. This is the end of relic
which hundreds of learned men have
journeyed to the lower Danube to see.
and which will now be seen no more.
This monument of imperial Rome
stands, or stood at one of the most
impressive parts of the whole course of
this famous river After rounding the
point crowned with the three towers
of the castle of Tricua, the Danube
stretches out into vast, lake-Iile eX-
panse, like the Hudson at the Tappan
Zee. AT the entrance to this eXpanse
is noble gateway of white limestone
cliffs, perpendicular find of great
height. These rise like a wall sheer
from the waters edge, absolutely bar
ring off all passage by land along the
sides of the river. Thirty or forty
years ago, however. a roadway was
made through the cliffs at some dis
lance back from the river by blasting
out huge deiIe. But the old Roman
road got by the cliffs in different
manner. and traces of that bold en-
gineering are still visible in the form
of great holes cut into the rocks at
equal distances from each other and in
a level line above the highWater mark.
And above these is continuous level
groove, or ledge, running along the
face of the rocks. Into these holes
huge beams were inserted, extending
out over the river, and on these the
roadway was constructed. 1t was SIM
ply long shelf supported above the
river by cantileyers or brackets.
Opposite old Gradina, where the
river stretches out in vast eXpanse,
where the cliffs are highest and most
precipitous, and where the traces of
the Roman road are most plainly visi-
BILE, was placed this huge Tabula Ira
jana. 1t was an oblong slab, standing
Just above the groove cut in the rocky
wall. AT each end of it was carved
dolphin and winged figure. The in
scri ption. which was few years ago
still quite legible, was in part as fol-
lows:
IMP. CESAR. DIvI. NERvAE. F.
NERVA.
TRAIANVS. AVG. GERM. PONTIF.
MAXIMUS. TRIB. Pc. XXX.
The remainder was defaced by time
and weather wear. 1t is supposed
that Ira jan erected the tablet in mem
DRY of the first campaign in Dacia and
of the completion of the great highway
along the Danube.
Work at the iron gates is making
rapid progress, and it is now an
nounced that the first blasting prepa-
ration will occur at the beginning of
August. Preparations arc being made
for an elaborate ceremony at that
time. Many distinguished officers of
the empire will attend, and the minis
ter of commerce will personally fire
the mine. 1t will be some time before
the work is completed, but when it is
done this formidable obstruction to
navigation will be entirely removed.