The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-12-04

buSl UNNOuh mn W"'
the ancients in Virgirs time called
, 'Avernusn the Gateway Of Hell, now a
lake and called "I,ake Avernus." All
about it are many passages cut in the
rocks by the Romans. We travelled back
/ to Rome by the same route we had come,
passing at a large town about forty miles
| from Naples one of the largest Of the
Kings palaces, surrounded by splendid
grounds and having aseries of very large
and magnificent fountains. 1t is such a
show place for Naples, as Versailles is
for Paris.
After passing through Rome, we took
the railway which follows the coast to
Marseillesin France, ria Pisa, Genoa and
Turin. At first the route lay through a
level country with a background OF low
hills several miles away, and the line
ran close to the Mediterranean; judging
by the coast | should say there were
never any storms there, for the beach
was very narrow, no sand hills whatever,
and the grass grew almost to the water
edge. Further on the hills grew higher
and came closer to the water and finally
little beyond Pisa they came right to
the edge of the sea, making as rocky and
dangerous coast rs the eastern part oi
Maine.
The Island of Elba where Napoleon
was first confined is only few miles oil
the coast below Pisa, just far enough so
it cannot be seen except on very clear
day; we strained our eyes in vain looking
for it. Just before, reaching Pisa, which Is
200 miles from Rome we saw in the dis
lance Leghorn, the city famous for hats A;
it is on the coast, while Pisa is twelve
miles from the sea on the River Arno ;
the same stream that divides Florence,
runs through Pisa in the same
way, that part of the city very closely re-
sembling the similar quarter of Florence;
having street on each side of the river,
and the same sort of great stone walls to
keep the stream in bounds during floods.
Pisa is surrounded by strong wall in
the best state of preservation of any we
saw, and citadel is in one corner of this
wall, besides the usual towers. The
streets are well paved and clean, alto
gether it is nice bright little city. The
four famous buildings are all close to-
gether in one corner of the city, the
"Campanile'' or Leaning Tower" the
Cathedral, the Baptistery and the
"Campo Santo" or Cemetery. In the
latter are many shiploads of earth
brought from the "Holy Land" in the
time of the Crusaders, and taken from
the supposed site of Calvary. Just op-
pOste is the fine large Cathedral, of vari-
Gus styles of architecture, one end being
Moorish. Hanging from the ceiling is
the great iron lamp of curiously wrought
work, which gave Calico the idea of the
pendulum. The interior is rich in prec.
ious marbles, valuable paintings, and fine
| frescoes; one feature was unique, a
beautiful marble staircase leading from
the gallery many feet above the floor and
near the centre of the building to the
great dome. The pulpit was reached 10y
an elegant flight of stone steps, mos
beautifully carved, and in appearance
extremely light and airy, The baptister!
is close to one end of the Cathedral, anC
though in shape II resembles the one il
Florence, is much larger and far NOR
beautiful within, lined as it is with mar
BILE: the pulpit is miracle of marble
carving; all these carvings are by maste
hands. In the building is the most won
derful echo ever heard: the guide CAV
Il loud musical note, and tn
sound was echoed and re-echoed sOfte
and softer for at least Is seconds. The
he gave 1 notes, from high to low, an
tbs result was like the tones given b
the soft stops of an organ, only muc
sweeter sounds than any organ coul
produce; so exquisitely blended, and a
they slowly died away, softer and softel
though each note was perfectly distinC
even when no louder than a faint whit
p9r, it was the finest thing 10 which
ever listened.
The well known leaning tower is
great curiosity, but there are severi
such in various parts of Europe, notabl
!, three in Bologna, plainly visible frOl
} the railway. This stands just across I'll
street from the Cathedral entrance,
, circular in shape and lS0 felt higl
, strongly built of white marbl
! the walls several feet thick, and
regular intervals are outside galleri'
5 about feet wide, each one supported
P pillars, and each in turn uphoIding Il
5 one above. The outside diameter of ii
Z tower is about 30 feet, and it tapers vel
! little if any toward the top. but whC
one stands on the edge Of the upp
gallery and looks over on the other sid
= he is IL feet further out than the foot
. the tower; one cannot lean far enOug
I over the edge to see the base. The
] is no railing on any of the galleries, al
t it is very hard to get near the edge,
e account of the slant. Coming down d
c stairs the slope forces one constant
i toward the outer edge, and the bt
+ ropes hanging down in the middle tou'
$ the sides long before the bottom
/ reached. The tower is plain but We
d solid, and it has need to be for at Il
l. top are I bells, the largest weighing
!, tons. 1t is now thought that the inc
c nation of the tower was caused by q
settling of the foundation on one sid
IS as some of the pillars are longer thi
y the others, showing that the buildC
o tried to cOunteract the fault
VI From Pisa to Genoa, the birthplace
II Columbus, is 100 miles; a wonderf
e ride, for the last GO miles the railw
n runs principally through tunnels
IS through galleries cut in the rock,
It many places fairly hanging over t
water; the mountains rise out of q
J. sea, which thunders along the base
o the range. There is no highway a
d only by work of an extremely hea
n nature has it been possible to run
'e railway there; the Hudson river
% West shore roads arc nothing
y comparison.
IS The train would pass long tunn
It then shoot out into little ravine i'll {
Vt rocks, often not over 100 feet wide,
D. many of these riffs the houses of lit
Is fishing village would be packed as clos'
st as sardines in box, the boats drawn
l. on the tiny little beach at the mouth
a the cove, guarded by grim black roc
rs on which the sea dashed restlessly; d
Us part of the coast appeared to catch
n the storms and waves.
Df In many of these little towns we
ID the ruins Of old castles; and each openi
I'd afforded glimpse of the beautiful b
es Mediterranean then we would be plung
re into darkness again. The galleries
E. only shell of rock between them a
I'd outer edge of the rock. the railw
level being many feet above the sea,
Mt MANY of them windows had been cut
e. we could see bit of the foam cover
in rocks below, the effect was extrem
ly curious. Occasionally the rift would
ct half a mile wide, and the town qu
Sc large, with a nice beach, well patroni7
ct by bathers, the railway passing it
nj means of great stone causeway, ne
= before experienced a railway ride al
thing like il, the sudden and frequ,
alterations of sunlight and darkness
more than two hours made our e!
ache.
We passed close by Carrara where
the famous marble quarries. The moi
tains rose up thousands of feet, alb
lutely bare rocks, almost white. Whe
ever the refuse from the qurries l
been thrown out, the effect was just i
great bank of snow. There are
great number of quarries. most of th
are worked by tunnels in the mountai
totally unlike the way the Verm'
quarries are operated.
Genoa is built ON hills which CO
close down to the sea, just where
port is made by the breakwaters the
recedes, forming vast amiphitheai
and the railway station and princi
wharves are located there, the stat