Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-04

Yards. and tho fierce Italian sun beats
down upon IL with unrelenting fury and
bleaches everything that comes beneath
its scorching rays. immediately upon
going within the building one perceiyes
the difference in temperature. The inside
is deiRtfully cool in summer and CORE
spondontly warm in winter.
SO perfect is the symmetry of the huge
auditorium and so exquisite its proportions
that the spectator, standing at the main
entrance, can scarcely appreciate tho
grandeur aud SIZE of the hall until be
views objects ia the distance. which are
instantly perceived TO be greatly reduced
10y the perspective. Everything is made
OK marble and gilded bronze, and there Is
not single blemlsh 10 mar the loneliness
of the scene.
The principal objects Of interest are the
ssrcophagl OF the many popes entombed
IN the structure and the marvellous
mOsaics which seem TO have been
wrought by magic skill.
We had only a few hours in which TO in
spect the cathedral. and with our limited
time we felt that we could hardly enter
into the inspiration of our surroundings.
II there is anything within the wonderful
edldce which can bring the visitor back 10
the plain, everyday world, IL is the sight
OF the habihles Of the church.
Before every altar the spectator perceives
the Bonded form of some piOus person
bowed in PRAYER or kneellng before the un-
seen presence of the Almighty. Men,
women, and children, not by scores, but al
most by hundreds. can constantly be found
wOTshipp;ng in the vast cathedral. Here
one sees q swSrthy Ne apolitan with Bonded
head. there gaudily- dressed woman with
clasped hands, while in almost every cor
ner can be found some aged woman bent
with years and crippled with age but
mindful still OF her religious duties.
Or all the things which we saw IN st.
Peters the bronze statue of the apostle
whose name the church bears interested
Us tine most Yet, compared to other
works OF art in Rome, the figure Is poor
indeed. The statue IL but little larger than
life, and represents Peter IN G sitting pos
ture. Beneath has flowing robes his bare
feet appear, and hour sitter hour scores Of
devout persons approach the bronze and
press their lips against the toes. All ages
and conditions OF lie are represented III the
thrOug who thus do homage to the saint.
Mothers hold their tiny infants up before
the figure, and the little ones kiss the feet
OF the apostle.
SO long has this been the custom and so
many are the people who have thus mani
tested their piety that the toes have been
worn almost away by the constant friction
20 which they are thus subjected. II IL
true that nearly every wOTshlpper uses his
handkerchief 70 wipe the metallic member
before pressing his or her lips against il,
and this, of course, has helped the work OF
attrition, winch Is plainly visible. 1t is
this evidence of faith more than anything
else which strikes the foreign visitor at
st. Peters.
AFAMoUs STAIRWAY.
The Sacred Staircase-a long fight of
stone steps, winch were brought from
Palestine. and are said 10 have been
assembled by Chrst-is another curiosity
which exhibits TO a remarkable degree the
earnestness with which the Italian Catho-
hes put their faith in their religion.
The staircase IS in a church formerly
used by the popes, and daily the edihce IS
with worshlppers who kiss the
cold stone, stretch themselves PROSTATE.
and pray. Every suppliant for Divine
mercy ascends the steps on his knees. and
and as the fight Is quite long one the
IS very painful.
THE CAPUCHINs' CEMETERY.
IL graveyards ever yRwn. as the I'm NOR
tel Shakespeare leads us to believe, certain
" the Cemetery Of the Capuchins must do
II. IL Is not exactly a cemetery in our
sense Of the word, however, but part of
q dark stone house IN which the remains
Of the Capuchins were formerly placed.
After inspecting the MOrgue at Paris our
party flattered themselves that they could
stand almost anything but that GENE
terry undoubtedly gave us the oreeps.
in former years, and until some
decades ago. when the custom was aban-
ioued, the bodies OK all Capuchln trlars-
after being burned until the flesh bad
away-wero e1huWed and taken
10 the building above mentioned and their
skulls and bones were used 10 orndDent
the lower chambers OF the structure. The
house, which Is quite large, has several
roOms--dsmp, musty, and
IN these the skeletons OF SIX
thousand Capuchins have been placed.
COLOSSEUM AND CATAcosiBs.
The Colosseum is the grandest Of all the
of ancient Rome now in the
Eternal City. and a fve-mlnutes' iuspec-
ton OF the structure will serve 10 convince
he beholder That the Old-ume architects
aud builders were men OF profound AGILITY.
The outer walls of the giant building are
immensely thick-l0 and 10 feet III some
places while the inner partitions, broken
aud shattered as they are by time and the
hands OF vaudals. present the appearance
Of mountains of brick and mortar. We
always thought our City Hal was some
thing immense in the way of q house, but
NCIllN IL 10 ~ fAhF ~ N'"J N'A-'
structure could slip around IN
the Colosseum like a capsule IN aplll-bOX.
In fact. it would be dwarfed into lDslgnlh-
canoe If placed near the grim old theatre
in which 20 many bloody scenes were en-
acted. The arena of the structure IS lit
orally honevcombed with cells and apart
meuts which were used Tor the gladiators,
slaves. wild beasts, DC.
The Baths OF Caracalla, quondam rem
devious or clubhouse for the young no
man dudes" were equally rs large as the
Colosseum. uut their history Is not so dark
aud tragic. and therefore they are hardly as
inspiring to the visitor. The floors IN The
building were all Of Mosaic, and several OF
them are still in @ good state OF preserVa-
ton.
our visit to the Catacombs was very
brief, as we had already had enough OF I'M
canny sights. Several priests have charge
Of the place, and a jolly French irlsr
acted a. our guide and was rs chlrpy rs
cricket. They are said 10 be nine miles IN
length, and It is quite an easy matter for
one TO lose his way in them. as there are
many avenues aud passage-ways. Inc
place is always rs dark as Egypt, ana Nlsl-
tors have TO use candles IN order 70 secure
sufficient light to move about. Inc walls
" ere scOOp0d out when corpse was 20 DC
placed IN them. aud then stone slao was
placed over the aperture. AS one vi SuA
party very unsympatheticaily expressed II;
i they lust shelyed the average fellow
but when distinguished person DIED ne
was honored with a more elaborate sar-
cophagus. OF course in every wall there
used to be several LAYERS of corpses, as tue
space Is divided OF into sections IKE
bertbs on q steamer. -,
We leave Rome reluctantly. Though we
have been nearly q week here, We nave
not been able n that time TO see halt the
sights. But among other things We sew
in the Vatican sculpture gallery :, Inc
LAGOON" and the Apollo Belyidere" ana
In tre Captolne Museum The Dying
." The Marble Fsun" ana Inc
Capltohne Venus chief among the most
precious pieces of statuary IN existence:
From Rome We have made an excursion
70 Naples and PompeiI. And now We go 10
Florence and Venice; but OF these more
anon.
MOTIFS OF OBSERVATION.
We see the palm and the, umbrella
pine" both growing in Southern haIy
but both are domesticated eXotics. no
- umbrella pine" correctly describes tnat
tree. There are no limbs on the greater
part of its trunk, but from near the top
thew shoot forth quite luxurlsnty.
La