The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-05
LAKE NEMTs sUNKEN MYSTERY.
Divers Discoveries. Among the Ves-
sells at the Bottom Of the Lake.
London Athenaeun

Various Journals have, during the. past
month, spoken OF a big mass OF timber
which has for centuries lain sunk in the
thick mud Of Lake Nemi, and archaeolo-
gists disputed among themselves seriously
to determine whether il was a raft intend
ed to hoat hanging garden. or kiosk
built upon palings curved to resemble the
form OF ship, but, until now, none could
define exactly its shape or purpose. At
last the diver employed TO examine il placed
on the surface of the water thirty-seven
floats. fastened each by light rope TO the
nete,s frnyn sacb otSer ~ bich when % draH s9
tight, indicated the length from stem to
stern. AT the prov end projected kind
of prolonged spur. Certifying by this means
its confguration as a real ship. the next
step was to learn If IL would float easily.
Lying athwart the shore. with its stern
eighty meters away'in deep water IL must
have been a ship capable of sailing and
drifting, and not a fixture. Some argued
that. as 1t was seventy-four meters long
by fourteen meters broad. such a craft
could not swim or be maneuvered on 80
small an expanse Of water. but this doubt
vanishes when Ii is considered that Lake
Nemi has a diameter at its broadcast OF ZOO
meters, and of 250 at it's narrowest, there
fore Ii might as well be held that a fly
Moreover, this ship of Caligula Cat first
thought TO belong TO Tiberiusp was Lever
i ii1 ior great veioSity, but Simply fcr
suffice to show, and required only space
to sail within certain restricted limits. The
most valuable of the fragments brought 10
land are deposited in the villa of Prince
Orsini, at Genzano.
They consist OF six uprights and beams
and projecting horizontally from the ship,
all magnifcently worked i'm bronze some
circular. others rectangular. representing 4
Medusa's head, three lions and two wolves,
in such good preservation as to appear OF
modern date: also a grating OF bronze
which was probably meant TO give light TO
the lower deck. or TO furnish support 70
transparent slabs of alabaster There are
large quantities OF nails and plates OF
bronze, forming very probably covering
to the hull. The ribs, in four sections of a
meter long, are OF the same metal. Many
morsels of mosaic and enamel in circles.
besides disks and portions OF porphyry and
serpentine imbedded on more than 20
square pieces Of terra Gotta have been
found, which decorated the floor and sides:
round castors of bronze. used doubtless 10
facilitate the moving of the couches; two
large metal bollards. serving evidently 10
secure the hawsers; lastly, many wine Jars
and lanterns In terra Gotta. The diver.
cropping under water northward, clearly per
ceived the existence OF a second ship at a
distance of half a mile from the first. and
thought that he could distinguish dimly a
third vessel Can il be that In the time OF
the empire this lake was utilized for a naval
school Of instruction.? Two long pine beams
fastened together with iron nails, found in
shallower water than the imperial ship.
prove plainly that the spot had teen ex-
plored ages ago.