Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-03-15
rs dation of pure air. quietness and cheap

)USD OF i ltE fOON AIN Ohi T.
dation of pure air, quietness and cheap
ness.
We drove from Naples to Pozzuoli,
stopping on the way At SOliatara, the
crater of a volcano not quite extinct
for through crevices called ''fumarOle'
come smoke and sulphurous eXhala-
tions. 1t is hollow underneath and
sounds hollow when a heavy stone is
thrown on the ground. as is done by
the attendant, who expects a few cen
times in return. After leaving Sofia
tara we passed MOunte Nuovo. so called
from having sprung up in a night dur
ing a volcanic explosion, on the spot
where once stood a village. Then we
came to Lake AveTnus, supposed by
the ancients to be the gate to hell.
IL was said no bird could fly over IL
without perishing from the effects OF
its eXhalatiOns. Ancient birds must
have been more delicate than those OF
modern times. or the lake has ceased
to eXhale. for certain it is they fly over
it now when they please. / saw one
myself skimming along. Continuing
our journey we soon came to Baia,
which. in the palmy days of the Roman
Empire. was the watering place OF the
great patrician families; here such
POTENTATES AS JULIUS CAESAR,
Cicero, Augustus, Hadrian and others
had villas and came to enjoy the win
ter season. We looked with particular
interest upon the ruins of great Julius
villa of which very little now remains.
We could not determine whether il had
been built over the water or whether
the sea has encroached on its founda-
tions. The town of Baia has certainly
fallen from its high estate. as it now
is only a dirty, miserable village.
Why it is so seems strange.
for it is situated on very
beautiful and sheltered bay, an ideal
place of winter resort. Near Baia is
the Temple Of Mercury, remarkable for
its echo. II is a circular edifice in a
very ruined state. While testing its
echo we we're importuned by women
to allow them TO dance the 'Iaran-
tella" or national dance, for half
franc. franc. or anything they can get
out of the tourist. These women were
an unpicturesque. dirty lot. Their
dress consisted of a plain. full. short
skirt. a basque or spencer Of no nj
Whatever. large calico apron tied
round the waist. and half slippers that
lust accommodated the toes and which
vent clapping up and down in most
untidv manner. They had no grace
whatever the dance consisting of a
series of ungainly jumps-and so all
our preconceived ideas of the natural
grace and
BEAUTY or THE ITALIAN PEAS
ANTRY,
rs seen in pictures and written about
bv geniuses. were dispelled. And right
here | may say that the women OF
Naples effected me the same way. They
we're so untidy and took so little inter
est. apparently. in their dress, seem
ing only to care to be on the streets
chatting and laughing with one an
other.
Near Baia isl a miserable village call
ed BacoIi. in which the Roman en-
perors had a country residence. II IS
said that this was the place where
Nero planned the murder OF his mother
by drowning in Lake Lacrinus. but not
succeeding in this. he actually had her
killed by a centurion on the borders OF
this lake. One Of the great features of
interest which this neighbOrhOOd of
ancient fashion and luxury possesses is
the sulphurous baths which my curios-
ity led me. with the aid of an attend
ant. to explore In the side Of the
bluff not fifty yards from the waters
edge. are subterranean passages cut
through the soft porous rock. Some
of these passages open into small
chambers. wherein are low couches,
seats and inches. all formed from the
rock when the chambers were made.
In these places the blase patricians
were wont to stand. recline. or lie, ac-
cording to their pleasure, until the sui
phurous. ct vapor baths had accom-
Dlished the end in view. These pas
sages and chambers appear 10 have de
rect communication with the bowels
of Vesuvius or some other suJter-
ranean monsters boiling cauldron. the
fumes Of which find egress through the
aforesaid soft porous rock. ] could not
but think as | stood within one of these
cells inhaling the heated yapor. or put
ting NV ear close to ore Cf the cellular
messages from which the yaDOr was
emitted in Intermittent quantities. and
every few moments hearing a rumble
and a gush. as if some vast invisible
mower. as it is, was making a furious
effort TO be released from its thraldom.
that the
CRUST UPON WHICH STAND
NAPLES
and the adjacent towns would some