The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-07

tine Hills, where in very ancient times
was erected the immense Circus Maxi
mus, and as we pass along towards the
Arch of DrusuS we come to narrow
road which turns abruptly to the right
nearly opposite the tabled Fountain of
Egeria. 1t is four o'clock in the Octo-
Der afternoon, and the shattered walls
on each side of the long road glow with
fairly radiant light and the lengthen-
ing shadows with clustering wild flow
ers and clinging vines actually enchant
us with results which are fairly bewil-
dering with their magic coloring. In
few moments we arrive at an enormous
mass Of red and orange colored brick
work, a grand ruin of immense size, and
visible through the top we cannot fail
to notice great areas of blue sky. The
effect of the weird coloring is most
pleasing, for a sense of perfect harmo-
ny seems to enshroud this lovely place,
rendering the ruins of the Baths of
Caracaila one of the most delightful Of
the many attractions which Rome so
generously offers to those who resort
to her charming influence. These
baths were begun about 200 A. d. by
the Emperor Caracalla, and so extern
sive We're they that no less than three
thousand bathers could easily be ac
commodated at the same time. This
grand establishment was surrounded
by a lofty wall and embraced a stadi-
UNI or race course, a temple, many
apartments for bathers, porches, porti-
Goes, promenades, &C., &c. The whole
place was quadrangular in form, eight
hundred feet long, four hundred feet
wide, with a total area of nearly
twelve hundred feet long and as many
broad, or nearly whole mile in cir.
conference. There were various mag
nificent rooms of Egyptian granite and
Oriental alabaster, with hundreds of
columns of African and Italian marble;
the walls were covered with Mosaics
which to this day look like bright
paintings. the ceilings and pavements
were laid in MosaicS of SURPRISING
beauty of most marvellous design. The
walls of the main apartments stood
over one hundred feet in height, when
| thrown down by the destroyers the cit
| liens thought an earthquake was about
| to destroy the city, SO fearful was the
rumbling of the topping walls, while
| old Rome shook and shuddered to her
very center = Eighteen
hundred marble couches were formerly
| to be seen scattered through the vari-
Gus apartments, and as for the magnif-
icent statues of bronze, alabaster and
marble, no man could number them.
From these Baths came the grand
torso of Hercules" which Michael An
gelo in his blind old age was wont to
| fo Ia ENoy n,
Bull" Flora 1.-THE Pugilists" in the
Laterun Museum came from this grand
| home of refinement. This place has
been a prolific mine for centuries from
which rich works of art have been
| taken, objects which thrill all who be-
| hold their beauty, and before which
has been offered the praise and admi-
4 ration of the lovers of art from all
| parts of the world
1 Let us enter this grand ruin and ira
| verse the long corridor which was for
merly lined with Corinthian columns OF
granite, marble and alabaster, and
brilliant with multi-colored Mosaics;
we turn off to the right into the sTepi-
darium" where there are four i'm
mense basins in the corners intended
for holding luke-warm water; adjoin
ing this apartment is the F'rigidarium
or cold bath, where we observe the ru-
ms of the old swimming bath of prodi-
gious proportions.
1 Then there is the "Calidarium," Of
hot bath where we can still see the lea6
pipes which seventeen hundred year:
ago conducted the hot water to the
marble basins. 1 scratched one O
these great pipes with my penknift
and the lead was as bright as when thu
pipes were first placed there. The no
air pipes and apparatus for heating thu
water, and even the smoke stains OF
the earthen tiled f1ues are plainly seen
The apartments referred to above arr
of vast size, the ceiling (Which wa
pulled down many years since) stoot
over one hundred feet high and TIN
rooms We're over one hundred fee
square. There were many apartment
such as the private bath of the empe
ror, and that of the honorable member
Of the court, and these were fitted vi
with great splendor
The Mosaics, to judge from what i
left at the present day, must have beef
!; something marvellous in their beauty.
iolAIy ytdIS dSO tuc great MOSdl
pavement of the pugilists was discov
. cred here; this is now to be seen in TIL
Lateran museum, and it covers tn
floor of a very large room.
| The marble and granite basins whicl
; were found here are very beautiful
| two of these are to be seen in the Piaz
! "a Farnese; they are of black granite
seventeen feet long, five feet deep an
seven feet wide The baths were ope
: to the public, and the poorest Roma
could battle here surrounded with mag
: nificence which could not be equalle
save in the grand palaces of the Cae
sars. Three thousand persons coul
5 battle here at the same time; they wer
bathing, walking through marble CORR
: doris, reclining upon marble couche'
: reading the books and parchments /
the grand library, listening to must
: and beholding theatrical entertain
: ments, while horse races and foot race
7 were run in the stadium and the wor
ship of the Gods went on in the TEN
V pie.
In these baths orators detained
poets recited verses, new books, me-
works of art and new themes were dis
cussed, for the Romans, like the Athe
mans, often spent their time in tellin