The Irish standard., 1900-09-01
CURIOUS SUBTERRANEAN CEMETERIES
The Streets of Rome Present a
Lively Appearance.
DESCRIPTION OF THB FAMOUS CoRso
Center Of the Shopping District
Of the Grand City.

The catacombs of Rome are objects
OF great interest to all visitors, more
especially to the Catholics. There arc
many in and around the city, but that
of st. Calixtus. on the Appian Way,
is the most frequently visited, as it is in
the direction which is usually taken by
tourists whose time is limited. In an
other direction the Cntacomb of st.
Agnes is reached through the Portl
Fla. the gate through which the first
entrance was made by the army of
Victor Emanuel in 1870. The Church
OF st. Agnes is built under ground and
the descent is made by wide stone
steps. Though not large, it is IL very
attractive church. The cntacOmbs are
entered from one side of the church
they are very extensive, and among
many inches of special interest one is
marked as having been the resting
place of the remains of "Fabiola," the
heroine of Cardinal Wiscman's celc-
brated and popular novel, writes 3. ].
G. in the New Century, of Washington,
D. G.
Nearly all the inches in the cata-
combs are now empty, as the relics
have been distributed among the many
churches'and placed in the crypts and
beneath the floors, so that one can
hardly walk through any of these
churches without passing over hun
drcds of saints and martyrs.
Again is the reading public likely to
get Il good deal of misinformation re-
garding these subterranean cemeteries,
as they have been described as being
the result of excavations made to OBJ
tain building stone for ancient Rome;
whereas the fact is that the passages
are narrow, intersecting frequently,
and only high enough for four or five
inches in n tier, having narrow shelf
between them, with an occasional
space in which the early Christians
sought a hiding place and also used for
chapels. The material in which these
excavations have been made is mostly
composed Of rotten rock, and, having
given way, is in many places rein
forced by walls Of brick and stone to
prevent the aisles from being choked
by the sides and roof falling in.
Parties can only visit the catacombs
In charge Of a guide, and each one
must carry lighted taper to illumi-
nate the dark reccsses.
The underground passage at the new
Franciscan Monastery near Brookland
gives very fair idea Of the dimen.
sions of an average aisle in these laby-
rinths of Rome.
The classic Tiber, instead Of being
the sluggish stream it is sometimes
represented to be, is so rapid where 1t
passes through the city that no boats
Or craft of any kind come within the
city walls. Some rowboats are in view
near the bridge approaching st. Pc
tcr's, but 1t is rarely they are seen
out on the stream. 1t bears no rcscm-
blance to the Seine or Thames, which
are navigable rivers, presenting lively
scenes by day and night. In width
and volume the Tiber is much like the
Schuylkill at Philadelphia.
The streets of Rome present n very
lively and attractive scene, though not
so crowded as many other large cities
A satisfactory system of electric and
horse cars under direction of one COM
pany-"Societa Romano Tramways-
Omnibus s'-reachcs the sections of the
city and suburbs that are visited by
the greatest number of people. Then
the cabs are numerous and the prices
moderate, the drivers, as rule, quite
anxious to accommodate, and serve as
guides in reaching the places Of inter-
est; but it must be added that it is
entirely useless to hurry them, as
speed is not one of their characteristics
as rule.
1t is astonishing the amount Of work
that is done by the donkey in many
countries abroad, especially in South
ern Italy and Spain; but for the proof
every day offered, one could hardly
think 1t possible the little animal
could carry the large burdens imposed
on him, with the driver very often
added to the load placed on the back
Of the patient creature. But the driv.
ers are not unmindful of the animals
! welfare, as one cannot go through the