New-York tribune., 1900-11-04
FOUND IN THE FORUM
IMPORTANT RESULTS OF THE RECENT
ROMAN EXCAVATIONS.
From The London Post.

from / he LONDON POST.
The excavations which Signor Giacomo Boni has
been conducting with such marvellous intuition for
riy Two years nave Just YIELDED results more
& END Cippus with the archaic inscription. the Ba.
the Vestals and the many sacred wells scarcely
possess the poetical interest OF the discoveries
of Santa Maria Liberatrice
As soon as the removal Of the church and its
foundation fairly completed Sgnor Boni
to work to search for the Fons and the Lacus
existed between the temple of Castor and PoiIux
and the house of the Vestals. He first came on
evidently belonged to series of statues adorning
shrine nd IN, Next he iEhted on the Pohs Juturnse
carved with an Inscription declaring the we'll sa-
of the nymph was discovered close by, together
With the marble cornce of a shrine bearing in
Continuing the excavations close to the well in
h of of the m he arec
preservation with representations Of the tradition
Fragments OF statue to the goddess Roma next
came to light. together with bust Of Jupiter and and
Dioscuri Castor and Polux). Diana Lucifera, Ju-
are Of ahe he Greek W worked a n the bes
Greek style. To them should be added beautifully
horse Which must have | beorged to the series Of
ststqes and have been wantonly broken @ M up when
tians. The tuxtapositon of A1sculapius and the
cation of the Roman belief in the sanctity Of
and of its healing powers -. -.
This belief stood out still more clearly when but
a few PAGES further on Sign9r B9ni finally diScoy-
forty yards SQUARE in extent and ncioses hree
bubbng springs in three of its angles. The fourth
way down to the water. In the centre is a square
pedestal on which no doubt a statue OF the nymph
iacus were lined Wi With the CHOICEST ICES white marble,
water has been tested, and has been found to be
Sad to say. the treatment of this magnificent
fountain by the Christians was barbarous in the
fuil of earth and of fragments the splendid stat
uary which must have stood around 1t. and
only did the Christians in their HsTegard Of clean
purest fountain in Rome but they converted the
spot into huge latrina 1t is striking epilogue
The Popes had allowed TIE Roman aqueducts 70
,gn da mo rum the Gnrisans h should have been
Forum at the very edge of the main sewer. The
around it, Thus it win regain Something 1f ,p Paeed ee
cient purity. though its spendor is unfortunately
Almost simultaneously with these discoveries
Sgnor Boni. in another part of the Forum near
the Capitol came on the rostrum Of the Caesars
spot some distance from the real site While
Bon to think that important structnres
of classical times lay under huge of bricks
numbered the Forum Removing the concrete and
on fonr i low sed chambers ab bu Gd IN ~a h he came
the first century before Christ. For some time he
these chambers which. were most carefuIly con- n
structed. with floors OF mosaic and red concrete
In time, however. he remembered having seen In
Bologna coin of Palicanus which the arched
chambers were perIecty represented Sending To
identify the chambers those which contained the
rostra OF ships taken from the enemy and which
were surmounted by table. from which orators
harangued the crowd pronounced euogies OF
prominent citizens. The rostra OF the ships and
the table have disappeared but the chambers still
remain in perfect preservation.
The havoc which signor Boni's discoveries have
made in the accepted topography oe the Forum has
been accentuated during the last week by the dis
eovery OF fourth cloaca maxima Since Signor
Boni obtained the conjunction of the so-called
cloaca maxima with the present main sewer OF
Rome he has been able 10 prevent the flooding OF
the Forum whenever the Tiber rises and TO explore
the cloaca itself. This proceeding has led to the
discovery OF three other coaca each older and
larger than the hitherto known. They have
proved 10 contain many fragments of splendid
Etruscan vases and other interesting relics. The
examtna ton Of the fourth eoaca which has been
sealed for at least two thousand ears. will begin
week -