The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-30
CAMPANILE'S
Many Treasures Found Among the
Debris-An Ancient Brick.


The sitting and separation and removal
of the 1900 tons of debris of the Campanile
goes on apace day by day from $50 in the
morning till 1880 in the evening. The work
is done mainly by soldiers under the di-
rection of two active young lieutenants,
although a few civilians take their places
while they rest in the middle of the day.
On the spot, ancient bricks, modern bricks,
marbles, and useless material are all sep
arated. The latter is wheeled to the Riva-
del Schiavoni and emptied into peati Qarge
boats,) which, when full, a steamer tugs
away out into the Adriatic gulf, where the
material is consigned to a watery grave.
With the first boat load went wreaths and
flags and it was consigned to the deep with
almost funeral rites. The marbles and
bricks are taken to the islands of San
Giorgio Maggiore and Dele Grazie, but the
most precious of them are taken into the
quadrangle of the Doge's palace, or into
the office of Commentators BON.
In the last mentioned place Commenda-
tore Boni showed me the other day a
Roman brick with the inscription Imp.
Anto, Aug. Plus" which, of course, stands
LOT lmperator AntOninus Augustus Plus,
who reigned from 13S to 161 A. d. For his
good qualities the senate gave him the
title Plus. Here. then. is a brick in good
conditlon that was made 1.75O years ago.
Another brick had the letters T. A. NJ.
clearly and deeply cut. One from Eracea
had the letters O.. S. NJ. N. on il. The Adui-
lelan bricks are of all shapes and sizes.
some round and others as large as Square
paving tiles. Commentators Boni has pol
ished a piece of a Roman brick, and one
can hardly distinguish it from a piece of
red Verona marble.
L said in a former article that the lime
was bad, but it was not equally SO. for
enormous masses of brick wall, weighing
from one to five tons. are being discoveries
The bricks composing these masses if is
almost impossible to separate. This has
induced Commentators Boni TO suggest
that they should be taken entire to the
puDlc gardens, and there made into a sort
OF memento mort monument, with the date
of the Companies death-July IA. 1902
Slgnor Arblb, an American who resides in
venice, offered 500 francs GEO for one of
these blocks to place il in his garden. Com
mendatore Boni, although averse to maxi
ing merchandise of the poor Companies
remains, has yet written TO the Minister
Nasi and to the Syndic of Venice on the
question OF disposing thus of relics OF the
disaster.
The big Maragona bell is now deposited
In the Doges palace, and it bears the
following inscription: Sanctus forts sane
tus ct lmmortalis miserere nobis. Verbum
carno factum est. Cancione Venete Fin
sorys meus, pondo lib. 1000. Rifusione.
terra mona Decembre, 1919.
The great coppcr-gllt angel was examined
and inside 1t was found a glass bottle un-
broken, with a parchment inside. The cork
OF the bottle had a string over It. and a
seal OF red wax with one word, Bibliotecca
perhaps for BibIiotecca Marciana, st.
Marks Llbrary) The parchment bore the
following inscription: Curantib ixviris
prapos fair Basil Mariana Aloysius Fan
domeneghi Bonar arthur acad magister
opus finXit barth Ferrari aut bosa sociI
idem probarunt Joan Cassadoro SCULPTOR
Signor Franciscus carissimi faber Ferr. ex-
sequutl STUNT gaspare Biondetti machinar
ad erectlonem structore caesare fustinelli
archlt omnia moderante venetis A MDCCC.
XXI. Emanuelis cleome. The first angel
was, however. set up in 1917.
The four bronze s~tatues-Apollo, Minerva.
Pace and Pallas-that stood in inches by
the bronze doors of Sansovino's Loggetto
have all been found, and though Apollo.
the last discovered, is the worst broken.
the head, legs and hands being severed
from the trunk, sill all can be put together
again.
The removal of the debris is now sufH-
clently advanced to show that the upper
part of the Campanile fell in a direct line
with the main door of st. Marks, hitting
the pavement of the piazza about fifty feet
from the church and sending the angel
almost in at the open door.
Commentators Boni does not think that
the foundations or the Campanile have
been at all injured, but in any case he will
enlarge them, as they were not laid down
at first TO carry such a high and weightv
tower as the Campanile was. At present
they cover 200 square meters; he purposes
charging them to cover 400. Money IS COM
ing in for the rebuilding more slowly than
at first, but steadily, and it is expected
soon that the Canlpanile will be rebuilt
where ii was and as IL was. still manv neo-
pie would like TO see it built elsewhere
say where the present unsightly patriarchal
palace stands-so as to leave the great
piazza of St. Marks, free. and also to do
away with the dwarfng of church and
DOge's palace, which was one effect pro
duced by the ~Campanile standing where il
did.
The damage to the royal palace is much
more severe than was at first believed.
The whole angle to the extent of twenty
yards on either side is rallied of. KING
Victor Emmanuel has signified his desire
to bear the expense OF this restoration.