Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-04-10
cALIGULA's FLOATING GARDENS.

cALIeULA's FLOATING GARDENS.
Company Formed to Drain Lake Nemi,
and Reveal Them.
company with a capital of $780,
600 has been organized for the pur-
pose of draining Lake Nemi a small
body of water occupying what was
once the crater of a volcano in the
Alban Hills, upon the estate of Prince
Orsini, about 80 miles from Rome.
The object of draining the lake is to
recover two enormous floating gar
dens or house boats of the most ex-
traordinary character, which were
built and used by the crazy Emperor
Caligula about 40 years after Christ.
The historian SeutOnis tells us that Ca
ligula squandered in fantastic schemes
during a single year the sum of 2,700,-
900, 900 sesterCes equivalent to about
$100,000,000 of our money! that had
been left him by Tiberius, and de-
scribes among other remarkable toys
constructed for his amusement float
ing gardens Of cedar wood, adorned
with jeweled proWs, rich sculpture,
vessels of gold and silver, sails Of pur-
pie silk, bathrooms of alabaster and
bronze and other equally novel and
costly features. Upon these floating
gardens were vineyards and fruit
trees. They were not only places of
amusement, but temples in which the
mad emperor worshiped himself. The
floors were paved with glass mosaic,
the window and door frames were of
bronze, many of the decorations were
binary equipments were Of beautiful
design and costly workmanship.
These floating palaces were attached
to the shores by chains, and bridges
were stretched across the water for
the purpose of communication. Upon
them occurred some of the most ex-
traordinary orgies that a human being
ever INDUCED in, in which cruelty,
murder and the most revolving de-
pravity were mingled with music and
sport. For some reason or another,
probably during the wars that followed
the reign of Caligula, these palaces
were sunk, and now lie In the mud
200 yards distant from each other in
five fathoms of water; one is $50 feet
from the bank and the other about
$50 feet. One measures $50 feet in
length and so feet in width, and the
smaller is 179 feet long and rs feet
wide
The first attempt to raise them was
made in the 18th century, but it was
found impossible In 1446 Cardinal
PrOsperO COlona employed Leon Bats
ia Albert, the greatest engineer of
that period, but his mechanical appli-
anCeS were wholly inadequate. He
used pOntOOn bridges, windlasses and
inflated bIadders. In 1885 Francesca
di march, Of Bologna, a great military
engineer, made another attempt. an
on Military Architecture. He was I'M
able to do anything, but obtained &C
Curate measurements and other Valu-
able information concerning the OBJ
jeCtS of his search. 4 diver who spent
several months III their examination
brought up samples of richly wrought
bronze which had become detached
from the decorations. Nothing fur
Their was done until 1927, when another
engineer succeeded in breaking off the
prov of one of the vessels, to it's per-
manent injury.
Five years ago Signor Berghi,
learned antiquarian, obtained permits
sion from the Orsini family to make
another attempt, and, although he was
purpose, he managed. with his crap
ling irons, to rip up the palaces pretty
generally and has probably destroyed
much of their value and beauty. He
took out many beautiful decorations
of bronze and marble before he was
stopped by the minister of public in
struction, who has charge of antigua
rian researches in Italy. The articles
are now hidden away to escape cOntis-
cation by the government, which has
been trying to get hold of them.
There has been bitter controversy
over the matter in the newspapers and
in pamphlets. and the government has
forbidden the use of any further meth
DDS that will injure the boats. Berghi
has therefore organized a company
and is now offering the shares for sale
in order to raise money to drain the
lake far enough to allow him to get at
the ships and dredge the bottom for
that may have become de-
tached The boats are made of cedar,
with a thick coating of pitch and COW
cred with cloth, on the outside of
which a skin of sheet lead of great
thickness is fastened with copper |
nails The decks are paved with |
glass mosaics of exquisite beauty.