The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-04-22

aeBs OF CaIiEuia. says W. y CUrti..
vessels Win wealth of Jewels.
Gold and SILVER. built by PronIga:e
Emperor. Tempt Modern Hsnter.
A company with a capital Of $4,000
has been organized for the purpose Of
draining Lake Neu.i. a small body Of
water occupying what was once the
crater % volcano iu the Aiban hills
upon the estate of Prince Orsini. about
thirty-two miles from Rome. says VII.
Lam L Curtis, the special correspond
snt q the Chicago Record Herald
The object q draining the lake Is 10
recover two enormous floating gar.
ceus. or houseboafs q the most e1.
traordinsry character. which were
built and used by the crazy Emperor
Caligula about forty years after Christ
The historian SuetSnius tells Us that
CRligula squandered in fantastic
schemes during a single year the sum
Of 2.7c0 cp0.oo0 sesierces equivalent
TO about slOO.OOOcO0 Of our money
that had teen left him by Tiberius aUd
describes among other remarkable toys
constructed FOR his amusement floating
gardens Of cedar wood adorned with
jeweled prows. rich sculpture. vessels
Of gold and silver. sails Of purple SIX.
bathrooms o. alabaster and bronze and
other equally novel and costly features.
Upon these floating gardens were vine
yards and fruit trees. They were not
only places 81 amusement. but temples
IN which the mad emperor worshiped
! himself The floors were paved with
glass mosaic. the window and door
frames were o. bronze many Of the
decorations were of almost priceless val
ue, and the ordinary equipments were
Of beautiful design aud costly work.
manship.
These floating palaces were attached
TO the shore by chains. and bridges
were stretched across the water for
purposes of communication. Upon them
occurred some OF the most extraordina.
~ orgies that a human being ever in
dulged in. I'm which cruelty. murder
and the most revolving depravity 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 dis
tant from each other IN FIVE fathoms
OF water one is 100 feet from the
bank and the other about 80 feet. One
measures $50 feet IN length and 60 feet
in width. and the smaller is l79 feet
long and 20 feet wide.
The first attempt 10 raise them was
made In the thirteenth century. but u
was found impossible. In l44G Car
dinal Prospcro Colonua employed Leon
Batista Albert. the greatest engineer
OF that period. but his mechanical ap-
pliances were wholly inadequate. He
used pontoon bridges, windlasses and
inflated hladders In 1885 Francesca
dc Marcni Of Bologna. great military
engineer. the inventor OF the modern
system OF forti1cations, made another
attempt. an account OF which is given
In his work on Military Architecture" 4"
He was unable 10 do anything, but ob.
tained accurate measurements and
other valuable information concerning
the objects OF his search. diver who
spent several months in their examina-
ton brought up samples OF richly
wrought bronze which had become de-
tached from the decorations Nothing
further was done until 1927, when an
other engineer succeeded in breaking
OF the prov Of one OF the vessels 20 its
permanent injury.
Five years ago Signor Borghl, a
| 1.a HsF 81 - a.
sion from the Orsini family 20 make
another attempt. aud. although he was
unsuccessful In accomplishing his pur-
pose. he managed with his graphing
irons 20 rip up the palaces pretty gen
orally and has probably destroyed
much 81 their value and beauty. He
took ont many beautiful decorations OF
bronze and marble before he was stop.
ped by the minister OF public iustruc
tion. who had charge OF antiquarian
/ researches iu Italy. The articles are
now hidden away 20 escape condsca-
tiou 10y the government, which has
been trying 90 get hold OF them. There
has been q bitter controversy over the
matter IN the newspapers and IN pam.
phlets. and the government has forbid
den the use Of any further methods
that will lujurc the boats, Borghl has
therefore organized a company and Il
now Offering the shares for sale In or
der 10 raise money 10 drs-I the lake
far enough 10 allow him 10 get az the
ships aud dredge the bottom FOR frag-
ments that may have become detached
The boats are made Of cedar. with a
thick coating Of pitch and covered with
cloth. on the outside Of which a skin OF
sheet lead OF great thickness II fas-
tened with copper nails. The decks
are paved with glass mosaics Of eI
quls!te beauty.
Archeologists who have been looking