The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-23
Ia Looked Clean, hut the Pope, After
Reflection, Decided that 1t
Was Not Clean Enough.
HAD STUDIED GERM THEORY
THOUSANDS OF CLEANERS WORKED
FOR MONTHS AT THE TASK.
TIRE Vast Building Is Now I'm Sanitary
COnditiOn-New Frescoes Said to
Have Been Discovered.

cleaning. Inc process occupied the space
OF eight months and its cost would buy
new palace, and good-sized one, in any
capital. The cleaners formed an army
greater than that the Popes commanded
when they were still kings. The area
cleaned was equal TO a German princi-
paIity. while the rubbish carted away
would make a tight little island. The
broons used up would supply a big town
for a year. and the house fianneIs, gen.
erously contributed by Irish Catholics,
would ciothe 10000 freezing people during
these awful winter months.
To the average visitor in Rome the Vati-
can suggests only the museum of sculpture,
some picture galleries and the Loggia. Be-
sides these he may remember the objects
of art he has seen there, that tired feel
ing after walking great distances through
straight corridors. up and down short
flights Of marble stairs, and through ir
regularly shaped and unsymmetrically dis
posed halls. but. a matter of fact, there
is no royal residence or other building i'm
the world even approaching the Vatican in
vastness.
The papal castle is not a regular struc-
ture. but collection Of separate buildings
occupying space Of SSl yards IN length
and 256 yards in breadth 1t has eight
grand staircases and two hundred smaller
ones. and its inner apartments receive light
from twenty inclosed courts. The number
OF it's chambers. halls and galleries exceeds
eleven thousand. BY way of comparison
it may be mentioned that the Imperial
Schloss In Berlin. certainly a big pile. has
less than seven hundred rooms, while the
famous Neues Palais. in Potsdam, has only
two hundred.
NO HOUSEMAIDS.
And these eleven thousand rooms. includ-
ing the POpe's private quarters. the Sis
tine and the other historical chapels. the
picture galleries, library. museums of
sculpture and archaeology. the barracks of
the Swiss Guards and lastly the Pope's
casino. in the Vatican gardens. had not
seen tidy housemaid since the glorious
reign of Sixtus V.
That. notwithstanding the Vatican was
always noted for its air of sDotless clean
illness. even though no one was ever seen
20 handle broom there, yet the ban
placed upon female help was sure to make
itself unDIeasantly felt sooner or later.
CLEAN. BUT NOT CLEAN ENOUGH.
Like his friends and the numerous visit
ors OF his great palace Leo saw that the
ing an interest In bacteriology--a study
he took up at the beginning of the new
century. under the guidance of his WELL
known physician. DR.. Lapponi-he conclud-
ed that il wasn't clean enough.
Under a Zeiss microscope Lapponi had
exhibited before his Holiness the bacilli
of typhus, diphtheria. etc, had told him
that germs were everywhere and that dirt
onstration.' said the Pope recently. "set
the little old man thinking (1ittle old
man is the title by which Leo refers to
HIMSELF. and the order for general clean
up was forthwith issued
The monsignors OF the household were
sorely perplexed when Leo ordered that
five hundred able-bodied scrubwomen be
hired. besides double that number of male
cleaners-it was against tradition. -
would cause no end OF talk" the palace
always got along very well without femi-
nine help''-but the supreme pontir's word
is law and on July 1. 1901, there assembled
in the square of st. Peters fifteen hundred
persons OF both sexes to receive commits
sions as ''housecleaners to his Holiness
When the little army first began NOV
ing upon the Vatican the sentinel patrol
main called out the guard Accoutered
with broomsticks, hatchets and similar i'm
plements as they were. he thought the peo-
pie bent on riot. But 1.-The enemy" in the
uniform OF the papal Swiss walking in the
shadow Of the Vatican gates called to
him not to make trouble, as the men and
women had been invited TO the Vatican.
and, indeed, from now on, ranked as papal
employees.
SELECTING THE WORKERS.
All the men and women brought recon-
mendations from priests and mobiles in high
favor with the Vatican-no credentials:
no job-the papal authorities being loath
10 risk employing unknown persons in the
immediate presence of the pontiff. The
original order also required the applicants
20 bring their tools. but many being too
poor TO procure the same. the Holy Father
gladly rescinded this condition. The ex-
animation into the fitness of the candi-
dates took up the greater part OF the first
workday; after that the cleaners were
shown through the apartments TO which
each troop was assigned. whereupon the
Holy Fathers chief steward addressed the
crowd In the great servants hall. caution
ing them TO work industriously and. above
XII aNNlA bitdAAilE lniAbS. MANY VI the
greatest art treasures the Christian world
ever looked upon viii be turned over TO
YOU" ne said. and the Holy Father prays
10 God that lie may guard your hands
and inspire your mind with a proper con-
sideration OF the task before you"
After the steward the Popes head valet
spoke Leo XIII had empowered him to
bring his fatherly blessings 10 all enter
ing upon their duties with the firm de-
termination not 10 SOL their hands by
theft.
That some OF the invaders might sue
cumb TO temptation and carry or the small
or objects OF art and decoration was the
fear that haunted the master OF the Apos-
tolic Palace. Mgr. Lepidi. O. r. from the
start. and that his suspicious were well
founded viii be seen later on.
on the morning or July . loo cleaners
and half as many scrub women began 20
attack the layers OF century-old dust and