The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-12
CAL1GuLA.s sUNkEx PALACES.


Playthings of the Emperor.
company with q capital of 100000
has been organized for the purpose OF OF
draining Lake Nemi. a small body or
water occupying what was once the
crater of a volcano in the Alban Hlils
upon the estate of Prince Orsini. about
5ect of draining the lake is to recover
two enormous floating gardens or house
boats of the most extraordinary char-
acter. which were built and used by the
crazy Emperor Caligula about forty years
after Christ.
The historian Suetonius tells us that
Caligula sQuandered iE fantastic schemes
during a single year the sum OF ZiW,
100000 sesterces equivalent to about
S1CO,OGO.OO0 of our money! that had been
left him by Tiberius. and describes among
other remarkable toys constructed Tor
his amusement floating gardens OF cedar
wood adorned with jeweled prows. rich
sculpture. vessels of gold and silver. sails
of purple six, bathrooms of alabaSter
and bronze and other equally novel and
costly features. Upon these floating gar
dens were vineyards and fruit trees. They
were not only places of amusement. but
temples in which the mad emperor wor-
shipped himself The floors were paved
with glass mosaic. the window and door
frames were of bronze, many of the
decorations of almost priceless
value, and the ordinary equipments of
beautiful design and costly workmanship.
These floating palaces were attached to
the shore by chains, and bridges were
stretched across the water for the pur-
poses of communication. Upon them oc-
CURED some of the most extraordinary
orgies that human being ever INDUCED
in, in which cruelty. murder and the
most revolving depravity were mingled
with music and sport.
For some reason another probably
during the wars that followed the reign
of Caligula. these palaces We're sunk.
and now lie in the mud 200 yards distant
from each other in five fathoms of water:
is from the hank and the
other about 80 feet. One measures $50
feet in length and 80 feet in width, and
the smaller is ITO feet long and % feet
wide.
The first attempt to raise them was
made in the thirteenth century. hut 1T
was found impossible. In 1f@6 Cardinal
tista Albert. the greatest engineer of
that period, but his mechanical appliances
were wholly Inadequate. He used pom
toon bridges. windlasses and inflated
bladders. In 1885 Francesca de march,
of Bologna. a great military engineer.
made another attempt. account of
which is given in his work on Military
Architecture He was unable to do any
thing, but obtained accurate measure
ments and other valuable Information
concerning the objects of his search. A
diver who spent several months in their
examination brought up samples OF rich
ly wrought bronze which had become
detached from the decorations. Nothing
further was done until 1897. when another
engineer succeeded IN breaking on the
PROV of of the vessels to its perma-
nent injury.
Five years ago Signor BorEhi. learned
antiquarian, obtained permission from
the Orsini family to make another at
tempt. and although he was unsuccessful
in accomplishing his purpose. he man
aged. with his graphing irons. to rip up
the palaces pretty generally. and has
probably destroyed much of their value
and beauty. He took out many beautiful
decora tions Of bronze and marble before
he was stopped by the minister OF pub
lie instruction. who has charge of anti
quarfan researches in Italy. The arti-
Giles are now hidden away to escape con-
fscation 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 pam
phetS. and the government has forbid
den the use of any further methods that
will injure the boats. Borshi has there
fore organized company. and is Of
fering the shares for sale in order to
raise money to drain the lake far enough
dredge the bottom for fragments 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 skin of sheet lead
OF great thickness is fasten with cop
per nails. The decks are paved with glass
mOSaiCS of exquisite beauty.
ArchaeologiStS who have been looking
into the thing are not confident of the
success of the scheme. They think the
boats are too far decayed to hang to-
gether.-Rome Cor. Chicago Record Her
old.