Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-04-03
SEEK suNkeN RICHES.
Promoters Form Company to Drain
Lake Nemi, in Alban Hills,
Near Rome.

with capital of 100000 has beer
organized for the purpose of draining
Lake Nemi. a small body of water oc
cupying what was once the crater OF
volcano in the Alban Hills, upon
| the estate of Prince Orsini, about
thirty-two miles from Rome. The OBJ
| ject of draining the lake is to recover
| two enormous floating gardens, OF
house boats of the most extraordinary
character, which were built and used
by the crazy emperor Caligula about
forty years after Christ. The his.
torian Suetonius tells us that Cali.
gula squandered in fantastic schemes
during a single year the sum 2,700,-
100000 sesterces equivalent to about
800 900 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 float
ing gardens were vineyards and fruit
trees. They were not only places of
amusement, but temples in which the
mad emperor worshiped himself.
The doors were paved with glass mos
aic. the window and door frames were
of bronze, many of the decorations
were of almost priceless value and
the ordinary equipments were of
beautiful design and costly workman
hips.
These floating palaces were attach
ed to the shore by chains, and bridges
were stretched across the water for
purposes of communication. Upon
them occurred some of the most ex-
traordinary orgies that human be-
ing ever indulged in, in which cruelty,
murder and the most revolving deprav-
ity were mingled with music and
sport
For some reason or another, prob
ably during the wars that followed
the reign of Caligula, these palaces
were sunk, and now lie in the mud
i've fathoms of water; one is $50 feet
from the bank and the other about
$50 feet. One measures $50 feet in
length and co feet in width and the
smaller is 179 feet long and 26 feet
wide
The first attempt to raise them was
made in the thirteenth century, but 1t
was found impossible. In 1446 Car
dinal Prosjero Colonna employed Leon
Batista Alberti, the greatest engineer
of that period, but his mechanical ap-
pliances were wholly inadequate. He
used pontoon bridges, windlasses and
inflated bladders. In 1885 francesca
de Marechi of Bologna. a great mill
tary engineer, the inventor of the
modern system OF fortifications, made
another attempt, an account of which
is given in his work on Military Ar
chitecture." -He was unable to do
anything, but obtained accurate meas
urements and other valuable informa-
don concerning the objects of his
search. "A diver who spent several
months in their examination brought
up samples of richly wrought bronze
which had become detached from the
Ai'Nol dtloho. 1NolhluS lltI was
done until 1927. when another engi-
neer succeeded in breaking off the
Prov of one of the vessels to its per-
manent injury
Five years ago Signor Borghi, a
learned antiquarian, obtained permis-
sion from the Orsini family to make
another attempt, and although he was
fiI1 in ,r,1i h. hi
purpose, he managed, with his Crap
pling irons, to rip up the palaces pret-
ty generally and has probably de-
stroyed much of their value and beau
ty. He took out many beautiful dec
orations of bronze and marble and
before he was stopped by the minis
ter of public instruction, who has
charge of antiquarian researches in
Italy. The articles are now hidden
away to escape confiscation by the
government, which has been trying
to get hold of them. There has been
a bitter controversy over the matter
in the newspapers and in pamphlets,
and the government has forbidden the
use of any further methods that will
injure the boats. Borghi has there
fore organized a company and Is now
offering the shares of stock 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 fragments that may have become
detached. The boats are made of ce-
dar, with a thick coating of pitch,
and covered with cloth, on the out
side of which a skin of sheet lead of
great thickness is fastened with cop
per nails. The decks are paved with
glass mosaics of exquisite beauty.
cheologists who have been look
ine into the thing are not confident
of the success of the scheme. They
think the boats are too far decayed
to hang together.
The Italian government publishes
annually an official document giving
the fees or taxes charged for titles
of nobility. Such matters are under
the Jurisdiction of commission
known as the "Consulta Araldica" in
the ministry of the interior, and its
officials give opinions and advice In
matters connected with heraldry and
titles of nobility. The chairman is
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