Evening star., 1902-02-25
CALIGULA'S PALACES
ATTEMPT TO RAISE THESE PLAY
THINGS OF THE EMPEROR.
Organization Of a Company to Drain
Lake Nemi Near
Rene.

VIM. f. Curtis in the Chicago Cr'l-Heraid
4 company with a capital of Si'@eo' has
been organized for TIE purpose of dralAlhs
Lake Nemi a small body Of water occupy
ing what was once The crater Of volcano
in the Alban Hills. EpGa the estate OF
Prince OTsni. ah0ut thiriy-tWo niles from
Rome. Tire object of draining the lake is
20 recover two enormous hoatins s'Eoehs
or house boats of ;.le mos; extraordinary
character. which were hI!lt and used by
the crazy Emperor Caligu!i about forty
years after Christ.
The historian s5ueto1ius tells us that c.
lisula squa1;lered in fantastic schemes
during q single year the sam of 2,IGo.Ho.Go9
sesterces equivalent TO abOu: SiG1.ED,I;D
of our money! tA2t had been left him by
Tiberius, ana describes among Other re-
marIab bic toys constructed for his amuse-
ment floating gardens of cedar wood
adorned with iswSled prowS, rich sculpture.
vessels of gold and silver, sails of purpl2
silh. bath rooms of alabaster and bronze
and other equally novel and costly fea-
lures. Upon these floating gardens were
vineyards and fruit trees They were no;
only places of amusement. but temples IN
which the mad emperor worsAiped himself
The floors were paved with glass nocalc
the window and door frames were of
bronze, many of the decorations were of
almost priceless value. and the ordinary
equipments were cf beautiful design and
costly workmanship.
Floating Palaces.
These floating palaces were attached TO
the shores by chains, and bridges were
stretched across the water for the
purpose Of communication. Upon them &C.
Cured some of the most extraordinary
orgies that a human being ever indu!sed
| in. in which cruelty, murder ana the mos
revolving depravity were mingled with
music anl SPORT.
For some reason or another. probably
during The wars that followed the reign of
Caligula, these palaces were sunk. ana now
lie in the mud on3 yards distant from eac1
other In five fathoms of water; one is 100
feet from the bank and the other ABOUT
1!D feet; One measures :5,,t feet in icngth
and 90 feet in width and the smaller is j ~
feet long and 25 feet wide.
The first attempt to raise them was made
in the thirteenth century. but 1t was 1ouili
iu-r ossibIe. In l446 Cardinal Prospcro Co
Iona employed Leon RatiSta Alb"ru. tn"
greatest engineer of that period. bat his
mechanical appi1n 1nccs were wholly made
ulIate. He used pontoon bridges, VINO
laSses and infia ed blad6erS. In lao Fran
cescc de MarClli Of Bologna. a great mill
tary engineer. made another attempt. an
account of which is given in his WORK on
Military Archit 2cture.' lie was unabie 10
do ANYTHING but obtained accurate meas
urenents and other valuable information
concerning the objects of his search. a
diver who spCn; several months In thelr
examination brought up samples of richly
wrought bronZc which had become detach-
cd from the decorations. Nothing further
was done until 1927. when another engineer
succeeded in breaking off the prov Of one
Of the vessels to its permanent injury.
Bronzes Recovered.
Five Years ago Signor Bershi. learned
antiquarian, ob.ained permission from the
Orsini family to make another attempt, and
although he was unsuccessful III accom-
hlishing his purpose. he managed. with his
graphing irons to rip up the palaces pref
tv generally and has probably destroyed
much of their value and beauty. lie took
out many beautiful decorations of bronze
and marble before he was stopped by the
minister of public instruction. who has
charge Of antiquarian researches in Italy.
The articles are Low hidden away to es-
cape confscation by the government, which
has been trying - get hold of them. There
las been bitter controversy over the mat
ter in the newspapers and in pamphlets,
and the COVE rEmeHt has forbidden the use
Of any further methods that will injurc
the boats. BOrGhi 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 ShiDS AMI dredge the bottom for
fragments that nav have become detached.
The boatS are made of cedar. with thick
coating Of pitch ard covered with cloth. on
the outside of which skin Of sheet lead
of great thickness is fastened with copper
nails The decks are paved with glass mo-
sales of exquisite beauty.
ArchRologists who have been looking into
the thing are net confident of the success
Of the scheme. They think the boats are
too far decayeu TO hang together.