Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-21
A NARROW ESCAPE {.
Valuable Manuscripts at the
Vatican in Danger.
GUARDS IN PALACE
OFFICIAL CoMMUNICATLoN WITH
CIVIL AUTHORITIES.
Regarded as a Notable and Possibly
Significant Episode in Rome-The
Orsini and the Colonna.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
ecial Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
ROME. December II. 1903.
| The fire which occurred at the Vatican the
| other day did no damage, which Is the
! source of profound satisfaction to everyone,
| but there was very narrow escape from
serious consequences for behind the walls
Of the room in which it occurred are ex-
hibited the most precious manuscripts In the
world. The fire caught in the room of Mr..
| Marie a venerable German antiquarian.
who is probably the greatest genius living
In the restoration of parchment and ancient
writing. He has been employed in the
Vatican library for many years, going
through the archieves and mending and re-
storing documents which need attention.
Just how the fire caught nobody knows.
| It could not have been due to spontaneous
| combustion from acids. was reported IN
| the newspapers, because Mr.. Marie uses no
| acids in his work and there were none in
| his room.
The episode was notable. and will always
| be remembered. for it brought the Vatican
| into official communication with the civil
| authorities of Rome for the first time The
| pope called on them for assistance and az
| terward made a polite and generous ac-
acknowledgement Of the services of the fire de-
| pdrtmeHI IN saving In0 lTSdSuT0S VI tuC
Vatican library. This is the holy sees first
acknowledgment of the existence of civil
government in Rome.
Police and Fire Force.
Within the walls of the pope's palace is
separate police force; a small company
Of gendarmes whose duty 1t is to keep
watch over things. prevent stealing and
vandalism and preserve order among visit
ors. The Swiss guards have but one func-
ton, and that is the protection Of the per-
son of the pope; the gendarmes do the rest,
and have little, antiuuated hand-pumping
fire engine such as was used In the United
States fifty years ago. and when they took
1t out on this occasion the valves OF the
pump were SO shrunken and warped by dis
use that they would not work
The pope himself hurried to the scene OF
the fire as soon he heard the alarm, &C
companied by his secretary, Mgr. Brassano,
Merry del VAL Mgr. Bisleti, the minister OF
ceremonies; Mgr. Chigi the master OF the
palace or major domo. and other officials
He wanted to take personal direction OF
affairs. but they would not permit 1t, and as
soon as he discovered that the old pump en-
CINE would not work. without moments
hesitation he directed Merry del Val to
telephone for the city fire department..
The fire department came promptly, ana
with 1t the, mayor Of Rome the commits
soner of public works, the chief OF police
and several other prominent officials who
entered the Vatican the first time in thirty
three years The pope saw several OF them,
thanked them for their kindness. and the
next morning sent one of his chamberlains
to the headquarters of the fire department
to make a formal acknowledgment and
leave a liberal contribution Of money to the
firemen's relief fund.
This episode is notable for the reasons I
have given, and the people are still wonder
Ing whether 1t marks new era in the rela-
lions between the holy see and the civil au-
thorfties notwithstanding the positive dec
L. ocL tr LoIi 1Ac ~ h fv~c$
sistory that he had not abandoned and
would never abandon his claims to temporal
power.
It is difficult for any foreigner to appre-
ciate the significance of all this because the
mayor of Rome is a Catholic although
member of the white" party, and there has
never been any edict from the Vatican
against the participation by members or
the church in municipal affairs. On the
contrary, the most loyal Of the blacks
take part in municipal elections Even here
In Rome they have held offices under the
city government. The cardinals and bish-
ops and all in authority are forever warn
ing the faithful not to participate in par
liamentary elections, but the municipality
had nothing to do with the overthrow of
the temporal power, and there has been
little change in the laws relating to mu-
nicipal affairs since the seizure of Rome by
Victor Emmanuel.
Two Distinguished Houses.
The mayor Of Rome is Prospero Colonna,
the second son Of the most famous of all
the ancient Roman families, which has
taken a prominent part In civil and eccle-
siastdcal affairs since the twelfth century.
During all this time the Colonnas have also
maintained a feud with the Orsini family.
of equal antiquity and fame, which inter-
married with the Di Medjcis. the Borgas
and others that have been active and influ-
entail in history.
| The Colonnas are more powerful and
rntC ,nv,f 1oN htou
! been wise enough to preserve an honorable
reputation and to keep their money.
| Prince Philip Orsini and Prince Antonio
Colonna occupy the highest civil positions
| at the Vatican. being the principi assistenti
| al soglio. or assistant to the pope, and take
| precedence of all other mobiles, even of the
| cardinals. When the pope goes from the
| Vatican into st. Peters to attend great
| functions, Prince Orslni marches on one
| side of the sedia gestatoria, or pontihcal
| chair, In which his holiness Is carried and
Prince Colonna on the other, one of them
| bearing the pontifical sword and the other
| the pontifical scepter; and great Is the
| jealousy between the two families that they
| alternate. Prince Orsini walking at the
| right hand and Prince Colonna at the left
at one function and then changing posi-
| tons at the next.
This arrangement dates back 20 the year
1897.
| The Fall Of Rienzi.
| 1t was Stephen Colonna who overthrow
| Rienzi. 1.-THE last of the tribunes' the son
of an innkeeper and washerwoman, who
became the ruler of Rome and. but for his
vanity, might have enjoyed fame and
| power indefinitely. but he lost his head.
| He gave himself great titles, declared that
II he was filled with the Holy Ghost, COM
| pared himself to Jesus Christ, and on the
| anniversary of the Assumption Of the Vir-
! gin in 1347 crowned himself king of the
| world in the name of the Supreme Being.
| He ordered all the princes and barons to
| bow before him and old Stephen Colonna,
| on being summoned to Rome. answered:
| Tell the fool that If he troubles me with
his insolence 1 will throw him from the
| windows of the capitol" But he had to
come, and at the close of splendid BAN
| Quet which Reinzi rendered them at the
| capital every prince was arrested and con-
| demned to death. but finally pardoned by
| swearing allegiance to Rienzi. Stephen
Colonna alone refused to yield, and Rienzi
dared not execute the brave old man. and
his weakness and cowardlee ended bis
| career.
Martin v, one Of the most brilliant of the
| popes, crowned in 1920. was Colonna, and
the family furnished four of his successors,
| while the Orsins furnished two.
Since 1870 the members of the Colonna
family have usually been found on both
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