The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-09
LETTERS ON ROME AND POMPEII
The Magnificence of Italys Capital and the Buried
City, With its Entombed Dead.
(By Rev. w. H. Townsend.)

! 16, 900 persons could use these baths at
the same time. They were supplied with
/ hot, cold and tepid water. The places for
| the furnaces and pipes are still visible.
The fine mosaic in the floor of the large
dining hall is still here. This itself is
proof of the greatness of the Romans.
! A visit to the Pantheon founded by
| Marcus Agrepta q b. c., shows the
| finest portico in the world-11O feet long
and A feet wide with Is columns OF
| granite ORIGINALLY In one block but some
have been broken. Here rests the rust OF
Raffel King Victor Emauel H., with 9th
er sainted and distinguished dead rms Is
| the largest dome in the world, l43 feet IN
diameter and 142 feet high. The TraJan
column on the site of Trajan Forum Is l2o
feet high and is composed OF 81 huge
blocks of marble. From base to summit
is covered in bas relief figures represent
ing his triumphs over the Daclans. There
are thousands of these figures. On the
top was originally a statue of the En-
peror but ST. Peters is now>ln its place.
Napoleon modelled the Vendome after this.
Time would fail me to speak at length of
the catacombs we visited with lighted
tapers and saw where thousands of Chris
tans lived, worshipped died and We're
buried. The little sockets in the rocks
tell where their candles were placed Their
chapels are still visible with their grooves
or INCHES in the wall where rest their
sainted dust Many inscriptions are on
the walls; one being that of John the
1an Of NV
ter on his head.
We visited the Mamertine Prison. Here
Jugurtha and others were imprisoned and
died. A legend says st. Peter and st. Paul
were imprisoned here. Bronze figures be-
hind iron bars of these apostles are here
There were two cells, one over the other,
a small opening in the floor from the up
per to the lower. Here eternal night
reigns. No one it seems could long sur
vive in such dark, gloomy, damp place
as this.
The arches of Septimius Severus, Con
stantine and Titus with their numerous
inscriptions and colossal proportions tell
of the history and triumphs of their
time.
We enjoyed having related to us by DR..
Forbes, one of the foremost psychologists
of the time, the history of noted places.
We saw where Caesar was assassinated,
where his body was laid, where Mark
Antony delivered his grafton, and where
the crown was offered to Caesar; where
Cicero delivered his orations against
Catalina, where Caligula was murdered
and where Domitian was slain in his own
palace. A ride over the Appian way and
the Via Sacra, and a view of the ancient
walls, suggested vividly the splendor OF
ancient Rome when the city of the world.
THE Scala Sancta or Holy Staircase
was visited 1t is supposed to have been
descended by Christ on His way from the
Judgment Hall of PLATE to Calvary. The
stairs are % in number of veined white
marble and the legend relates were brought
from Jerusalem by Empress Helena" 1t
was whilst making the ascent of Scala
Sancta that Luther remembered the text,
1.-The Just shall live by faith, +" where
upon he arose from his knees and abrupt
ly left the place.
In THE Via Appia" the Temple of
Mars is passed, and the visitor soon
comes to the small church, Domino Quo
vadis" Here legend says st. Peter
flying from Rome to escape martyrdom
met the saviour ana asked HIN, - miner
goest thou, o Lord?" The reply was, II
go to be crucified again" The apostle
thus reproved returns to the city and was
crucified head downward. These objects
of immortal interest and dramatic splen-
dor cannot be described by pen: but a
view from the Vatican balcony of the
blue Sabine Hills and the Apennes in
lofty grandeur and of Latium with fields
of living green with ancient and modern
Rome at our feet with gilded towers, tail
obelisks, massive columns, magnificent and
Wondering walls, by their side splendid
shining spires, palatial mansions, smoking
furnaces, crowded shops, with people of
changed costumes from the 100 monu-
ments, and the yellow Tiber cutting the
city in twain, reveals the Rome that was
and the Rome this is-a vision that VIII
remain while life endures
'The Goth. the Christian, time, war, food
and fire.
Have dealt upon the seven-hilled city's
pride
Venice, July %, 1908.