The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-24
CROSBY WRITES OF ROME.
Topeka Boy Is Much Impressed With
Its Grandeur.

The last OF the letters written by Ber-
nard Crosby from Europe to his parents
in Topeka was dated from Rome. He
says:
7 will try and give. some idea of what
1 have seen in Rome 1t has about AGO.
900 people and is situated on the Tiber.
The seven hills are part of the city,
and make it very picturesque, for on
any OF them one can get a fine view of
the city. When you stop to think that
Rome dates back several hundred years
before Christ and that oIe can actually
see things made at that time. and the
way they were made, it is really Won
derful and intensely interesting But
on the whole the people are not different
from us. They dress the same and so
forth. On the streets. judging from
the people, one would think they were
in a large city in the United States. We
reached here on Tuesday, August q, and
the first thing to happen was to meet
street urchin with post cards exclaim-
ing Skiddoo-23. Well after that Of
course he got his. That afternoon. as
all tourists do, we made straight for St
Peters which is the largest church N
the world It's size with its grand ap-
proach is very impressive It was first
made in the form of a Greek crost then
into a Latin cross In the changing Of
the west facade the dome was hidden
from view unless one stands to the far
Pietro (the court in 'front.'. It is $50
feet long and $50 feet wide. The inside
is heavily decorated with marble, gilt
and mosafcs and the great beauty Of it
is that it is complete from one end to
the other and not partly decorated like
most Of the larger cathedrals. The
mosaic pictures in the chapels are beau
tlful Also saw the bronze statue of St.
Peter. the foot of which is worn smooth
by people kissing it. We then went to
the castle of ST. Angelo which was built
bv Hadrian for a tomb in 139 A. D. and
since. has been used as fortress, castle.
prison ana other things The prison
cells and rooms are very interesting,
especially when enlarged upon by a
guide in French, hut then who believes
everything he says They ali have q
way Of straying from the truth ana
not knowing it themselves.
I'm the evening took a walk to the
Roman forum and Coliseum. A beau
tiful clear night with the stars out,
making it very impressive The Oldest
parts now remaining OF standing are
the Temples of Saturn and Vests 497
B. c. They are down between two hills
and with ruins of lnnumerable other
buildings: in fact one has to nave a
map or guide to make out anything.
The triumpha1 arches Of Titus and Sep
tirnius Seyenes both are, however. in
tact and with little restoration From
the immense size of the standing col
uIflnS ana kil6 ELOu4i0 Lncy 1t1Ad VII
these buildings were certainly wonder
ful. The most interesting thing to me
was the Coliseum, an immense aInphi-
theater SIS feet in diameter. The whole
Is fairly well preserved and with the
four stories on the northeast portion,
one can get a good idea of its former
size and grandeur, holding $4,000 peo-
pie. It is said that the material stand
ing is worth ~ millions Of dollars. The
excavations underneath the arena show
three stories under the ground, where
Of which we're killed in a hundred days
One can see. from parts Of marble and
mosaic remaining that it must have
been a building Of great beauty. One
OF our party found an animal tooth
which is undoubtedly the real thing.
THE next forenoon we spent at tins
vatican. It would take fully month
to see what it contains. The Sistine
chapel beautifully frescoed by the Ole
masters IS one of the most treasured
rooms IN the Vatican. The ceiling b