Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-11-09
WASHINGTON LETTER,
From our Regular torres pond en-

-
Washington. d. G, Nov. 3.-One
of the most remarkable stories that
has been told for long time comes
out in connection with some frescc
work that is to be done within the next
few weeks in the Capitol. It,is moth
ing less than claim that the art OF
ancient frescoing, as practlced by Rap
baal. Michel Angelo and Leonardo de
Vince, has been rediecovered and will
be used in the decoration OF the Capt.
tot building. The artist in question
is Max Friederang, of New YORK, who
was employed sduring the life of Lee
XIII. in retOnching many of the .fres-
Goes In the Vatican, including those OF
the famous Sistine Chapel, where the
work had been partially DESTROYED BY
cannon shots during the Napoleonic
invasion.
The story is as interesting as a rom
ance, and is to the effect tuat Lue az lsCs
employed on the work were unable to
match either the col0rs or the treat
ment in the original pictures. Pope
Leo finally decided that the work
should be given up, but Friederang
begged him to allow an investigation
of the Vatican Library in the hope th at
among the old manuscripts of Raphael
and of Michel Angelo there might be
some clue to the secret of their work.
The search was accordingly made, and
ultimately there was found an old
diary OF Michel Angelo. which show
ed that four hundred years ago be and
the other artists engaged on the Vati-
can frescoes were In precisely the sam
quandary az the modern painters
Michel Angelo told in this record how
10 digging into the Coliseum for build
log material, the workmen had broken
into an old CRYPT which had been the
studio of some forgotten artist, In
this studio they found among other
things number OF ancient amphoraa
filed with clear jelly like gu bsta nee,
which all OF the artists present declar-
ed was simply the medium used in
mixing the frescoe coiors. They said
it was like The media they used made
from lime, but that it had been sea-
soned through age. Some of it YVES
tried on the Vatican frescoes and work
ed perfectly. But Michel Angelo did
not believe that it was the same stuff
they had been using, and after anaIyz.
Ing the material, discovered that it was
a slillcate paint and gave the recipe
by which IL could be made. This re
cipe trlederang recovered, and with it
he had been able to produce frescoes
not only OF unusual color1pg but which
have been subjected to all sorts OF
tests without being destroyed as mod
ern frescOes would be.
Some samples of the work were sinh
mitted to the authorities OF the CAPT
toi. and the result was 80 satisfactory
that the artist had been engaged to do
a considerable amount Of mural decor
alton, which will be finished BY the
time Congress meets, and will in all
PROBABILITY lead To appropriations for
the further decoration of the interior
OF the Capitol. 1t is one of those
romantic stories which very seldom
come to light in real life, but is inter-
7stlng enough to warrant a record in
contemporary print.
News has been received by the Re
service of the Geological Sur
Vey that engineers have at last sue
ceeded in closing the break in the
banks OF the Colorado River, which
Tor more than year past has been
lowing northward into the Salton
SINK and threatened to form an inter.
natlOaei lake on the borders of Mexico
bigger than any other body of fresh
Tster in the United States. except
Lake Superior. It ia tribute to the |
'lze OF this country that millions of |
ieopts of the United States do not real
re that such q catastrophe has been
Impending. But i5 has, and the acct |
tent was entirely owning to the pecn-
lar formation of the country near the
oolbern end OF the Colorado river.
North and west of Yuma in soutb-
I'm California lies the Saiton Sink. the
oWest section of which is 49O feet be
ow sea level, deeper than the Dead
lea. Several years ago an irrigation
ompany undertook to dig q ditch
rom the waters of the Colorado into
nis low lying valley, which, as had
cen said, ia bigger than he whole area
Lake Michigan. The ditch was dug
al the company pr0spered, but somt.
2lng over a year ago a phenomenal |
COD in the Colorado washed OUT the
cad gates of this irrigation canal. and
1e Colorado. finding channel al.
'ady cut for itself, promptly turned