The Raymer enterprise., 1912-11-14

much was saved from It by Its inhabitants or
dug out and dispersed by Pllnys contemporaries
and by the barbarians who followed them even
In civilized times On the contrary Herculaneum
was sealed in Its tomb in a few hours by the
mixture OF mud. ashes and scoriae. and no one
has even been able to reach 1t. so high is the
mountain Of debris and hardened stone by which
II was covered. THE entombment OF HerCu.
laneum." says Mr.. Waldstein, was sudden. com.
plete and secure. and this not the case with
the other Campanian cities. nor with Pompei"
From the excavations under Resina treasures
have already been obtained "Al Europe" wrote
correspondent OF the Mercure de France In 175l
lmpatiently supports the suspense In which II
Is held over the discoveries In ancient Hercu.
laneum. or Heraclea. as 1t is now termed in Ma.
ples' But only at present has the Italian gov.
ernment been able to think OF accomplishing the
gigantic task OF unearthng the entire city and It
Is most probable that the new tone given to the
national spirit by the war may make the charge
appear ligh. which must be imposed upon the
budget In order to obtain a complete result
In Roman official spheres there is absolutely no
knowledge OF the existence OF and project OF Mr.
]. Pierpont Morgan for excavations at Hercu.
ianeum. Mr.. Morgans name has been mixed up
with this question owing to the fact that Mr..
Charles Wadstein the author OF an international
project for unearthlng the buried city, delivered
a lecture on January 3, 1906 in his house in New
York with the object OF collecting the money
necessary for the work. which was then estimated
at 100000 lire annually. at least
Before lecturing IN New York Mr. Waldste!n
had visited Rome and spoken on the matter with
the king. Sgnor Gioti and Signor Orlando. then
minister OF public instruction He had even OBJ.
talned from Signor Orlando a letter warmly com.
mending the project. but In no way engaging his
responsibility. As soon as the idea became
known In Italy the press raised violent protests
and Signor Orlando was obliged to withdraw his
moral support from Mr.. Waldstein.
Two years later an under secretary OF state
for education declared In the chamber OF deputies
that the italian government reserved to itself
the faculty OF making the necessary excavations,
and that a commission had been appointed with
this object and funds supplied to the general dl.
rection OF fine arts and antiquities. the direction
OF which had Just been placed under Sgnor Cor.
RADIO Ricci. a world renowned writer on art.
Mr.. Waldsten later published an account OF
his III luck in Italy and America In book upon
Herculaneum which was much appreciated cIier.
culaneum. Past. Present and Future" by Charles
Waldstein. London; Macmillan & Co. l9OS).
saw, Sgnor Gacomo Boni this morning at
tho excavations on Mount Palatno. where he has
Just made some lucky finds. which led him to ask
humbly: Am worthy OF IT." He declared to
me that he knew nothing OF any project OF Mr.
J. Pierpont Morgan In regard to the question Of
excavations at Hercuaneum-a question. more.
over. that has been settled
signor Corrado Ricci. general director OF fine
arts and antiquities. repeated the same thing to
me- He added. THE Italian government will
never-I repeat never-give permission to any
one whatever to search the soil OF the fatherland
We arc not Turkey! Even though foreign gov.
ernments should express the desire to excavate In
certain places to complete their studies we should
hasten to undertake the work ourselves, at our
own expense. and to place the material unearthed
at the disposal Of whoever wishes to study them
This is what we have Just done for the Grand
Duchy Of Baden. which desired to know what was
hiddeh under the soil Of Loerta. In Crotona In