The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-04
AMUSEMENT PARK
THREATENS ROME
BY HENRY WOOD.

Especial Gable to the Times d spa tch)
Rome, February 3.-Rome just at
present is beins seriously threatened
with summr: resort and omus. ment
paTh. To the average American tourist
who saves mis- earnings for six wears to
com to Rome and see the ruins, II
might seem that the Romans
shoul' DC satisfied with what
they already have in the way
OF wonders, without hankering
, Tor amusements of che Coney Is
land variety. While the modern Roma n
/: very Druua OF the ruins OF his pro-
Genltors, he is nevertheless up-to-d te
and real amusement park, something
yet unknown in Italy, Is bound 10
come.
The nearest app zach Rome has yet
had to the giddy gayeties OF Concy Is
land came last summer. when, during
the exposition. an enterprising i'm
presario constructed one of the old
time swltchback railways-the kind
that was discarded In the United States
about twenty years ago. The switch
back was the death knell OF every
sunday school in the Eternal City, and
the owner of the device cleaned up a
small fortune. Encouraged by this
success. another more daring imprcsario
erected one of the airship merry GO
rounds, with the result that in order
TO stop II long enough TO oil the
bearings 1t is almost necessary TO call
IN the carabinierd to keep the crowds
back.
In such promising field as that it
naturally followed that some enter
prisins amusement park manager
would see great possibilities. The con-
trac, for Roman Coney'' has been
lot TO a French syndicate, which will
not only build n park. but eighteen
miles of railroad necessary to connect
II with Rome.
The park will be located near Ost'a,
where In the old days human beings
We're fed to the wild beasts, making
Corey Island quite unnecessary
Owing to the fact that all OF the
streets OF Rome are very narrow, II is
necessary for the proposed railroad 10
penetrate to the centre of the city by
means of tunnel. Unfortunately the
old Palatinc and Capitoline hills. with
all their relics of the glory OF ancient
rome, are In the direct right OF way
an awful hue and cry has been raised
by that portion of the Roman citizen
ship. which believes that Rome should
continue TO remain a city of the past
over what is likely to happen when the
press arc heard under the rostr,nl,
where the funeral sermon was delivered
over the body OF julius Caesar and
under the house OF the Ncstal Virgins,
where. in the absence of steam heat
ing plant, the virgins had TO sit IN
all night to stoke the fires.
various cHpcdients to overcome the
necessity OF such sacrileEe have been
suggested, the most Interesting. but the
most improbable one. being 10 bring
the tunnel under the bed Of tho Fiber
The especial inspiration In this idea
lies In the fact that the entire bed of
that historic stream is supposed to he
mass OF priceless art treasures This
is due to the TACT that in tho good lid
days when the barbe rinns used to come
TO Rome to see the sights. their taste
for things classical was such that all
OF the art treasures they could Law
their hands on We're promptly dumped
i-to the Tlber. OF course. amongst the
other things that got dumped are sun.
posed to be the golden cand,csticks
and other golden vessels BROUGHT from
tho Temnie at Jerusalem by Titus. and
which disappeared after their arrival
in Rome.
IT Is. therefore. urged that If tho
tunnel could be brought in under the
treasures could be rescued and thS
railroad could. also he Cotton into the
city without disturbing too many ruins
Of ancient Rome, unfortnpAtcly, how
ever. the Tiber Is very badly warped
and those OF the modern Romans who
want to get out to their Coney Island
In a hurry would object strenuously to
having ia follow tho curves of tho rlv-
CIR In order to get there
The promoters of the amusement
park. however. promises to frd some
way. cut OF the difficulty. and next sum-
mer VIII see tho modern Romans shoot
ing the shuteS. living about on the
merry Eo-rounds. and otherwise cniov-
ing themselves. within IA short dis
tance OF the site Of the old coliseum
where the Romans OF another age
amused themselves by watching the
lions devour the Christinns.