The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-16
KAISER'S CORFU
HOME NOW USED
AS A HOSPITAL
It's Surroundings Recall in
Detail the Myths of An
cient Greece

S4S&4O Nh VOSO |
emperor Williams famous summer
palace OF Achillion, on a height over
looking the Bay of Corfu. had the
French flag flying over it when we
drove up for visit. At the gate
way the arms of the Hohenzollerns
blazed from the massive iron gates
thrown back on either side. But
these proud arms were for the mo-
ment obscured by the, solid ranks of
French soldiers, native troops, from |
French Senegal in the heart of Africa, |
black as coal, In the French gray uni |
form with red fez.
ThisSpalace In one OF the cur1osities |
Of the East and is typical in many |
ways Of the eccentric genius which |
conceived 1t. There are palaces the |
world over. but nothing quite like
this exists anywhere. Only Emperor
William could have developed such
an idea
The whole scheme IN Imperial and
heroic. The palace Is planted ON
the very spot where Ulysses came for
his soJourns. and from the Imperial
chamber ONE looks out on the classic
island of Ulysses whore the great
hero spent his leisure hours. Lake
Ulysses, Emperor william came
here for his leisure, and every May.
until the war began. the imperial
yacht circled Europe from the North
Sea, to- the Eastern Mediterranean
in order tina the might enjoy these
classic and heroic surroundings dur
ing tie loveliest period Of the year.
Looking down the steep Cliff one
sees. the imperial landing places
where the yacht was moored during
these visits. Here the Emperor first
set foot, reaching the palace by a
tight OF steps hewn in the rock. lined
with marble statues Of Greek deities.
Or, If he did not wish to climb, an au-
tomobile took him through the miles
of drive in the olive grove, : making
gradual ascent to the lofty palace.
The palace dominates a. vast
| stretch of land and water, Albania
| just across the strait, then Greek
| Epirus to the south, the mountains
and valleys of Corfu near at hand.
Italy lying low in the dim distance
| to the west and the clear blue waters
| of the Adriatic reaching In all direc
| tons through the tangie Of islands. It
| is suggestive of imperialism and one
| thinks Of what Emperor William had
| in mind when he looked out on this
circle Of many lands and their stra-
tegic waters
| There is one definite clew to his
| thoughts, in the heroic statue of
Achilles which he built at the high
| est point dominating all this land and
water The statue is Of bronze, show
| ing the hero armed from head to foot.
| sword In hand and shield on his
i breast, straining forward for the fight
and looking intently out on this en-
i pire Of foreign lands and waters
spread at his feet
| Perhaps william had in mind
| something more than a toy palace
] dedicated to Ulysses and Achilles.
and that the old Trojan heroes re-
i vived dreams Of universal conquest.
The palace IL Of white marble.
squarely and solidly built after the
i Greek classical design, with the sug-
gestion that g. German hand had
/ modernized the old classical lines.
/ Along the middle front, facing the sea,
runs a deep, wide marble gallery or
4 porch, and similar wide galleries are
4 at the eastern end. where the en-
trance Is located.
i The building is three stories high.
with a frontage of about 500 feet. and
has about 100 rooms, including ball
rooms, State dining rooms, a royal
chapel and the suites OF imperial
Chambers. The marble columns OF
the galleries, the window cornices and
freizes along the front are all essen
TALLY Greek, and the whole place has
the massiyeness and majesty OF a
|, Greek temple.
Entering the main hall 1t was not
clear whether ono was in q palace, or
temple, or museum. Immediately
to the right was the royal chapel.
with the large ffesco Of Munkacsy &
.1"Christ Before plate" back Of the al
! tar By an ingenious electrical con-
triyance a flood Of light could be
turned on the central figures of the
fresco, giving them q sort of lunin-
4 Gus and living effect. almost as in
Il cinema, though it seemed a queer
H contrivance for chapel. One could
Il hear a murmur of t'boche" run among
II members Of the party, indicating
| their view that a. vanda1 hand had
H put together this mass of fresco and
Il effect.
HI Elaborate frescoes and mirrors GOV
II cred the ceilings and side walls OF tbs
4 state dining room. The subjects wsr'
II always drawn from Greek antiquity
II but the figures Of dancing nymph
II and fauns looked rather heavy, O.
II though they were the big-limbed PEG
II PIE of the north instead Of the fir
II and delicate creatures Of legendar,
II Greece.
Iii The grand stairway. was made o
II marble, with black iron baiustrad
II wrought into curious shapes showing
the German imperial eagles. Thi
II grand stairway runs up three stories
III through gardsh yellow walls covere'
II with strange frescoes and painte
n mirrors These painted birds an
II vines on mirrors were cited by som
sort Of the party as an anachronisn o
II art.
II The huge painting of the Triumph
III of Achilles occupies the post of hon
III or at the top Of the grand staircase
1t Is one Of these striking pictures
full of life and movement. like Gal
Melchsrs' 'sWar," in the COMPRESSION
IL al Library at Washington, and show
II ing the same straining horses an
men pushing forward to the combat
II Achilles Is shown in full panopiy o
war, driving his chariot and draggin
II along the bloody PROSTATE body o
his foe, chained to the chariot vince
with the rabble bowling at the spec
II tacle.