Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-12

of Achilles" occupies the post Of hon.
or at the top OF the grand staircase.
It is one Of those striking pictures,
full Of life and movement, like Carl
Melchers' War" in the Congressional
library at Washington, and showing
the same straining horses and men
pushing forward to the combat. Ach-
lilies is shown in full panoply of war.
driving his chariot and dragging along
the bloody, PROSTATE body Of his foe.
chained to the chariot wheel, with the
rabble bowling at the spectacle. Art
connoisseurs do not always approve
this picture, but the ordinary observ-
er is attracted by its dash and has the
feeling that he is here In the presence
Of one of those great tragedies of the
Homeric age.
Finest Garden in World.
The palace garden is, however, the
really remarkable feature Of this es-
Enlistment In originality, beauty
and extent it is probably one Of the
finest gardens in the world The
unique feature is the strict adherence
to the standards of legendary Greece.
making one feel as though transported
into some fairy-like precinct Of the
dim past. At every hand are marble
and bronze statues of the old deities,
heroes and muses.. The palace en-
trance to the gardens is formed by a
wide Ionic colonnade, where the i'm
perial family used to pass their even
ings. Nearby is the garden of muses.,
with herioc figures Of the muses. be-
fore each marble column. One looks
through long vistas with these muses.
stretching away at either side of the
walks. In the center is a dancing
bacchante. and in the neighboring
fountain the water gushes from the
mouth of huge dragon carrying off
young girl.
These gardens are continued one
after another in terraces running down
to the sea. Each has its distinctive
feature. Some are lined with beau
tifully wrought marble balustrades.
Others are a wild tangle of giant
palms, with trunks three feet in diam
eter, or of flower beds laid out like
the pavement of temple. In one of
these gardens is the chief art treasure,
the dying Achilles" showing the
hero in death struggle with the ar
row in his heel. One turns from the
artistic merit of this statue, which is
conceded by all critics, to the colossal
bronze of Achilles, notable chiefly for
size and condemned by most critics.
This colossus rises some thirty feet
above the base and is sort of modern
rival to the Colossus of Rhodes or the
Statue of Liberty in New York har-
Dor. It is striking, however, and even
sensational, planted here in this trop-
ical garden, at commanding point
overlooking vast area, and in pose
expressive of imperial conquest.
Bronze? No, Imitation.
| Passing out of the palace entrance
one of the Visiting officers noted the
tall ornamental lamp posts lighting
the way to the entrance. They were
apparently of bronze, but as the officer
struck his cane on one of these richly
carved posts 1t did not give back the
ring of genuine bronze. And on closer
examination the officers artistic taste
was greatly shocked to find that these
elaborate lights at the very entrance
of the emperor's palace were of some
base metal colored to initiate bronze.
AS the party withdrew, it was oh.
served that the military automobile
which had brought us up the steer
ascent bore on its doors the imperia
crest of Emperor William. This was
but one of the many accessories of his
summer palace which had now passed
out of his hands. While it was only
an automobile, yet it seemed to BIZ