The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-04-15

Plus dAu lduuSkdPOS duuuiAus LII AAahy
there were beautiful mosaics on the
floor. Some of the old courts have
been replanted and are very beautiful
indeed. We visited the Forum, the
two theaters, the public baths, the city
bakery, and the we'll preserved House
Of the Vetti, ETC., including the House
of Glaucus with its Mosaic in the ves-
tibule which Bulwer Lytton made fa-I
nous in HThe Last Days of Ponpeii."
1t is of a large dog with the words
Gave Canum" Beware the Dog).
AT the hotel ! met DR.. and Mrs.
Burt and baby, who were also bound
for Beirut, and Mrs. Wagar Of Ober-
lin. Imagine meeting woman from
Oberlin there at the ruins Of Pompeii.
After travelling some distance in the
Vesuvius Railway we changed to the'|
inclined cable railway and then walk
ed the last quarter mile to the crater.
All the way we passed thru luxuriant
gardens and vineyards. The land is
very fertile there. The crater is
about one-third mile in diameter. In
side is cone shaped mound which IS
the real volcano.
The last eruption in 1916 caused con-
siderable damage but no loss of life.
Close by stands the Royal Obserya-
tory which predicts three days ahead
of time just when the volcano will
erupt The people of old Pompeii
| also had warning and all but about
1000 escaped. Since 1906 the volcano
has been fairly quiet until the spring
Of 1920 when it began smoking again.
This day was especially fine. Bursts
of smoke kept breaking out larger
than the regular stream and OCCASION
ally red flames and,a few ashes would
squirt forth. One could smell the
sulphur and the smoke which makes
long curtain of cloud miles long
and can be seen everywhere about.
Mount Vesuvius is about the most inn
pressive thing | have seen, but not
the most beautiful.
i In 1906 ashes were thrown as far as
Naples--five to ten miles away--and
in some places they were several feet
deep. The volcano which destroyed
Pompeii in 7o A. D. was not Vesuvius,
but its near neighbor now extinct. I
The next day we drove out along
the peninsula of Sorrento. At sever
al places we saw old ruins that had
been Saracen strongholds in medieval
times. We stopped at the town ol
Sorrento where there is just an ole
monastery and the homes of .Mariar
II Crawford, Waldorf Astor, etc, making
it fashionable summer resort. Thi!
place was important in the middle cen
tury.
And whom do you think l saw Of
the boat going to spend two weeks il
Sorrento? Our old friend Thorntol
Wilder. You remember he was
! Sophomore in Oberlin College whel
I was Freshman. He is going t
!, Rome after his visit there to stud
/ archaeology for ose and a half year.
I He admitted, upon questioning that h
! really was going to write some da.
4 Some time we will probably be reat
ing some of his books.
II ! Capri is very mountainous Httl
island, four square miles in area, fs
three towns and $4,000 inhabitant
We approached from the end wher
are sthe ruins of Tiberius' villa.
didn't tell you that this was the favo
ite residence of the first two Roma
+ Emperors-Augustus and Tiberiu
/ Each year Tiberius built villa. Sine
his death Che was murdered in or
; OF them) the place is mot what it use
4 to be- On one end of this island
Z a perpendicular pecipice Ills fe'
+ straight above the sea. From tn
( point Tiberius used to force his pri
I oners to jump off for punishment {
4 his servants for mere amusement
: himself and his guests. Oh, he W;
I delightful old soul, was Tiberius.
{ The drive down Tiberius' old ros
+ was very lovely. Around us were lu
! uriant gardens, fruit and flower
! Francesca Persico, our ultra-efficie
/ guide had great difficulty getting
& back to the boat on time. You s
+ if he had lost one Of us his reputatit
& as guide would be ruined. Po
+ man, wouldn't have his job f
Z worlds.
4 This island Of Capri with its de
: blue setting is in itself enough to jr
4 tify trip to Europe and the Bl
= Grotto which we next visited is t
+ jewel in its crown of beauty.
I The Blue Grotto is just cave II
4 der the island. The entrance is n
Z quite feet high and not that wit
+ The water around Capri is the dee
7 est blue in all the world except whe
: it is green. Inside the grotto is
4 cavern us feet long, oS feet wide,
: feet high and the water is about
+ feet deep. 1t was eroded in pre-h
7 toric times by the sea. The beau
I full blue color which is over evel
4 thing comes from the fact that
Z light enters the cave thru the wat
= The effect of the blue refraction
I the light on every object is indescr
=, able and at first completely dazzles
= eye. Objects in the water have
Z sparkling silver appearance.
f Capri is place where artists CO.
I to paint. They usually come to q
vi month but then stay as. long as Il
Z live. Its sheer beauty, its blue, b
: sea is nothing short Of wonderful.
~ We next visited the city OF Nap
Il lsr>sa Y = r