The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-06-14

lnts existing lower portion OF CHo
Capri structure Is mass Of burned
Roman brick, 40 feet square and SO
feet high, sufficiently conspicuous to
show In photographs taken from
Monte Solare, at the other end of the
island, two miles away. It's original
appearance Is entirely prCblematical.
1t may have had two or three stories.
The tower at Boulogne had several
stories and was 200 feet high. The
Capri tower was not any higher than
this, and in all probability not so high,
as the elevation Of the headland is
is one of the most valuable and in
teresting ruins on the entire island.
May Have Had Wireless System.
1t takes no great stretch Of the
imagination to believe that Capri was
signal statiOn-an imperial wireless
station of ancient Rome. We know
that the ancients signaled in various
ways and over long distances. They
signaled by beacon fires, by beacon
smoke, by pigeons, by flags, and by
shouting from one sentinel to another.
Possibly the Publica acta (Senate
JournaD and the Diurna acta (author.
lied news) were sent to Capri by signal
instead of by messenger. We can con-
ceive that such a system, organized
most likely under Augustus, must have
operated very smoothly after some
years of experience and practice.
The mirror system would cost no
money to operate, would be easy to
use, and by it long signals could be
sent. Under the practical rule of the
Romans, beacon signaling was doubt
less somewhat advanced and by 1t
long signals could be sent, perhaps by
making the beacon flare up by adding
periodically small quantities of oil.
This Is a mere surmise, without
basis other than the general advanced
character of Roman civilization, which
lacked little we have today. The
Romans were not artistic, but they
were wonderful mechanics, hydraulic
engineers, sanitary engineers and great
builders of all kinds Of structures and
highways. They had water pumps.
They had perfected shorthand writ
ing. The old writer's do not tell US
very much of Roman culture. None Of
them mentions certain famous surg
ical instrument found at Pompeii, but
1t Is there just the same.
The distance in All air line between
Rome and Capri is 100 mies-too long
for direct signaling; but If we look
along the coast of the Tyrrhenian sea
we find numerous mountetn affmding
points where the signals could be re.
layed. The frequency Of the relaying
would depend on the conditions. The
highest point on Capri Is Monte So.
laro 1880 feet. Signals were prob.
ably not sent from here. but from
the eastern headland. The Pharos
was about 1000 feet above sea level.
A line drawn from the Pharos to
Monte Greco. on the Campanian coast,
just grazes the Island of 1schia; but
the line Of sight would be well above
the island, as the summit of Greco
is 1.775 feet.
Favorite Home Of Emperors.
The fact that Augustus and Tiberius
made Capri their special retreat gives
1t ueep and lasting significance. The
island was the favorite home of them
and their families for nearly seventy
years. They are the two greatest
executives in history ruling consecu-
tively-bOth clear-headed, hard-work-
ing administrators, whose labors es-
tablished the supremacy Of the Roman
empire and brought about a wonderful
period Of peace unequaled in history.
before or since. They both lived long
full lives and died natural deaths In
an age when murder or enforced sui
eide or violent death of some sort was
the almost invariable end of greatness
After these towering personalities,
Capri drops out of history and for
some reason does not seem to have
been patronIzed further by the i'm
perial family.
But though Capri was never revisited
by the emperOrs, the Pharos still
guided the precious grain fleets
through the channel between the islanr
and the mainland for many cen.w,ss