The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-03-09

The existing lower portion Of The
Capri structure is a mass Of burned
Roman brick, 40 feet square and 20
feet high, sufficiently conspicuous 10
show In photographs taken from
Monte Solare, at the other end Of the
island, two miles away. Its Original
appearance Is entirely predetermined
II may have had dwO 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 hlgh,
as the elevation Of the headland Il
about 1000 feet above the sea. Il
Is one Of the most valuable and To-
terestlng ruins on the entire Island.
May Have Had Wireless System
IL takes no great stretch Of The
Imagination to believe that Capri was
a signal statlon-an imperial wireless
station OF ancient Rome. We know
that the anclents slgnaled 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 Publlca acta (Senale
JournaD and the Dlurna acta (author
lied news) were sent to Capri by signal
instead OF by messenger. We can con-
ceiye 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 70
use, and by 1t long signals could q
sent. Under the practical rule OF lne
Romans, beacon signaling was DOUBT
less somewhat advanced and BY
long signals could be sent, perhaps @
making the beacon fare up by ADDING
periodically small quantities OF OIL
This Is mere surmlse. wlIhou.
basis other than the general adsance
character Of Roman civilization, wnlcn
lacked little we have today ln'
Romans were not artistic, but 'hq
were wonderful mechanics, hydrauu.
engineers, sanitary engineers ana g'e',
builders Of all kinds Of structures ai4
highways. They had water ppmp.
They had perfected shorthand w'~
Ing. The old writer's do not te'' y
very much OF Roman culture None
them mentions a certain famous sa's
zeal instrument found nj Pompeii' ""
II Is there Just the same.
The distance In an air line pe'su.
Rome and Capri is 100 mlles-IoO w.
for direct signaling hut u we w.
along the coast OF the Tyrrhenlan
we find numerous mountains an@u" y
points where the signals cou'd "
Iayed. The frequency Of the re'", "a.
would depend on the conditions
highest point on Capri Is MON"
1arO 1880 feet. Signals were ~
ably not sent from here. on, M, n
the eastern headland The rsa
was about 1000 feet above sea w.
A line drawn from tile fna'" .o.a
Monte Greco. on the Campanhaa' ~. ~ M
lust grazes the Island Of lscla
the line Of sight would he wen wa w.
the island. as the summit Oh ~
is l.775 feet
FavorIte Home Of Emperor. "a.
The fact that Augustus ana l,OI s,,a
made Capri their special re'rea 'a mi
IL n ueep and lasting Significance MA
island was the favorite home ~ ''.ssrJ
and their families for nearly ,,,et
years. They are the two na.s,o
executives in history rullps .Srort
tively-both clear.headed' p ,so,s y
ing administrators, whose pou,sn
tablished the supremacy OF tue l nd
empire and brought about a wO s's,ory
ner,od 81 nsace unequaled In hs'S
before or since. They botn saoihs d
full lives aud died naturai pd ai
an age when murder or el'lO, sor ~
eide or violent death Of some ~ ',,oss,
,,a . ~ ,avarlable end OF grea,ua,,,s ,
n After these towering pel'V INA n
Capri drops out Of history 10 har
some reason does not seen M 10
been patronlzed further 0y
perial family. .,..r rey'.
But though Capri was ns ,s,,os -
BY the emperors, the run run 40
guided the precious s,' n, lsl''
through the channel bet"ee" ,ceniuf'
and the mainland for ui'"