The herald., 1922-03-23

Tit. existing lower portion OF the
Capri structure is mass Of burned
Roman brick, 40 feet square and 80
feet high, sufficiently conspicuous to
show in photographs taken from
Monte Solare. at the other end of the
island, two miles away. Its original
appearance is entirely prOblematical.
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 I'm all probability not so high,
as the elevation of the headland Is
about 1000 feet above the sea. It
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
a signal station-an imperial wireless
station Of ancient Rome. We know
that the ancients sigraled I'm 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 a certain famous surg
ical instrument found at Pompeii, but
1t is there just the same.
Tho in, nj tn hat
Rome and Capri is 100 miles-too long
for direct signaling; but IL we look
along the coast of the Tyrrhenian sea
we find numerous mountains affOrding
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 Ischia: 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
{ deep and lasting significance. The
sland was the favorite home of them
md their families for nearly seventy |
'ears. They are the two greatest |
executives in history ruling consecu-
ively-both clear-headed, hard-work.
ng administrators, whose labors es- |
abllshed the supremacy Of the Roman
mpire and brought about wonderful
'eriod Of peace unequaled in history.
efOre or since. They both lived long.
ull lives and died natural deaths In
n age when murder or enforced sui
ide or violent death o. some sort was
ne almost invariable end of greatness.
After these towering personalities,
apri drops out of history and for
ONE reason does not seem to have
cen patroniZed further by the i'm
erial family.
But though Capri was never revisited
Y the emperors. the Pharos still
1ided the precious grain fleets
trough the channel between the island
nd the mainland for many centuries.