The Raymer enterprise., 1922-04-27

Ths 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 pr6blematical.
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 20 high,
as the elevation Of the headland ID
about 1000 feet above the sea. It
Is one Of the most valuable and In.
terestlng ruins on the entire island.
May Have Had WlSlsss systsm.
It 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 signaled In various
ways and over long distances. They
signaled by beacon fres, by beacon
smoke. by pigeons. By iags, and BY
shouting from one sentinel to another.
PoS9ibly the Publica acta (Senate
Journa) and the Diurna acta (author.
lied news) were sent to Capri by signal
instead Of BY messenger. We can con.
celve that such q 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 q mere surmlse, 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
II Is there Just the same.
The distance In an air line between
Rome and Capri is 1870 miles-too long
for direct signaling; but II 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 relaylng
would depend on the conditions. The
highest point on Capri is Monte SO.
laro 1850 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 Circeo, on the Campanian coast,
Just grazes the Island Of Ischia; but
the line Of sight would be well above
the island. AZ the summit Of Circeo
Is Its feet.
FavorIts Home Of Emperor.
The fact that Augustus and Tiberius
made Capri their special retreat gives
It q oeep and lasting significance. The
island was the favorlte home Of them
and their families for nearly seventy
years. They are the two greatest
executives in history ruling consecu.
tlvely-both clear-headed, hard-work-
ing administrators, whose labors e.
tablished the supremacy Of the Roman
empire and brought about 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 mot seem to have
been patronlzed further BY the I'm.
peril family.
But though Capri was never revisited
by the emperors. the Pharos still
guided the precious grain Aests
through the channel between the island
and the mainland tor many centuzssA
W --s--