2000 YEAR OLD TREASURES

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1929, Page 8

2000 YEAR OLD TREASURES

SHIPS OF ROMAN EMPEROR. ROME, April 25. A steady streani of motor-cars moves out of Rom© every day hearing crowds of sightseers anxious to be among tin first to set eyes, after an interval of almost twenty centuries, on what in Caligula’s days were ocnsidered to he among the seven wonders ol the world.

These are the Emperor’s famous pleasure ships that once floated proudly on “Diana’s Mirror,” or the Lake of Nemi, from which water is now being pumped to recover the vessels. One goes by car as far as Ccnzano perched high up on the rim enclosing the lake, which occupies the crater of a volcano long since extinct. From Genzano one proceeds to the edge of the lake down a precipitous country lane. A modern automobile road is approaching completion and will soon be opened. Near the lower end of the lane is a concrete platform which was originally built on the level ol the water, hut which now, owing to the drop in the water level, is some twenty feet above it. On the platform arc four powerful electrically driven pumps which every day draw an untold number of millions of cubic feet, of water out of the lake, lowering it about two inches.

A new platform, on ufliich another set of pumps is now being installed has been built at the present level of th'p. water. The new set of pumps will take over the work as soon as the fall in the level of the lake renders the first set inadequate for the task. TUNNEL MADE RY SLAVE.

The pumping station is by the side of the entrance of the tunnel which was built by the Romans under the hill on which Genzano stands to keep the level of the lake constant by discharging surplus water into the valley of Ariceia.

The tunnel is a remarkable piece of work. It was cut through the solid rock with chisels. There is a story that it was built by a Greek slave who was promised his freedom if he carried the construction of the tunnel to a successful termination. He started the tunnel at both ends and worked towards the middle. He must have been no mean engineer, since the two ends ,of the tunnel met perfectly in the middle. He was killed by the rush of water when the last diaphragm was broken down.

The Lake of Nemi is beautiful in a rather gloomy kind of way. The mirror of water is at the bottom of a kind of a cup (once the sides of an enormous volcano crater), the steeply sloping sides of which arc covered with dense vegetation. At a little distance from the pumps, (Which day and night send a steady gusher of water gurgling down the ißornan tunnel, an Italian flag rising out of the water marks the spot where the first visible portions of Caligula’s ships may be seen. At present a single wooden beam stands vertically out of the water, with nothing special to distinguish it from any other piece of wood that has been immersed for a long time in wat-

OUTLINE OF SHIP. Through the clear water the faint outline of a ship may be seen. It lies at a sharp angle, its poop, which points inland, being, being many feet above the prow, which is towards the centre of the lake. it is inclined 011 its left side. More of it would be visible hut for the slime, sand, weeds, and stones which cover it. At a greater depth dark patches appear on the sides of the ship. These are presumed to be the leaden plates with which it is known to have been covered. Another ship lies at a much greater depth, and though this vessel it not visible its position lias been accurately located. It also will ho left high and dry in the course b>f the next few months. The poop of the first ship is considerably damaged. This is not to he wondered at since it is nearest the surface and therefore the part on which all previous salvage attempts were con. certrated.

FISH ER AIEN’ S A '['TEMPTS. This is not the first time, in fact, that an effort lias been made to refloat the ships of Caligula. Attempts have been made in all ages. SOlllO wore extremely crude, such as the book and nets used by local fishermen till they were stopped by the Government. In other cases men used diving suits. All the attempts had the same same result—they damaged the ships without retrieving anything of great value.

Now at Signor Mussolini’s command the problem has been tackled in the only way that can produce results —namely, by emptying the lake and leaving the ships high and dry the mystery is about to be dispelled. A few months more and human beings will again tread the planks that once felt the weight of Caligula’s sandalled feet.