The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-23 00:00:00

FLOODS AT VENICE.

A Venice Correspondent writes to The Times under date
Oct. 15 :

"At breakfast yesterday I heard that a 'gentleman
who had intended leaving could not get away because
a stiff wind from the Adriatic during the night, to-
gether with a full moon high tide, had made it impos-
sible for gondolas to pass under the bridges of the
small canals, I had no idea, however, that the whole
city was flooded till, going to the hotel door to walk to
the Doge's Palace, found the street four or five inches
deep in water. Men and women of the humblest class
were wading through it barefoot, the men with their
trousers tucked up to the knee, and the women holding
up their petticoats; better dressed men were provided
with top boots; others, afraid, like the cat in the
proverb, of wetting their feet, were perched on the
backs of improvised porters. The windows were full
of people enjoying the discomfort of the passers by,
and passing criticisms on theivait, for some stepped
carefully to avoid splashing thefflselves, others plunged
along recklessly, and one man coolly stopped to light
a cigar. The ground floors of most of the houses in
sight, being on a lower level than the pavement, were
inundated, but I observed one man whose dwelling
was near a bridge and slightly raised actually sweep-
ing the water into his room. Either he did not like
to be an exception to his neighbours or he wanted to
seize the opportunity of scouring his floor. Stopping
a gondola which happened to pass along the canal at
the back of the hotel, I got to the quay, which was
only partially flooded, and, steppinz over planks at one
or two points, reached the piazza of St. Mark. This
was a sheet of water, two of the arcades, however, being
above the level of the flood. The piazza itself was
studded with gondolas, and, stepping into one of them,
I was rowed about, passing along the north arcade and
under the portico of St. Mark. The shops in the in-
undated arcade were, of course, closed, and it was
comical to see a tradesman perched on a man's back,
and locking up his shop. The gondoliers were doing a
roaring trade, and young Venice thought it capital fun to
wade about the square, but people whose shops and ware-
houses were inundated had reason to laugh on the wrong
side of their mouths, and business was, of course, at a
standstill. High tide was at 11 a. m., and from that hour
the waters rapidly subsided. The gondolas had to be
pushed along, and were soon obliged to abandon the
piazza, while the pigeons, which had contemplated the
scene with amazement, were able to descend for their
Morning meal. In the evening the military band was
play.ing to a throng of people in the piazza covered with
gondolas a few hours previously. On the Lido the
waves, I hear, dashed quite over the bathing estab-
lishment, and carried away some of the steps. This
morning there is another flood, but not quite so
great as yesterday. Tile photographers, hoping to
make hay while the sun shines, have put in their
windows views of the piazza as inundated in December,
1872 ; and the natives speak of a more severe visita-
tion, 1866."