The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-09 00:00:00

THE INUNDATION AT ROME.

(FROM THE CORRESPONDENT OF THE CENTRAL PRESS.)
ROME, December 31.
As my house has been one of those longest under water,
it was only late yesterday afternoon I was able to leave it,
the inundation having reached the whole of the lower
stories. The terrible catastrophe which has fallen on
Rome is not susceptible of exaggeration, and nothing like
the present inundation has taken place since 1805. The
flood began on the 27th with a warm sirocco wind, which
appenrs to have suddenly melted the snow on the Sabin.
mountain; and occasioned a flush of water in the Tiber
above Corrise, which during the night took more alarming
proportions, and the water soon rose very high in
the Ripetta, Borgo, and the Ghetto. On the afternoon
of the 23th the scene became awful. The bridges of
Ponte Molle, Saint Angelo, and Ponte Sisto were all
under water, and the Tiber running with frightful
rapidity, carried down on its surface countless vestiges of
the ruin it had made in the country above Rome.
Cattle, carts, horses, pigs, and here and there entire
cottages were borne on its torrent. Casks of oil were
staved in, and their contents spread on the surface.
Flour, drift of every sort, trees, and whole stacks of fire-
wood, hay and straw were every moment seen passing the
Ripetta stairs.
From the Pincian the whole country to Monte Mario
presented one sheet of surging and whirling water, and at
Ponte Molle, on the roof of the casino, or eating-house,
were distinctly visible a group of unfortunate occupants,
making frantic signals for help, which I much fear was
unable to reach them.
On attempting to return to my own house in one of the
lower streets between the Geni and Minerva, I found the
entire Piazza of the Rotunda floodehalf-way up the
column of the Pantheon, and the Coro impassable from
the Popolo and Piazza Colonna. The Ghetto was, however,
the Worst quarter, the water reaching the third storey in
many parts. At Borgo Pio (near the Vatican) the whole
balustrade was carried away, and part of the fane of the
fort, by the violence of the water, and We flood soon
inundated the neighbouring hospital of St. Spirito, where
the sick had to be transported to the second storey in hot
haste.
The water stopped short in the Piazza of St. Peter,
where the rise in the ground commences, and the whole
Borgo was under water.
At Trastevere the danger was very great, as the boats
were frequently carried away by the violence of the
stream while attempting to rescue the inmates of the
poorer quarters in the lower part of the town, and
especially near the Ponte Rotto. How Ponte Sisto stood
the force of the current is a matter of astonishment to
all who witnessed the weight and force of the current.
Save the new iron bridge, which is reported as unsafe,
none of the Roman bridges appear to have given way.
On reaching the neighbourhood of my own apartment
I found the water already three feet deep in the lower
storeys, and having, fortunately, a fourth floor, contrived
to reach it without further damage than a complete cold
bath, and as half an hour after the river reached the first
and half of the second story, all further exit was completely
out of the question till yesterday evening.

All through the night the cries of the drowning reached
us from the adjoining Ghetto. Two poor women, at-
tempting to cross to the Gaetani Palace in a cart, were over-
turned into the flood, and washed away. They were
saved by the fire brigade, who showed great courage, as
well as the National Guard, and indeed every class of
citizens. The horse, however, was drowned, and was
lying in the street a few minutes' since.
The cries for bread from the citizens, who had no
supply of food, were another curious and dreary feature of
the scene. On the highest roofs men, with the tin horns
used here for carnival, attempted to make their wants
audible, and about three p.m. a cart full of bread, manned
by a National Guard and an agent of the municipality,
went down our street and distributed rations to each
house gratuitously, according to the ancient Roman usage.
This was unfortunately very partially distributed, and
many poor families, of my own knowledge, are literally
dying of starvation in Trastevere and the Borgo especially.
Public subscriptions are being set on foot, and Princes
Aldobrandini and Sarsana have headed that of the Roman
Patriciate with 1,000 francs (240) each, and the
Rectors of colleges and the heads of religious
orders, held a meeting at tho Gesh yesterday,
in order to take measures for a general subscription.
The loss of life as yet cannot be calculated, but it is very
great, as fresh bodies are found every hour as the waters
retire.
The Pope is busily occupied in organising a subscription
for the persons left homeless by the flood. The damage
to property amounts to many millions of crowns, and is
as yet incalculable. All the shops in the Corso, Candolti,
and Campo Marzo, have been deluged, and their wares
rendered unsaleable.
King Victor Emmanuel sent the following telegram to
the Municipal Junta :—" To Signor General Marmora,—
I wish to contribute to the relief of the losses which the
extraordinary inundation of the Tiber has caused in the
lowest quarters of Rome, and I send the sum of £BOO as a
contribution towards the most immediate wants. I beg,
General, that you will request the Municipality of the
city to keep me informed with respect to this most de-
plorable accident."