The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-29
VENICE.
The Queen of the AdtIaliC.
The City of Story and Song as Seer
bV n PFoBalc Eye. :.

|
By a PToSalc Eye 3 f..is
(Cor. Baltimore Aueriean.l -.
CITY OF VENoR, July 8, 1873.
Here we are back agAin.insth CITY ol
Venice, after less than . years absence,
Being in close proximity TO Her Majesty
OF the Adristic, we could not forego the
pleasure Of again witnessing 9 Sunday
scene on the Piazza Of St. Marks, enjoy
ing another sail In the gay gondols, and q
ramble among the palaces Of this city Of
ancient memories. One Of our compan-
ions having never visited Venice before,
we shall, in our rambles, have the adVan-
tage OF being our own guide among scenes
that are yet quite familiar. - o..
ACROSS THE ADRLATIC.
We embarked at Trieste at 10 O'Clock
last evening, on the steamer Milano, and
expected to have very few passengers, but
we're surprised to find on board about four
times as many as she could accommo-
date, except with standing room. They
were mostly tourists, German, French and
English, and fully one.third were ladies.
The run across requiring but six hours,
and as the moon came out clear and bright
shortly after We started, It was no great
hardship 10 keep on deck, especially as 1t
was TOO hot 70 find comfort In the cabin:
John Bull grumbled, but the majority Of
the passengers even sympathized with
two omni6usses full Of passengers
who reached the wharf just alter
we had cut loose our moorings. After
our novice had gotten through his costa.
cies over "the blue Adriatic" and the
"silver rays OF the moon, we disposed OF
ourselves as best we could for a sitting
nap, and at break OF day The "Queen Of
the Adriatic' appeared in the dim ois'
tance before rs, though neither brighter
nor younger than when we last saw her.
In a short time we commenced TO enter
among the outer Islands, on which some
very fine country residences have been
erected, and were soon at quarantine, but
were only detained long enough to enable
the officer TO collect his fees. At FIVE
O'Clock in the morning the gay Condo
lier," about whom 30 much lying prose
and poetry has bean written, soon had US
in his solemn craft, and In few minutes
landed US on the steps Of the Hotel Bow
or. Amid the scramble OF these gay
gondolIers" at the side OF our steamer Tor
passengers they did not seem more loving
or lovely than that class OF American Cit
izens engsged in the conveying oi passen-
gers and baggage to and from railroads
and hotels; and they were arrsyed in very
similar apparel, probably secondhand
when It was new, and broad.brimmed
straw hats, very yellow and dirty, sur.
mounted the figure. When one Of their
vehicles struck harshly against It's neigh
bar, the tone of exclamation from the
"Cay gondolier," and the subsequent ex-
change Of compliments, sounded very
much TO our inexperienced ears Ike the
loving phrases we have heard exchanged
at Camden Station when Jehu was SINH
larly provoked.
STROLL THROUGH THE CITY.
After a short nap we started about 0
o'clock for stroll around the Square oi
St. Marks and some oi the contiguous
streets. Everything appeared TO be pre-
cisely as we had LETT 1t one year ago,
except the scsfTolding on one aide Of the
Cathedral oil 81. Marks indicated the re.
pairing Of It's ancient walls, The stores
all made precisely the same display un'
der the arcades; the pet pigeons OF the
city were billing and cooling on the plaza
the fruit shops were all well supplied with
the varieties for which Italy e famous
the same men, women and children ap'
peared to be "cheaplng around among
Inc proyision stores for the Sunday din.
ners; and an old sexegenarian whom we
saw daily year ago sitting In the door
Of a poultry shop picking chickens was
still engaged At the same artistical work.
There seemed 10 be no change and no
improyement anywhere, clearly indicat'
ing that our neighbors Of Annapolis can.
moi claim TO have the only finished city
in the world. However, Venice Is toe
compact In It's structure TO allow OF tear
ing down an old house TO replace II with
q new ono. To attempt such thing
would block up and render useless FOL
business purposes, all tho houses In Q
ueighbOrhood, whilst In most cases the
interruption Of thoroughiare would rem
der II necessary TO walk I mile round to gel
from one section Of the city. 70 another
except BY water, which Is too expensive
for tho great mas Of the people. Henct
Venice must stand as 1t is until time de
mollshes It, as there d no room for tearing
down or building up. All decays must b
patched, and all Improvements be ot TIT
interior rather than 10 the exterior Of III
buildings, unless 1t be q coat Of paint o.
White.wash. It q essentially fire.proo
cily from necessity, as there Is no room II
lis narrow streets for the passage Of al
engine larger than q WheelbsrroW, and n
water supply, except Snch as can be bail
ed with buckets nom the.cauas. Th'
founders and builders Of Venice welI
4Twise In their day and generation" WheI
they decreed that as few combusible ma
terials as practicable should be used In IN
construction Of their houses, and tha
wood should nowhere be used where l
was possible 10 employ stone. With ou
intlammAble houses, Venice would no
have existed twelve hundred days instead
OF twelve hundred yearB. They decreet
that there must be no fires, because thei
plan permitted Of no room for Gxtinguish
, ment, and that the nArroWness ol tn
streets, with inAammAble houses, WoulC
necessarily involve the whole city. Their
arc, Of course, fires at timea, bnt they ar
extinguiShed with the primitive machine
called q bucket, and very seldom exteuI
/. beyond the room in which they originate
Fire insurance companies are not deemet
Of any account in Venice, fact which
would be well for the army Of solicitor
to remember.
VENICE As IT N.
. Every one has heard Of Venice, an
nearly every one has formed some ide