, 1873-12-22
T0RL0Nia'S GREAT WORK,
How VVator WAS Turned into Dry
E.nnt1.

Lnnh.
correspondent Of tho London Times, who Ia
travelling n1nong the out-of-tho-wny PLACES Of
south !taly beyond tho reach Of railroads, found
1isnHelf ono night at tho wrotched, dirty town Of
visit: ~ooS' "a A''
My object in staying at Avozzano was not to
iook at @ tho town. " hnt to inspect tho works by
ouGe Q marsh, forty-two miles lii circumference,
rural district. lnton1od to support and accom-
odate ooo or 1900 laborere, It IS m enterprise
power, had at first failod, and At last only par-
italy nacceedod, while the neglect Of after ages
bad almost etltiroly obtoratod every trace OF
nor aohloyomente. Tho lako was. nm incon-
md low Of It's loyol wrought either Hood or
fovor to the surrounding villages, Cmsar no arc
told, and aftor him Caudius mid Moro, botllought
themselves Of . remedy for tho evil by mn outlot
wcn eiloMIl discharge tho waters Of the lalso
eighty. foot below the bottom Of tho lake THO
intoutions Of tho ROMANS was however not to
drain the lnlo, but simply to roduce it to ono
Harl. tnird Of Its original size. Tho work Of tho
thoroughly mondod BY tho exortions Of tito
latter Emperora who took 1t In hand. Tho
middle ages found the channel alrcatly oholod
up, aud the efforts Of tho Emperor Frederick IT,,
Wero @ nvans L Vas ny ILLS s'gsR asR t. t. bc t
unequal, tint private ,nan, Prince Torlonia.
took upon himself, Ho bought out a company
,l wiiseh , 1ad Obtained grant OF the lake in 1859,
Of EnEliah, Trench, md SWISS eng1ncors, ho
went to work in good earnest in 1868. IIe ox-
poctod At tl1nt that the work would DO achieved
at m outlay of 1.00U,000 Ronan crowns (.f2OO,-
would excel twice TINT aum-iudoed, It is said to
hayo risen to moro than E1 200, 600; and, in
spite Of hia woll.known enormous wealth. tho
peasants Of tho onvlronB doubted +" wlatlor Tor
ton!n wo!u drain tue lako or tho lake drain Tor
lonia." His succcss was. however, splendid lie
rsopened aud groatly widcned the old Roman
channel, aud maao it four miles In longth and
about twenty-ono yards in Width. Through this
channel au extent Of $4,000 aoros Of lalio was
dralncd and tho whole ground will. It is said. bo
laid bare and brought into cultivation beforo
uoxt spriug.
g tlroye out to 300 this atupondous work In
the morning, rs tho thick autumn mists broke
M DeloEo e 1ho FAYE Of noay sun, giving, in spite
hno day. WAeroa hugclock modorates tho outflow
Of tho valera monumental building III whto Tray
ortino is now rising to be dedicated, It ia said
to tue In Immaculate Conception, but on central
to postcrity the date Of the achievement and tho
na'no OF lts princoly promoter. Tho ground res
oued from the lake has alroady beoa cut out
lnto large squares, interscotcd by magnificent
!oeAof AioA6 MA4GA Alo u GlHQ 1Our hundred
poaGant dwellings, with twonty-four ohapelg
aud two convonts. These buildings, aud
the barus,. alods, and other premises.
necessary for cultivation on tho largest |
scale, will be raised at o cost Of S160000. Tlo
whole estate OF 1900 hectares will be organized
Us nonHtor model farm, to bo oolonizol bY
laborors from tho various estates of tho PRINCE,
Large tracts of tho ground reclaimed arc already
slelding coEn.crops at profit of 80 to Sc per
cent, and will continue to do go for three
yoard without manure, while tile uppcr elopps |
Of tho lnke-bca Rre martled oyor with young low |
tlo produce of which oap hardly f1ll to
DO OF tho best quality. Notwithstanding lilo in,-
menso advantages accruing to tho ueiglborhood |
oy this glorious entorpriso, which has given EN-
nloymont to 10000 worklnen, tho name or |
l'rlnco Torlonia IL by meaua aB popular as it |
should bo. a complaint has boon raised that
the oxhalations from tho now-,nado lapd have
:a'iaed fovars in district which it is said was |
free from them but could the epidemic even be |
raced to this causo it would necessarily be of |
Transient nature, rs woll-dIainod anu cultivated |
ground must provo iu tho ond more healthy Than
he evor-shiftlng surface OF reedy marsh, But |
serc oven Justice to the Prince denied by the
leighborlloou, or by tho present generation. ho
ias every reason to Aattor himself That his pamo
yill 10 known throughout tho world and 70
lown to posterlty as that Of a liberal beuefuctor
II hls raca. That tho profit arising from his
'entnre is lkoly to far succeed his most san
'ulne expectations Gun ia no way lotract from tho
astng tlIno to which lo IL most Justly entitlod.'