Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-06-20
LAKE OF TRAsIMENUs-


A little distance beyond Perugis
is the
LAKE OF TRAsIMENUs-
a sheet of water 8 miles in diameter
and studded with several little rocky
islands. 1t was on the north shore
of this pretty lake that Hannibal
gained the first great victory ovel
the Romans. The railroad passes
through the battlefield. The stu
dent of Roman history will recoI-
lect the narrative of this terrific de-
feat of the Roman army, which oc-
Cured on the 23d of June, B. G. III.
Hannibal left Spain the previous
autumn with 10000 men and 100
elephants. In the month of Septem-
ber he crossed the Alps at the St.
Bernard Pass, amidst avalanches of
snow, after incredible efforts, and
descended into the Valley of the Po,
while Scipio, with Roman army,
was watching tointercept him on the
Rhone, in France! He wintered in
the Valley of the Po, in the vicinity
of Modena. The Roman Senate
speedily raised two armies, and dis
patched them into Tuscany to guard
all the passes of the Apennines, and
prevent Hannibal from penetrating
any further south until a large az
my under Scipio could assail him in
the rear. Hannibal however chose
what was deemed an utterly imprac-
ticable route, and crossed the noun
tains, and, before the Roman Gen
eral knew Of it, he had gained the
rear of the Roman army, and taken
up his march on Rome itself. The
Roman force stationed at Arezzo, 40
miles southeast of Florence, imme-
diately marched in pursuit. Hanni-
bal kept on until he came to the
Lake Trasimenus, where he stopped
his march, encamping on its north
shore, in the valley where two spurs
of the mountains come down to the
east and west ends of the lake, form
ing valley in the form of a horse
shoe-the lake being in front, and
the encircling mountains forming
the background. A defle leads in
to, and another out of, the plain at
the toes of the shoe. The great mil
itary road to- Rome ran along the
shore of the lake, passing through
the defiles. This circular valley is
5 or 6 miles in extent. A dense fog
hung over the lake and plain the
morning the Roman General entered
it. Hannibal's army lay concealed
behind some low foot hills in the
valley, out of the line of march.
At sight of the exit defle he had
stationed a heavy column. The first
thing the Romans knew of danger
was when they en,ountered the
Carthagenians in tie exi defle,
where a bloody encounter quickly
At the same moment the
cavalry of Hannibal struck their
rear guard and baggage train and
cut them to pieces while the bulk
IF his force assaulted their flank
along line of several miles. Ir-
confusion ensued among
he Romans, who had no room to
leploy and no time to form a line of
oattle. They made the best resist
lnce in their power; but the contest
vas
/ MASSACRE RATHER THAN A BATTLE.
Fifteen thousand Romans were killed
IN the spot, and among them the
Consul, Flamininus, who command
d them; an equal number were ia
zen prisenors. Two legious of g.
100 men, fought their way through
he defile killing 1000 of the Ca
haginians, and escaped into the
pen country, but were surrounded |
N a hill the next day by HannibaI's |
avalry, supported by light infant
y, and were obliged to lay down
heir arms. Of the 40, 900 men who |
the Roman army, less
han 4, 1000 escaped death or capture.
'he army was annihilated at blow.
t was the heaviest reverse the Re-
,ublic had ever yet suffered. New
Hannibal did not venture
o lay siege to Rome, but march past
t into the Valley of the Volturno, in
he vicinity of Naples.
From the sanguinary field of Ira
menus the train rolls along
ranch of the River Arno for the
,reater part of the way to Florence,
trough a broad, fertile, and
HIGHLY CULTIVATED PLAIN,
7here it arrived at dark. The win
er wheat, which is growing luxuri-
ntly in the fields, was nearly knee
Ugh (April 10y, and all the spring
owing and planting of other crops
7ere finished, apparently. The mo-
i've power on the farm is chiefly
yhite oxen, with short horns, ex-
city counterpart of the ancient
acred cattle. On the Roman Cam
agna the oxen are of a light gray
olor, with prodigous long horns,
the length Of a mans out
tretched arm. So remarkable are
heir horns for length, sharpness, and
eauty, that thousands are often pol
he'd and sold to travellers to take
ONE with them for exhibition. The
attic in both of those valleys-the
iber and Arno-appear to be of
xcellent breed, grow rapidly, attain
Irge size, and produce, tender, juicy,
alatable meat. ..
The 1875 miles between Rome and
lorence consumed nearly
TEN HOURS 1DE,-
le train running at less than 90
liles per hour; but, in the distance
80 miles from where the road
uits the Neva to the summit tun-
el, the train ascends 9,7ss feet
ccording to the statement of the
uide-book-and then descends an
quail height in So miles on the 9TH
r side of the mountain. Until
ew years ago, travel on this route
-as performed on a. sort of stage
zach called a diligence" By not
'aveling ut night, and remaining
yer one stage at Perugia, and an
ther at Assist or Terni, the travel
r consumed about a week between