The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-26


listing branch INTO the port, In A. ID. ID. The fol-
loving Is a copy Of tins curious record
SeFRxsSkIn0yyPs Vf oS P Ply PoTksT
SHnLI T2S DESIGi M ,n Mr XII rr- EoS,Si,
StMISsISQvE ~. MARI. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES :
"a part or the extensive area OF the port OF
Trajan Is now reduced 10 4 marshy state, although
preserving Its hexagonal form, surrounded on
every side by ruins OF buildings which formed the
warehouses, the emporium or the maritime con-
merce OF Rome In the second and third centuries,
represented on the medals OF that Emperor.
PROJECTED BY AUGUSTUS.
"The WORKS at Porto were not executed until
the reign OF Claudius, In the middle OF the nrst
century. The Portus Caudii appears TO have been
the nrst undertaken, ana consisted OF q vast
harbor opening directly on the sea. and to the
northwest encircled by two piers with q third
insulated one, or breakwater, TO protect the en-
trance, surmounted by lighthouse. In the course
OF time this port also began to be choked up, In
consequence OF which that which we now see was
commenced by Trajan, and completed about the
year l03 after Christ.
THE CIRCUIT OF TUE cLAUDIAN PORT
may still be traced in rhe meadows to the north
OF the hexagonal dock OF Traian The second OBJ
ject, TO afford an increased fall to the Tioer was
effected by cutting canal, by which its waters
reached the sea in direct instead or by the
sinuous line OF the old channel and 1t Is to the
latter great work that the above inscription par.
tcularly refers. second canal was subsequently
added. by which the basin Of Trajan communi.
Gated with the Tiber, and by which the vessels
arriving in IL were enabled to proceed to Rome
without unloading and to carry their cargoes to
the capital without re-enterlng the sea. The
sitting of the Port or ClaudIus and the Increas.
tnO N fS nj I'm Ia ln m
on Its maritime commerce tor supplies OF food.
rendered new harbor necessary, and, as has
been already stated, this was UNDER
taken and completed by TraJan. It commu
nlcated with the port OF Claudius on the
northwest side, and was surrounded with ware.
houses Its circuit. which Is sti nearly entire,
measured 24DO yards; the greatest depth OF the
water in it now scarcely reaches ten feet. new
canal from the Tiber. opening into the hexagonal
basin Of Trajan, was at the same time excavated,
and forms the modern north branch or the river,
or the FiumiclnO, which extends from beyond
Porto to the sea, and is now the only navigabls
onen
Since the nourishing time OF the port oil
Trajan the sea has receded six or seven miles.
Flumlcno, which derives It's name from the
smaller river which 1t stands, Is OF recent orl-
gin. In 1913 the castle at the western extremity
OF the village was on the borders OF the sea, but IN
1865 1t was distant $40 yards from It. The entrance
to the river Is narrow. and there 10 seldom above
ten feet OF water on tue bar.
THE NEW HARBOR AND PORT OR DOCKS.
From this BRIEF review OF the Fiumicino and
the ports OF Trsjan and Claudus, we are en-
aDled to see what Is proposed now in the
Garbaldian project-that Is, to deepen the Fiumt
cino channel, to reopen the port or docks OF Ira.
Jan, and, II necessary, the port Of Claudius con-
nected with It, and to connect the port or docks
by railroad with Ponte Galera which Is tapped BY
ths Ctvlta vecchia railroad 10 Rome, and also to
protect the Fiumiclno channel from the sands Of
the T1ber by means OF iccks through which the
smaller vessels can proceed directly to Rome.
TIE MAIN POINT OF THE PROJECT.
These are the main points Of the scheme fot
erecting tho new harbor and port or docks for the
city OF Rome. Thus Rome will be brought within
half an hours railroad journey from Its port
where the largest ships that plough the
Mediterranean can find entrances and en-
Gent shelter. This part OF the project
is feasible 1t will repay the cost OF execution. and
It appears to that capitalists may invest in il
with the greatest confidence. Unfortunately ths
whole coast Is very unhealthy. At Fiumcino,
during the summer and autumn, the government
officers do not sleep here but are obliged to 70.
move to Rome during the night But the draining
OF the marshes around Port Trajan (which Prince
Torlona has promised to dog and the deepening
Of the FIumicno channel will doubtless produce
very important and beneficial climatic changes II
the entire district.
THE REGULATION OF THE TIBER
will be, II carried out. much more costly unden
taking. To explain this part OF the project we
must commence the study Of our map aoove
Rome. The Ttber. as We see, Is tortuous and
unruly stream, preierring to make Its course as
winding and troublesome as possible before II
degns to enter the great mother ocean. The dow
of It's waters is, consequently at certain seasons
Of great rainfall and at the melting Of the SHOWS
IN the mountains. greatly interrupted. and then
they overflow not only the city OF Rome Itself but
vast regions OF the Campagna. And the banks
even the bed In places) OF the river being higher
then the surrounding country, swamps-stagnant
fever-breeding swamps-are created and the
health OF Rome and the Campagna thereby
affected. The plan is therefore, to rectify the
river by cutting on its great angles and to Deepen
the bed so as 10 produce q greater velocity Of the
current, to make entertainments where necessary
and thus enable the waters to reach che sea wlth'
out difficulty and without nrst ovsrnowing the
land on either side. We cannot say ~ present
with any degree of certainty what course the rec.
tincation will take. This will depend entirely
upon which of the two
PROJECTED CANALS AROUND ROME
itself wiz be adopted At present two projects
are under consideration, the western and the east
ern cut, canal, both OF which will be immensely
dIGcult OF execution. The nrst project 10 "a
deviate the course Of the Tber, ABOUT two misi
above Rome into the bed OF the little river Anio
adapting the bed OF that stream for larger noW
OF water as far as Ponte Mammolo, ave miles to
the northeast Of Rome, on the ROAD to Tivou,
thence around the city, along the valley Of the
Mariana, to meet the Tiber again between the
Ostan Gate and the Basilica OF st. Pauls without
second plan Is to be Effected ON the right banh
OF the Tlber BY o cut from Ponte Molle, two milsi
north Of Rome, back Of the Vatican. through the
Vale dell' Inferno, all around the Monte dele
Piche, to rejoiu the river near La Magliana.
Garipadi ID In favor OF the former plan, in the
execution OF which portions OF the site oil
ancient Rome would DO cut through, and possibly