The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-12-30
4 MARHEL OF ENGINEERING.
THE DRAINING OF THE FUcINE LAKE IN
ITALY AT COST OF 100000
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
A work equal in difficulty and magnitude
to the projected draining of the Zulaer Ase
has been accomplished in Italy, only some
anxiliary operations of minor consequence
| still awaiting completion. We refer to sue
draining of the Fucine lake. executed by
Prince Torlonia, an undertaking which mas
exacted the labor of twenty i've years ana
| an outlay of ten million dollars. by this
achievement forty thousand acres OF rich
land have been opened to tillage and
| scheme which had vainly taxed the re- |
sources of the ancient Roman empire 10
| translated into fact. The Fucine lake ana
the mountain locked basin of which until
/ lately it epgrossed the larger part, is better
known to the student than to the traveller.
The region ia singularly difficult OF access,
living a. it does in the exact heart Oh the
italian peninsula and imbedded In the
Apennine chain: NO modern raiiWay nas
} replaced the Valerlan road which traverseo
the district eighteen centuries ago. When
this great highway wac built across the
, mountains by Claudius Caesar the edge OF
the lake was dotted with thriving towns
i and its fruitful slopes formed one OF the
oranaries of Rome. 1t was in the reign of
1he eame Emperor that the design of s!nic-
t ing off the waters of the Fucine clstern was
siouted. and the notorious freedman, Mar
e cissus, was charged with the conduct OF the
! enterprise.
= The Fucipe lake was q vast reservoir,
+ renlenished by the rainfall and number
;. of streams, but witEo any natural Outlet;
Evacuation, therefore, by dredging ana
: deepening an existing channel was PLAINLY
q out of tie question. Some three miles,
Is however to the northwest runs the river
- I,iri. at an altitude much lower than that
i of the basin. 1t is true that the high noun
l. tain of Sslviano rears it's bulk between the
)! river and the lake; this obstacle the en-.
g, cineers of Claudius proposed to surmount
I'd by rierciug the hill at depth of some three
I! hundred Yards. Accordingly, the head OF
TO the sluice on the northwest rim OF the CTS
o. tern was fxed at point twenty two yaroe
"a, above the bottom of the Liri' WINE t9e
at mouth being opened about thirteen yarot
io above the river bed, there resulted tota
is incline of nine yards in q course OF three
ut and half miles. Thirty thousand work
lis men are said to have been employed 10
's' eleven years in the undertaking., ana Tut
" tupnel wac actually constructed, put 81
" " imperfectIy that an attempt to draw on tn
IA waters of the reservoir entGiied catastro
%, pie which went near to ruin the lmpeFls
is fsvorre. 49,,
of Neglected in the middle ages, the Roma
are works lost even this measure of efficiency
ne Abe waters of the basin recovered thei
al ancient area and the periodical inundatlon
ar wrought widespread destruction. it wa
one Of these celamities, the terrible uooo
1916, which reused the Neapolitan Govern
ment to attempt the repair of the old Gu
,ps vert Bot the tack was onerous and Gu
tho outlay stiuted, and the sluice was scarcei
md onened when the freshet of 1851 burst tn
iaS locks and blocked up large section OF th
10 channel under an avalanche of earth an
nov ao stones. When, therefore, company WI
r 7 organized with view of draining the oasii
ged il soon appeared that the scheme presente
of difficulties far exceeding their expectet!ot
leir or their resources. Accordingly, the Frln'
re Torlonia, who had So bscribed for one-hs
rec of the stock, now purchased the Temainde
OF and. obtaining a formal concession of
;ts land to be recovered, undertook the VOL
and at his own expense.
mr. The economical fruits of the enterprl
v can be stated in few words. To the
You tablishment of public security should
we'd added the direct enrichment OF the pop
der, Iation. An upper belt OF the redeem'
M, nn- territory presenting total surface OF sew
10y Thousand acres has been abandoned to Z
,ol;. owners of land adjacent to the form
a Il Sbore, The amount of arabic soil acqulT
mob nv Prince TorlOnia, and now for the nj
are time incorporated with the productive at
Csn- If italy, ia not less than thirty five thousa
and acres, or, deducting the quantity inclnu
ngs within the reservoir, which, however, c
Pay Pay he titled in ordinary years, be may 81
CO. have under cultivation tWenty-elgot INC
e At sand acres of virgin land. From WhAteN
onId noint of view this exploit of modern
Yhy Pineerine is regarded, it's importance
and canitaI. and it is clear that the private
8 on Ji1idual whose name is linked with
acbiavement has secured q sold title
rims TemsmbTapce among his country men.
pre- EeWeAh