The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-05-19
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Englnssring Work--Aneisnt and Modern


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Engineering Work-Aneisnt and Modern.
A Rome correspondent Of the New York
Evening Post gives an account Of one Of
the most remarkable works of modern
times of the drainage Of Lake Fucino,
the largest lake in Central and Southern
Italy, covering an area of 81 ,050 acres,
and is situated in the province Of Aquila,
ffty-three miles east Of Rome and ninety
six miles north Of Naples. This extraor.
dinary achievement, which was fayorite
project of Julius Caesar, has just been
finished by Prince Alexander Torlonia,
citizen of Rome, who had its history
printed in volume of six hundred pages
for private distribution Before its drain.
ing, the lake covered the greater part Of a
vast table land, 1904 feet above the Level
of the sea, and one of the largest in the
central part Of the Apprentices. This table
land is surrounded on all sides by spurs Of
the main chain Of mountains, and is separa.
rable from the adjacent valleys in such q
manner that the waters found do outlet to
discharge themselves into the neighborine
rivers. The means of discharging the lake
being so inadequate, the amount of water,
when swelled by heavy rainfalls, sometimes
filled the entire basin Of 172, 900 acres with
in the circle Of mountains, and drove the in
habitants from their farms to the sur
rounding hills. Their fields were often
covered for several years by the advancing
waters and when they were able to regain
possession Of them they incurred heavy
expenditures in rendering the land fit for
cultivation, besides being exposed to mala-
dies arising from the swampy condition Of
the soil. The people on the neighboring
mountains suffered severely from this
state Of things, as they had no other plain
than that Of Fucino to which they could
look for their supplies Of cereals and other
produce Of their soil.
The drainage Of the land covered by
this lake was faVorite project with JUL
us Caesar, as a productive tract Of country
50 near Rome would have been very de-
sirable to supply the city with grain and
pevent the terrible famines that 50 often
afflicted its populations. His assassination
by Brutus defeated this plan, as well as
other grand projects designed by the
greatest of the Romans. The work was
discontinued at his death, and not resum.
ed until the accession of Claudius to the
imperial dignity. The works which Clau.
dius caused to be erected are among the
most extraordinary of his brilliant reign.
Thirty thousand men were employed fol-
eleven years and an immense expense
was incurred yet the the enterprise was
only partially successful The cause Of
this partial failure reminds us that hu.
man nature, at least of public officials, il
the same in all ages, for the want Of CON-
plete success under Claudius was owing
TO the frauds in the work practiced by his
freedman Narcissus, who is said to have
accumulated an immense fortune in q
mysterious way while he had the superin.
tendence of the tunnel The works were
renewed by Trojan and Hadrian, aud in
! the middle ages by Frederick H., and BY
several sovereigns of Naples, but they
were all unsuccessful. 1t may be remark.
ed that the works of Claudius, although
paralyzed by official dishonesty, were Of
an extraordinary character, and show rare
genius in the engineer who conceived the
plans. The recent works have given an
exact idea Of what he accomplished, and
the correspondent states that he had not
only overcome with ability the difficulties
Of the undertaking, but had founded his
plans upon the data the possession of which
is astonishing when we consider that in
those days science and the means of exc
cutionwere farsuperior toIwhatthe are now.
It was reserved, however, for Torlonia
to overcome difficulties which for eighteen
centuries had resisted the efforts Of the
most powerful monarchs. With wonder
full courage and perseverance, exerted du-
ring period of twenty-five years, he has
drained the largest inland reservoir that
has ever been drained in a most thorough
and scientific manner. The tunnel is one
half the length Of the Mount Gents
tunnel--that is, 6,S87 yards--and dischar-
ges every second 1912 gallons of water.
The whole work consists of this tunnel
under mountain, and plain which is
higher than that of Lake Fucino, to the
river Lysis, into which it falls from an ele-
vation, system Of canals in the bed Of
the lake, and massive stone buildings at
the head of the tunnel All the reclaim
ed land will belong to Prince Torlonia
after paying certain sum to the govern
ment, and the proceeds of its sale will in
part repay him for his enormous outlay Of
money in the construction Of the tunnel.
The Prince is now an old man, but he has
lived to accomplish one Of the greatest en-
gineering triumphs of ancient or modern
times.