New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-15
THE ITALIAN FLOODS.
SCENES AT THE NUNDATIoN OF VERONA

Every now and then Italy Is sorcly visiteu Wy
very plague Of foundations. Almost every ycai
comes news of towns half destroyed, OF 'no"7"nu'
of of fertile land laid waste. ana oil many ~"
man lives lost Ii is above ALL Upper anu Nentidi
Itolv that are EXPOSED TO the fury of torrents But
not for long time If indeed ever has the caami'y
assumed such proportions now, when the richest
| mart of Lombardy and Venetia has been under
| water. Every time the floods occur, commissions
| are formed Government inquiries are made as to
the causes OF tho evil, meetings are held, ana the
local press lifts up its feeble voice. But things have
obstInately remained In stdtu quo. during these
last nuDdations great many lives have been lost
the value of property destroyed must be reckoneu
at many millions, and thousands OF human beings
are literally roOfess and starving The Lombard
and Venetian provinces will feel the consequences
OF this calamity for years and years to come MIS-
cry, despair and crime will rise to fnghttui de-
gree. Something has been done TO alleviate the
suferings. Contributions have come forth freely.
but do not suffice The remedy would have 10 DO
truly gigantic and even then could not cure every
i'll done.
/ have inst returned from tour through the
provinces. where the foundations have barely sub
sided and where everything vet tells as II long will,
of ruin and destruction The scenes met in each OF
the towns where the waters have done their evil
work defy description 1t would take not an artl-
Gle Int n volume TO recount them I shall endea-
vor, as well as can with pen and ink, to give an
account of what happened at Verona. the town that
has suffered most. After the terrible inundation OF
1857 Verona next threatened by its river ana
torrents again in 1868. The waters rose to con-
siderable height, but after few days decreased
again. and the population cot off with fright.
This year, in the autumn the rain had been falling
steadily all ovor the north of Italy, and especially
in the Venetian provinces. The Veronese began to
watch the River Adige with some anxiety when on
the 7th of September above highwater mark
Everyone who has visited Verona and its envirOns
must remember the large floating mills that were
placed on the AdiGe. During the night Of the 18th
the chains that held one of these mills were
wrenched asunder by the force of the waters. and
the huge mill. carried on at a terrific rate, WAS
dashed against the PQnte Nuovo The crash was
loud and the mill went to pieces. On examination,
the bridge, too, was found to have been damaged,
and the municipal authorities thought fit to close
it to the travel of the public. The people, however
could not be persuaded chat the massive bridge,
with its huge blocks of granite and its thick, we'll
poised arches could be carried away and destroyed
by the waters
was myself at a window Of one of the houses on
the right-hand bank Of the river when scene en-
sued that can hardly he imagined. Crowds we're
lstanding each side of the Adige and many heads
appeared at every window. The water was rush
ing ON fnrlously Some persons despite the munich
pal orders were standing on tho bridge asrif tas-
cinated by the mad, foaniDg river All at once a
fearful cry arose " The bridge is falingW saw
the arches give way slowly, the pillars incline
swiftly but not all at once the score or more OF
persons on the bridge barely bad time to or be
dragged away, and the bridge fell into the raging
waters The noise was dreadful the water was
dashed over the people on the banks; the crowd,
CRYING shouting nploring fed right and left. and
carried the tale all the town. Everyone be-
eved Verona to be utterly lost; the population got
desperate IN the panic. In a few hours the water
rose TO such height that than half the streets
were turned into canals. along which tie few boats
that could be found moving. These boats |
were mostly manned by soldiers, who bad received
Instructions to through the inundated streets
and see where help most urgently needed |
During the first moments, was not unnatural
almost everyone seemed to have lost his head. |
The only beings VINO from beginning TO end kept |
cool and steady the soldiers, carablniers tpo
lcenen) and fremen. Officers and men never for |
one moment lost their self-cOmmand; they did adj
mirable service they everywhere, and always |
at the right moment. | witnessed acts of the |
greatest herosm the part of the officers and |
men, and their bravery was only equalled by the |
modesty with which they went at it, withdrawing |
from the enthusiastic applause OF Dystanueis, anu
trying to avoid the grateful thanks.
As soon as people could get their wits together
sort of committee was formed to take prompt meas
ures against the danger and the want that must |
ensue immediately. Bread was telegraphed for |
from the neghboring towns: more soldiers were |
asked for and boats were demanded urgently from |
Venice Many quarters of the town had become |
absolutely isolated. and the strong current rem |
dered next to impossible to get at the inmates OF
those houses even by boat. Everywhere buildings |
began to show signs of giving way, and the people
had to be got ont as best they could. Some were |
taken out of the windows by means of cords or |
sheets tied together others in their fear eaped into
the water; Others again had to be liberated by |
getting INTO the houses through hasty openings in |
the roofs Heartrendng cries were heard IN every |
direction Parents in the hurry and confusion |
had been separated from their children husbands.
wives. friends were missing. and might already be
drowned or buried under some house fallen in.
The first day of serious flooding visited, in COM |
pany with many others who had volunteered 10 do |
what they could for tho sufferers the principal |
quarter of tho town. We seemed to be rowing |
about in Venice. In the Corso Cavour. the princi-
nal tboroughfare and In the immediate neighbor- |
hood. things were not desperate; aid could be |
brought to those shut in the houses. they could be
rescued if the buildings threatened to fall and they
might be fed. But other quarters and these the |
most DO ,ul ,us, were entirely isolated; attempts |
were made 10 convey and 10 them, but IN vain. The
streets mad disappeared, and the fury of the water
was such that no boat could for long time in any
possible way venture up the canals. What in
creased the horror the position was that no means
had been provided during the first night to light
I'D the town. As was natural, the gas works
beng submerged, Verona could not be lllu-
miuated as usual. Thus for several nights
Verona was in utter darkness, aud might have been
compared to very city Of the dead but for the re-
peaed cries for help heard in every direction. At
long intervals barge with soldiers in it might be