Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-19
FLOODS IN ITALY.
Sad Scenes aud Sights in the Inundated
Streets Of YerOna-Reseues from
TOtteriug Houses.
DespaIring Cries for SuecOr and for
Food-The Word ''Hunger" on the
WalIs-A Brave Soldier.

A correspondent of the New York Tribune,
wiring recently from Rome, says: L have
jost returned from tour through the prov
Inees, where the foundations have barely
subsidized, and where everything yet tells IS
it long will, Ct rnin aud destruction. The
scenes met in each of the towns where the
waters have done their evil work defy de-
scription. 1t would take not an article, but
a volume, TO recount them. / shall en-
deavor, as we'll 1 can with pen and ink, to
give an account OF what happened at We
ToDs, the town that has suffered most. After
the terrible inundation OF 1857, Verona was
next threatened by its river and torrents
s-.- sgain in 1868. The waters rose 10 a consid-
cradle hight, but after few days decreased
again, and the population got eff with a
fright. This year, IN the autumn, the raIn
had been fallog steadily all over The north
of Italy, and especially in the Venetian
provinces. The Veronese began to watch
toe river Adige- with some sDxiety
it rose above high-water mark Every.
one who has visited Verona and It's
environs must remember the large floating
p mills that were placed on the Adige. Dur
log the night o. ths 18th the chains that
held of these mills Wrenched
asunder by the force of the waters, and the
huge mill, carried on al a terrific rste,
dashed against the Ponto Nuovo. The crash
was loud aud the mill went 10 piecss. On
examination, the bridge, too, was found to
have been damaged, and the municipal
travel OF the public. The people, however,
could not be persuaded that
THE MASSIVE BRIDGE,
with its hHge blocks of granite and its thick
well-poised arches, could be carried away
and destroyed by the waters. was myself
at a window OF one oil the houses on the
right-hsnd bank Of he river when scene
ensued that can hardly be imagined. Crowds
were standing each side of the Adige,
and many heads appeared at every window.
4. fri Il,
persons despite the municipal orderp, were
standing he bridge, if fascinated by
the mad, losmng river. All at once fear
sf full cry arose 'rhe bridge is fallpgw l
saw The srches give way slowly, the pillars
incline swiftly, but not all at once; the score
or more OF persons ou-the bridge barely had
time to run or be dragged away, aud the
bridge fell into the raging waters. The
noiss was dreadful; the water was dashed
over the people on the banks; the crowd,
crying, shouting, imploring led right and
left, and carried the tale all the town
Everyone believed Verona 10 be utterly lost;
the popula ion got desperate in the panic.
Ia few hours the waer'rose to such a hight
that more than half the streets were turned
into canal, aloog which the few boats that
could be iound were moving. These boats
were mostly manned by soldiers, who had
received instructions TO row through
THE INUNDATED STREETS
and see where help was most urgently
needed During the f S. moments as was
not unnatural, almost everyone seemed to
have lost bis head. The only beings who
from beginning to end kept cool and steady
were the s1ldiers, carabiniers (policemen)
and hremen. Ofic aud never for one
moment lost heir self-comm and; they did
admiral service, they every where,
and always 1T the right moment. wit
ness acis OF the greatest heroism the
part OF The officers and men, and their
bravery was only eqnaled by The modesty
with which they went at il, Withdrawing
lhaa fht iaotf
and trying to avoid theft ateful thanks. As
coon IS people could get their wits together
sort of committee rmed TO take I
7r7 prompt measures against the danger and
that must ensue Immediately Bread
was telegraphed for from the neighboring
tp-nsS rs-sel2t<rp- -~ssS--s~l.S4 f--J r-z1i
boats we're d m tnded urgently from Venice.
Many quarters Of the town had become
absolutely i-uiat-d and the strong current
rendered it impossb to get he
inmates of those hou=es even by boat
Everywhere buildings began to show signs
- of giving way, and the ,ople had 10 be got
beat they could Some were taken
out of the windows by means of cords or
sheets tied together; oilers in their fear
lesped into he water; oihsrs again had to
be liberated by getting into the houses
through hssty opeuiRgs-in the roofs Heart
Iending cries were heard IN every direction.
Parents in the bury and cenfnsion had been
separated from heir children;
~ HUSBANDS, WIVES, FRIENDS WERE MISSING,
and might already be drowned or buried
under some house fallen IN. The first day
Of serious d ,oding | visited, in company
with many other WAC had votuateered TO do
what hey could tor the sufferers, the priu--
cpal gu r.er OF the town. We seemed to
be rowing about in Venice. In he Corso
Cavour, tue, principal ihoroughiare, aud in
the Immediate neighborhood, thingI
not d sp rate; aid could be brought 10 those
shut in the houses, they could be rescded il
the buildings Threatened to fall, and they
might be fsd. BltotNer qaariers, and these
the most populous, were enrirey iso! ated
attempts wese made TO convey aid TO them
but in wi The s;rsefs had disappezred
and the fury OF the water was sneh that no
boat could for long time 10 any possible
wsy venture ~ the canal. What in
creased the horrcr of the position was
that means had been provided dur
~ ing the first night to light up he
town. As was natural, the gas works
being submerged, Verona could not be IL
Illuminated usual. Thus for several nights
Verona in utter darkness, and might
have been compared TO very city of the
dead but for the repeated cries for help
heard in every direction. AT long intervals
barge with soldiers in it might be heard
gliding slowly the muddy waters, bump
log against uaknowa corners or objects
,atius.
THE SOLDIERS GRID OUT
every now ard then for lishts, but few were
forthcoming. The population was sco fright
ened, too confused to attend TO anything.
The next morning people tried 10 move
ABOUT as we'll as they could, eOm9 IN boats,
81 others in few streets aad lanes ia carte,
others again on the sh builders of porters who
waded up TO their breasts in the water. The
streets which had not been flooded were
crowded with parsons eager know what
had happened in the quarters cut off from all
Communication. Since the bridges had
given way, those on the ri hit bank of the
liver knew absolutely nothing of what
going on on the Opposite side, aud the anxI-
ETY. was great. Now and then a dull, m uffied
sound reached us across the fosmng, roar
ing waiefcourse, and los inctively one felt
that some house had given way, perhaps
buried some relative, friend or acquaintance.
1 sscend.d the Tore dele Ore, high tower,
whence could overlook the whole Town and
neighbor hood. T. was truly an appalling
sight. Ii seemed as if Verona were going 10
be swallowed up By ever-rising ses.
WHERE STREETS OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN WERE
CANALS,
the squares turned into lakes; where
some II toe bridges had cnce spawned the
Adige hardly remnant Of he massive pill
lars were be seen, sod all the other
bridges were under water. Many houses
had falleu in the night, and here and there
on The ruins and women were 10
be huddad together, making distress
signals or vainiy shouting for hsip- l left
3 tha tower and joined company Gf soldiers
10 barge. fhey h&d several 3 cks-of bread,
which il their intention TO distribute
where mos needed The barge went On
slowly, at times pushed on by men in The
water, at others by toe oars. We went by
the left bank, to carry food TO he iuhabit-
ants that S d OF the town, which Is called
Verouetta; but our progress became at every
moment more difficult 1t YVES no lorger
question Of rowing or showing on; it VAS
question OF keeping ourselves bsck from be-
lug hurled TO destruction. The waters
geItipg deeper aud more furious. Al one