The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-08-18
IYALY'S DEADLY MARSHES,
THEY HAVE BEEN BREEDING MA
LARA FOR 1000 YEARS.

The Famous Pontine swamps Near
Rome--nost Unhesithy Region I'm
Earops-First Effort TO Drain the
Marshes Twenty-Four Centuries Age.
Every school boy who has read the
Latin classics has heard of the Pontine
marshes, twenty to forty miles south OF
Rome, crossed by branch of the famous
Appian Way, and breeding malaria TO 20
great an extent that they have been re-
earded az a crying evil for 1000 years.
The Pontine marshes are to- day as great
an evil as ever they were. Capt. Won Donat,
n German engineer, has been making
study Of these breeding places of disease
with d view to suggesting a plan Tor
draining the marshes. They extend In
marrow belt from four to six miles broad
and twenty miles long almost parallel
with the sea south of Rome. Sand dunes
separate them from the sea, and on the
north and east they are hemmed in by
big hills. Capt. Won Donat talked about
them last month before the Geographical
Society Of Berlin.
The first village on the northern bound
airy of the marshes Is Cisterna, hamlet
ut the southern base OF the Alban hills.
Here begins the reign of what the Italians
call Aria cdttiud, or the bad air. The
people OF this hamlet present striking
contrast to the healthfulness of the ma
tives to the north OF them. They are yell
low, bloated, physically weak, with mel
ancholy eyes, and their every aspect Is
that OF poverty, misery, and ill-health.
The hamlets further south contain very
few residents Seize and Sermonetta
suffer, notwithstanding their elevated
position on the hills, because they are ex-
posei to the malarious air from the
swamps. Even Terracina, which Is on a
rock over the sea at the southernterminus
of the marshes, is a very sickly place, and
the residents are said to attain only half
the usual average of human life.
. II Is OF the greatest Importance that
this region be thoroughly drained. Be-
tween the northern and southern bound
AIRY OF the bwamps, along the post road,
through the centre, live only about thirty
people, all OF them with ycllow-gray skin
and bioated flesh. Their flesh has COM
pletely lost elastic quality, and il one
touches 1t with his finger the dent he
makes ID some time In disappearing, Peo-
pie exposed to this deadly air lose all
energy and ambition, have not even any
desire to change their residence, are COM
pletely exhausted with their little house,
hold cares, and while walking on the
paths often fall asleep, and In this condi-
tion now and then one of them passes
into the slumber that knows no waking.
The air does not seem to have the same
deleterious effect upon the lower animals.
Herds Of cattle and buffaloes feed on the
marshes and thrive fairly well.
It was twenty-four centuries ago that
the first efforts were made to drain the
Pontine swamps. Julius Cesar conceived
the idea Of boring tunnel through the
Alban hills, on the north, and diverting
the water OF the swamps into the Tiber
River. This stupendous scheme never
reached even its initial stage. After Caesar,
Augustus, Nerva, Trajan, Theodore and
eighteen popes, among whom were Leo.
x. and Sixtus ", grappled with the prob
lem OF drainage. The first to accomplish
important results was Pope Plus VI,
hundred and twenty years ago. At an
expenditure OF 5000, 900 francs he built
large drainage works, which accomplished
some good, though ultimately they fell
into neglect and became almost useless.
The work OF Pope Plus VI, however, is
still important, for it can be utilized to
carry out new scheme o. drainage, and
will, TO q large extent, reduce the cost
and labor required.
The reason that 1t Is SO hard to reclaim
these marshes is on account OF their ply
steal structure, The surface covering is
soft, elastic peat from two or three to
seventy feet thick. Under THIS peat rec
poses stratum CT clay about foot thick.
This clay underlies the greater part of the
marshes only few feet from the surface,
And the water cannot permeate it. The
surrour ding mountains are largely desti-
tute OF verdure, and all the moisture that
falls upon them is quickly drained into
the marshes. After heavy downpours the
volume of water precipitated into the
Pontine plains is immense, and for
months some parts remain under three
feet of water. The trenches dug by Pope
Plus vi, even il they were now in good
working condition, are quite insufficient
to carry of the great influx. In the mid
die of summer the marshy tract is so far
dried up, however, that it can be crossed
at all points.
II it were not for these many streams
flowing from the mountains it would be
comparatively easy to drain the marshes.
Only about 5000 acres lie so low that the
natural fall OF the ground is insufficient
to carry off moderate supply of water.
Many Of the springs, before they reach
the marshes, pass through long subter-
ranean courses, absorbing gases and dis
solving mineral substances which are
subsequently deposited in thick strata.
The carnations from this matter add
greatly ta the unhealthfulness of the
region.-N. Y. Sun.
Too smart. .