The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-05-18
THE PONTINE MARSHES.
swamp Lands of Europe That Are Il
Abode of Malaria.

marshes, twenty to forty miles south
of Rome, crossed by branch of the
famous Appian way, and breeding
malaria to so great an extent that they
have been regarded as a crying evil for
two thousand years. The Pontine
marshes are to-day as great an evil IS
ever they were. Capt. Won Donat, q
German engineer. has been making a
study of these breeding places of dis
ease with view to suggesting plan
for draining the marshes. They ex-
tend in narrow belt from four 10 six
miles broad and twenty miles long al
most 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
boundary of marshes is Cisterna, a
! hamlet at the southern base of the Al
ban hills. Here begins the reign OF
what the Italians call aria cattiva, OF
the bad air. The people of this hamlet
present a striking contrast to the
healthfulness of the natives north q
them. They are yellow bloated, pASsss
cally weak, with melancholy eyeN Ind
| their every aspect is that of pfverty,
misery and i'll health. The hlmlets
farther south contain very fsV resi-
dents. Seize and Sermonetta suffer,
notwithstanding their elevated posi-
ton on the hills, because they are ex-
posed to the draughts of malarious air
from the swamps Even Terracina,
which is on a rock over the sea at the
| southern terminus of the marshes, is a
very sickly place, and the residents are
| said to attain only half the usual aver
age of human life. On the Other hand,
the little towns lying to the east and
south, just beyond the first protecting
mountain walls, such as Piperno and
Sonnino, are healthful places, and the
seward slopes of the sand dunes west
of the marshes are also salubrious.
1t is of the greatest Importance that
this region be thoroughly drained. Be
tween the northern and southern
boundary of the swamps, along the
post road, through the center, live only
about thirty people, all of them with
yellow-gray skin and bloated flesh.
Their flesh has completely lost elastic
quality, and if one touches it with his
finger the dent he makes is some time
in disappearing People exposed to
this deadly air lose all energy and am
bition, have not even any desire to
change their residence, are completely
exhausted with their little household
cares, and while walking on the paths
often fall asleep, and in this condition
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 api-
mails. Herds of cattle and buffaloes feed
on the marshes and thrive fairly well.
What makes the evil all the more
striking is the fact that this wretched-
ness, poverty and sickness pervades a
region which is remarkable for the
luXuriance of it's soil. the excellence Of
its situation and the charming char
acter of the climate in the surrounding
regions. If the marshes were drained
a very large population could settle
here. enjoy the best or health and turn
this ill-omened spot into paradise
Capt. Won Donat says the infected
region is amply sufficient to support
five hundred thousand people, who
would be no more crowded than they
are in some other parts of Europe The
land itself is undoubtedly the most
fertile area on the continent As it is,
there is nothing to see but green
waste with few ruins of castles,
which wealthy Romans in ancient
times had the temcrity to build there,
and wretchcd huts of the handful of
people who still dwell among the
marshes.
1t was twenty-four centuries ago that
the first efforts were made TO drain the
Pontine swamps. Julius Caesar con-
ceivcd 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 Cesar, Augustus, Nerva,
Traian. Theodore and eighteen popes,
! among whom were Leo y. and SiXtus
v, grappled with the problem of drain
age. The first toaccomplish important
results was Pope Plus VI, one hundred
and twenty years ago. At an expendi-
ture of nine million francs he built
large drainage works which accom-
plished some good. though ultimately
they fell into neglect and became al
most useless. The work of Pope Plus
VI, however. is still important, for ii
can be utilized to carry out new
scheme of drainage, and will, to a large
extent. reduce the cost and labor re-
CURED
The reason that it is so hard to re.
claim these marshes is on account OF
| their physical structure, The surface
covering is soft, elastic peat from two
or three to seventy feet thick Under
| this peat reposes stratum of clay
about a foot thick. This clay under
| lies the greater part of the marshes
only a few feet from the surface, anG
the water cannot permeate it. The
surrounding mountains are largely des
titute of verdure, and all the moisture
that falls upon them is quickly drained
into the marshes. After heavy down
pourS the volume of water precipitateC
| into tho DCptina Mains