Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-05-21
lThur1nunf Culture G|nb,
A PAPER.
Venice.
BY MISSES MARY 4 DAISY WAESCHE.

In the northern part of Italy. built
upon crowded cluster Of islands, in
lagoon, stands one Of the nobIest, most
famous and singularly picturesque cities
of the world. The lagoon Of Venice is
banked off from the Adriatic by long
narrow sand bank, extending southwest
from the mouth of the Piave to that Of
the Adige, and divided into number
Of islands by narrow sea passages.
Inside Of this sand bank and between
itand the mainland, which is from three
to FIVE miles distant. is the lagoon-a
sheet O. shallow water, navigable for
vessels Of very light draught, except
where channels have been formed by
rivers and arti6cially maintained.
The entrances to the lagoon are six
in number, the deepest at present being
the Porto di Malamocco, between an
island Of the same name on the south
and that of Lido on the north.
To get to the city we will sail up the
Adriatic and enter Venice through the
Porto di Lido, formerly the chief
entrance to the lagoon, and through
which, no doubt, all of Antonio's vessels
passed, it being the passage way for all
the great merchantmen vf the republic.
In some parts Of this marshy sea COW
cred plain, islets have, by the action
of currents and otherwise, become con.
solidated into ground firm enough to be
built upon, and fruitful enough to be
cultivated and in the midst Of a cluster
Of such islets, amounting in number to
between seventy and eighty, the city Of
| Venice is built.
The islands in many places, only
shoals, afford no good foundations for
buildings, and the city. for the most part
is built upon artificial foundations of
piles or stones.
The Canalazzo, or Grand Caual-its
tortuous course through the city being
in the form of the letter S reversed
divides Venice into two unequal parts
and is the main thoroughfare for traffic
or pleasure.
But the city is sub divided by JAG
smaller canals. These are the water
streets of Venice, by means Of which
passages can be conveyed to any quarter
for here the canal is the street and the
gondola is the cab or carriage.
The Piazzo, or Square Of St. Marks
is the great center of business and
amusement and the locality most fire.
quently visited by travellers in Venice.
The Bridge Of Sighs is found here and
stretches across the canal called the
Ria Palazzo, or communicates between
prisons on the east and the Dogs palace
Ou Cuc WcSI Uduh VI tIlc CdldI. ~ 40
covered gallery, and prisoners, when led
to execution passed from their cells
across this gallery to the palace of to
hear sentence of death passed upon
them, and then were conducted to the
scene of death between the red columns.
Many writer's have led to misconcep-
tion by omitting to note the fact that
the Venice of today is by no means the
same city as the Venice of earlier and
more famous days. On this subject it
will be Of interest to quote the following
from Ruskin's "Stories of Venice"
"The Venice of modern fiction and
drama is thing of yesterday, mere
efflorescence Of decay. a stage dream,
which the first ray of daylight must
dssipate into dust. Nc prisoner whose
name is worth remembering, or whose
sorrows observed sympathy, ever crossed
that bridge of Sighs,' which is the
center of the Byronic ideal of Venice;
no great merchant OF Venice ever saw
that Rialto under which the traveller
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