The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-15

CAMPANILE OF ST.
MARKS IN RUINS
Famous Bell Tower of Venice
Collapsed Yesterday.
NOTED STATUES DESTROYED
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED
CITIZENS IN A PANIC.
NOTED STATUES DESTROYED

VENICE, July 1.-THE campanile Of
Y St. Marks detached bell tower),
AZ feet square and 323 feet high,
collapsed at 1910 this morning and fell
with a great crash into the piazza.
The campanile, which was entirely
detached from the cathedral. collapsed
where it stood and is now a heap of
ruins. The cathedral and Palace of
the Dones are quite safe, but corner
of the royal palaces was damaged.
Repairs on the campanile were to-
have been commenced today. The
ruins are surrounded by Gordon of
troops.
The first intimation Of danger was
the sudden appearance yesterday of a
long crack in the corner of the wall
facing the clock tower and the break
ing of two windows. A concert. which
had been arranged to be held on the
piazza yesterday evening, was stopped
by order of the project of police, with
the object of preventing concourse
of people
The ruins are piled up to a height Of
100 feet, and the Piazza Df San Marco
and the adjoining squares are covered
with debris and dust. Some damage
was done to the Sansovino Loggetta,
or vestibule on the east side of the
campanile.
The campanile stood opposite the
church of the cathedral of st. Mark S.
1t was founded in SSS, restored in 1929,
provided with marble top in 1414, and
in 1917 was crowned with the figure OF
an angel nearly sixteen feet high. The
iOggetta or vestibuie, on the east side
of the campanile was once rendez-
vOus of the nobility, and afterwards a
waiting room for the guards during the
sessions of the great council. There
were bronze statues Of Peace, Apollo,
Mercury and PaIlas on the coping OF
the campanile, and its fine bronze doors
were much admired At the top of the
tower fire Waterman with telescope
was continually stationed.
A little before the collapse a noise OF
falling stones within the bell tower
warned the shopkeepers, workmen and
tourists of the impending disaster, and
all fled for their lives, crying, The
campanile is falIing!"
When the disaster was comprehendeC
Nenetians were seen in the streets be
moaning the destruction of one of the
oldest art treasures in the kingdom
-Four of Sandovinos statues of Vene-
tian mobiles were demolished in The
Sansovice Ioggetta, while beautiful
example of a Paul Veronez painting
was destroyed in the palace. The wins
IF an angel from the top of the bel
over was thrown down to the from
ioor of the cathedral smashing th'
Oando column, which was hurled thir
ty-five feet, just escaping the column
supporting the south angel of the ca
thedraI, and thus averting more seri
Gus disaster.
The fall of the tower produced ;
thick red dust which spread like
hanging cloud over the city. This, witt
the rumbling, volcanic noise, startle'
the inhabitants of the most remot
suburbs Thousands of soldiers AM
police aided in aIlaying the panic. /
is expected that subscription Will b
raised at the meeting of the city coun
Gil tonight to duplicate the origina
tower.
Close investigation shows that tn
campanile, in falling, carried ava
Sansovice loggetta and the library o
the royal palace. Premonitory signs @
the collapse allowed a partial clear
ance of the piazza and there We're n
fatalities, but a few persons were IN
jured. The disaster caused an i'm
mense sensation. The town and com
munal councils have been summoned
meet this evening.
The deputies of Venice have tele
graphed to the government at Rom
for authorization to establish a lotter
for the purpose of raising funds
rebuild the bell tower.