Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-09-26
THE FALLEN CAMPANllE.
Nothing Done Yet Toward hepuho-
inn ycnice's Grent Tower.

ing Vcnice's Grent Tower.
The party intrigues which have been
vigorously carried on ever since me
campanilc fell by the supporters OF
those who then were turned out Oh
of,ice have once more succeeded. First
Commentators Boni. discouraged py
the difficulties thrown in his path' re-
tired TO carry on his more congenlai
work among the excavations OF the
forum. and now Commentators BEL
tromi has followed his example.
Against Signor Bonis advice the au-
thorities left the great base OF the
tower standing instead of unbuilding
II all down to the level or the pie
heads and they insisted that Slenor
Reltrami should build the new cam
panile upon this old base. AS every
stone and block of this base Is round
ed and slippery and damaged with age,
there is absolutely nothing for the
new building to hold grip or ana IL
would be impossible to bind this ma
terial 1t would only keep In place
nv its own weight, and, having notn-
ing to rivet ii down to the foundauohs'
IT would topple over at the hrst snake
of eorthouake. Besides this, the very
consistence Of the old plaster Is sucn
as 10 prevent the new part from unit
ING with It. Plaster in early Venetian
times was simply a mixture OF lime
and sand, and the continued oozihg up
into the foundations of water with the
rise and fall of the tides has In the
course of so many centuries washed all
AWAY. both lime and sand, ana the
stones only stood In place because
there was nowhere for them TO CO.
as all was held in place by the sur
rounding mud and earth.
1t is true that no defect IN the
foundations caused the fall, but 10
build up a new tower on them as they
are would be a very serious mistake
and if was this which Signor Beltrami'
when he came to full knowledge OF the
condition of things below ground, re-
fused to do and which caused him hrst
70 90 to the country "for his health
and now finally to resign altogether
The intriguing party has cleared the
ground. but il is remarkable that no
one appears ready to undertake the
work now that the condition OF Things
Is visible to all. We were down in the
qreat trench round the base the other
dov and from the excavation dug into
its mass was issuing flowing stream
OF water. All work has been stopped
and everything in the matter IS as an
official said to me, confusion worse
COMPOUNDED"
Meantime in the digging round the
snot many things Of interest have come
TO light. All along the side OF the
trench toward Sansovino's library a
thick wall of foundation stones has
been laid bare which, from their POSI-
tion and from historical records, turn
ont TO be those of an ospizio, or hospl-
tal built by the sanity old Doge Or
seolo about 976. The level Of these
foundations is considerably higher than
those Of the campanile, showing that
these were of much earlier date and
that in Doge Orseolo's time the soil
had already risen. This also goes TO
prove the truth of the idea that the
campanile had existed as a watch
tower long before 1t was used as the
bell tower of ST. Marks. One of Doge
Orseolo's stones now rests in our hall.
Another interesting discovery, at the
northwest corner of the excavation, al
a still greater depth. were stakes and
waffle work which had once lined q
canal bank in the time Of the first Ia
COON inhabitants, before the invasion
of the Huns sent the jewellers on the
mainland to seek safety among these
watery wastes. Their waffle work was
the original from which so many beau
tiful designs were taken for decora'
tons Of vases and for carving In mar
BILE in the eighth and ninth centuries
and which indeed are found. | believe
in all parts Of the globe. This waffle
work, together with other interesting
objects found, is being carefully pre-
served In the ducal palace.-Londor
Globe.