Milford chronicle., 1904-03-18
THE FALLEN cAMPANILE.
Nothing Done Yet Toward Rebuild
ing Venice's Great Tower.

Nothing Done Yet Toward HeDuit"-
ing Venice's Great Tower.
The party intrigues which have been
vigorously carried on ever since the
campanilc fell by the supporters Of
those who then were turned out OF
office have once more succeeded. Flrst
Commentators Boni, discouraged by
the difficulties thrown in his path, re-
tired to carry ON his more congenial
work among the excavations OF the
forum. and now Commentators Bel
trami has followed his example.
Against Signor Bonfs advice the au-
thorities left the great base of the
tower standing instead of unbuildins
il all down to the level Of the PIE
heads. and they insisted that Slgnor
Beltrami 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 of, ana II
would be impossible to bind this ma
1erial. 1t would only keep in place
by its own weight, and. having moth
ing TO rivet it down to the foundations,
it would topple over at the first shake
of earthquake Besides this, the very
consistence of the old plaster is such
as to prevent the new part from unit
ing with it. Plaster in early Venetian
times was simply mixture OF lime
and sand, and the continued ooZing up
into the foundations of water with the
risa and fall of the tides has in the
course Of so many centuries washed all
away. both lime and sand, and the
stones only stood in place because
there was nowhere for them TO 60
as all was held in place by the sur
rounding mud and earth.
1t is true that no defect in the
foundations caused the fail, but to
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 first
70 20 70 the country for his health
and now finally to resign altogether.
The intriguing party has cleared the
ground. but it 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
great trench round the base the other
day. and from the excavation dug into
its mass was issuing a flowing stream
of water. All work has been stopped.
and everything in the matter is, as an
official said to me, confusion worse
confounded."
Meantime in the digging round the
spot many things of interest have come
to light. All along the side of the
trench toward Sansovino's library
thick wall of foundation stones has
been laid bare. which. from their posi-
ton and from historical records, turn
out TO be those of an ospizio. or hospl-
tai. built by the sanity old Doge Or
seolo about 9TG. The level of these
foundations is considerably higher than
those of the campanile, showing that
these were of a much earlier date and
that in Doge Orseolo's time the soil
l
prove the truth of the idea that the
campanile had existed as a watch
tower long before it 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. at
a still greater depth, were stakes and
waffle work which had once lined a
canal bank in the time of the first la
goon inhabitants, before the invasion
of the Huns sent the dwellers 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-
tions of vases and for carving in mar
/ BILE in the eighth and ninth centuries
| and which indeed are found. l 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.-LondOn
/ Globe.