The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-09-06
WATERY CITIES OF EUROPE.
Remains Of Lake DWe!lers of Ages
Ago Still to be Seen in Italy.


These Lake Dwellers followed two
distinct systems in forming support
for their dwellings. The first was that
Of pile driving, the second was that
of island making. In the former case
piles were driven into the lake and
platform erected upon these on which
the houses were built. In the case OF
the latter, masses OF timber, mud and
stones were dumped in shallow water,
and on this artificial island dwellings
were then made
The Lake Dwellers fourished thou
sands of years ago. but their system
of building, strange to say, has been
followed at later date by civilized
people. Quite a number of the worlds
famous cities stand in the border OF
the sea or in low places surrounded
by water, very much resembling those
villages Of olden time.
The largest Of all these watery
cities is St. Petersburg, the capital and
largest city Of Russia. The city is
built on piles and on islands in and
around the delta of the Neva. Even
the admiralty quarter of the city, sit
uated on peninsula, is converted into
islands by canals. These islands are
connected with each other and with
the peninsula by large number or
bridges, several of them very fine.
The city is elevated but little above
the Neva, which has more than once
overflowed and caused great destruc-
ton of life and property. The banks
of the principal canals are protected
by walls of granite. st. Petersburg
owes its existence to a within of Peter
the Great, and only vast and unlim-
tied imperial power would have
thought of building a capital ON a
morass.
Hamburg, one of the free cities OF
Germany, is another of the cities on
stills, so to speak, being built large
ly on piles. 1t is situated at the juno
ton of the Elbe and the Alster, and
the latter river flows through it, and
numerous canals intersect the city and
communicate with both rivers. Some
thing over sixty bridges span the riv-
ers and canals.
Amsterdam, the capital of the Meth
erlands, is one Of the watery cities.
ic on IF ha
Zee, in the shape of half moon, and,
as the site is a marsh, Is founded on
piles driven into the mud. bikes
guard it against tides, which rise
higher than the city's level. A sys-
tenn of canals, in connection with the
River Amstel, divides the city into
about ninety islands, and the canals
are crossed by nearly three hundred
bridges, hence the name of the city,
Amsterdam, meaning "the dixie or
dam of the Amsdel.''
The city was only small fishing
village in the thirteenth century, but
in the seventeenth century it was the
greatest commercial center of Europe,
and even now is an active and bust
ling city. 1t has a population of near
ly four hundred thousand souls.
Venice, in northern Italy, is built
upon a cluster of islets, eightyin num-
Der, in a lagoon which is separated
from the Gulf of Venice by a long
and narrow sandbank divided into a
number of small islands by narrow
sea passages, six in number. Inside
of this sandbank and between it and
the mainland is the lagoon, in which
are scattered the islands upon which
Venice is built. AS the islands in
many places afford no suitable founda-
ton for buildings, the city is largely
built upon piles and stones.
In many places canals serve for
streets in this city of the waters, and
the carriages are boats called gon-
dolas. The canals are crossed by
bridges of strange pattern, very nigh
IN the middle but with easy steps. 1t
is beautiful city with many attrac-
tons, and her structures seem to rise
like fairy vision out Of the sea-
The city of Client, in Belgium, at
the junction of the Lys and the
Scheldts is built on twenty-six is
lands divided by canals and connect
ed by two hundred and seventy
bridges. 1t is surrounded with gar.
dens and meadows, and in it's mingling
OF land and water resembles Venice
BY the great canal which flows into
the Scheldt, Client is connected with
the sea, and it can receive at it's docks
vessels drawing seventeen feet OF
water.
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark,
is situated on a number of islands on
the shores of the Baltic sea- and must
be considered as one OF the watery
cities. A large number of canals
n NJ L