The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-26
Mar ks. 90 g The D i7':'|
Travellers View Of Beautiful
italian City, Throug ~ Y ''l hich \
38s5 "A Gondolas Glide. M
BY e dwin w Bowen, sl5.


Il Especial Correspondent OF rlle sT Tim es-
NJ Dis pa tcll:) ig
August ST. he rid @over$ ! he
Apennlnes from Florence to ericeE on ~ y q
shot summer day offers the ira Weller soine
superb Views. But tho dust g nd Hmoke
and @Htlning al OF the nunerou tunnels e!
fre almost Intolerableg 1'ilis disn greeable
ride on tho ra ilrnad for ced me 70 NJ Wise
my opinion rs to the conf fort of SiIur Opean
travel, 4 expressed ina former letter.
& Even under the nos fayorn Bile circuni- \
stances, travelling In a con ltlental raj lWay
coach Is NOT to- be comp red Is II point q
comfort, to travel on an Am or can n RAJ
Our American trains are irlfinitel sup "a
srlor to ti1s Europe trai rs y, every ra 81
spect. S On a a first classt Am erlcan n tra IN
tile service As excel len t, and travelling 49,
$coiseaiently3Sat attended with ]ittlo Il or no
gdlsconl for. S But the continental train
With its little. stifling fompart ents, Is
destitute OF all comfort, and the service.
Is OK ecrable. erica 4 Is far and away
ahead OF Eusope In the vast and extern 4
slve busine,is Of Tailroading In every
branch or tue service. 81 s5 d. q
s NJ But to speak Venice Venice nc ls !. g
iitseH 81 is not very large, having q bout
1850, 900 population. But there Is n Q city
like 1t III NIL the world. XII lis built pom
a cluster Of Il II small island 8, formed by
i15D ca nnIs, crossed by S78 bridges &. Most.
Iof the bridges are Of st one, al thous !, al 2;
few are built OF steel. he canals,
are Gale ~ I'll. trayersed by small al
waters OF the canals lap he very foun da-
ton walls OF the houses. Some times les
however, there Is a mar W g ton q pa ye-ss
iment along the walls Of the houses 8 n! on Z!
the wat ter II edge. e But this Is A the 81 ex-ss
Sception. not the rule AZ XIII
~ S TIL, the streets are not all canals
Many or the streets are paved. and it Is
spossIble for one to wa TX q lniost over the e
whole city on solid ground. q course.
there are no y street e carsi S neither arc
there any omnibuses or cabs. he grace.
Eful. swar, like gondolns do the work n OF
cabs and omnibuses and street cars as
we'll. 3s III u u nj .s s5a55 & !. II
The gond olns are very pic turesqu We, sit
ting high 4 upon the Wate with u curved 9!
bow and sst err, and looking Ike pia y,
swans. They are long. ma roW Y III tie
boats capable OF carrying three to six
persons with the deck covered 4 over at:
both ends. There Is n ca nopy5 over the
canter. and the seats are ~ beautifully
cushioned and covered 81 vi It'll black mo-
rocco. The passengers may loll on{sitth
soft cushions. while the CONC oiier. stang ,;
ing erect on the stern Of his gon DOL 3
and bending to his oar. rows them IN
through the 4 winding canals and under
TIA nrchod bridges a Il he gondolas 4 are
still painted N black. at ter he ncientl
fashion, ana have high, curved ~ sse ems
OF metal. ss u. N y -
For the purpose Of rapid trans't through
the 6 rand Canal. there are sIna! - ca ~ q
ers plying the entire lengt tn q ne canal,
and al i making frequent landings alternately
On one side and Their. These make !, y
GOOD speed IS, and are the rapid transit
ca = 81 the city. But they are by no
N MS so picturesq the sorn 't' gon,
dolas. which glide along So lelsu l and q
20 era cefully wlthal, 3 4 they are. pro-
PEELED by the rlythmical stroke \. q !, s ~
sln NOR about the happy go lucky char
acter Of the gondolter, but his distng E, ush-