Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-09-09
KILLOCH LETTERS FROM ABROAD.
Venice and Verona, Canals and Gondolas San Marco
Campanle, Ducal Palace Bridge of Sighs Bronze
Horses-Pigeons, Clock-Academy, Murano-Lido--
Coliseum Verona-Adige.

| Venice, the wonderful the fairy, the
| ideal, yet very real, is our next desti-
| nation. This is our third visit to this
queerest of all cities, and it seems more
queer, strange, fantastic with each sue
Icessive visit. The only approach by
rail is over the costly and massive
stone bridge across the lagoon two
miles long. Then we are ushered into
a city of half a million of inhabitants,
yet without street, without beast
| of burden, without a quadruped larger
than house dog or a cat without a
wheeled vehicle of any kind, even a
bicycle, and only a few wheelbarrows
or luggage vans. All the transportation
| is by boats on the $50 canals. There
| is labyrinth of narrow walks between
the buildings that are all paved with
stone or asphalt and which cross the
canals by nearly 400 bridges of ma
sonry.
The Grand canal is the Broadway of
tbs city, both for fashion and trade
which varies in width from 200 to 500
feet, UP and down which line of lit
tie steamers ply to serve the purpose
of tram ears, and you can ride the
Whole length of the canal for ten CEN
tissimi or two cents. American value.
During the rush hours, morn and eve.
at five centissimi for the working
classes. There are only three bridges
across this canal, the most famous and
ancient is the Ponte Rialto, which
Rusllin. Shakespeare and other authors
have made familiar to all lovers of lit
erature. The Ponte di Ferro is a
modern suspension steel bridge. and
there is a third at the Stazione.
The gondolas are peculiar to Venice,
which ply all about the canals for
| transportation of all sorts, and the
musical and jovial gondoliers in uni
form are an army of indispensable fell
| lows in their way.
The Piazza San Marco is the center
of attraction and activity, a square
nearly GOO feet long by varying
width of about 300. The San Marco
cathedral, unique and gorgeous, dates
back to A. d. $50. when a brick basilica
was built to cover the buried bones of
St. Mark, which the devoteas believe
We're brought here from Egypt in S29.
We attended mass here on Sunday
and heard splendid music from the
grand organs.
The Campanile of ancient date fell
a great wreck in 1902. 1t was over
300 feet high. At our last visit in 1907
a new one was erected about thirty feet
high, and now we find it over 200 feet
and still up it goes 1t is claimed that
this new one will overtop all other such
structures on the globe
The Ducal palace must be visited for
its grand gothic architecture and con-
tanning many rooms of precious paint
ings and statuary. The main entrance
/ IS DN IH6 NTlduL SldlTS, Win us COIOSSdI
statues of Mars and Neptune.
A narrow passage leads to the ia
nous Bridge of Signs through which
we pass to the criminal prisons Beyond
"a canal We pass through many
gloomy dungeon cells and chambers of
torture and execution, now ablaze with
electricity for public inspection.
The colossal horses Of bronze which
are perched over the main entrance of
San Marco. although inanimate and
stolid as metal have probably Travelled
farther than any live ones ever did, as
in the fortunes of war they have been
taken to Paris and Jerusalem and re-
turned hither.
The pigeons of San Marco are more
famed, probably, than any other to be