Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-10

CAMPANILE TOWER UP AGAIN
Collapsed Eight Years Ago and Public
Opinion Demands Replacement.
OLD WILL BE REPRODUCED
Lions Heads I'm Spandrils and Capt.
tails of Columns Are New,
Although Following An
Client Specimens.
BY CLEMENT ]. BARRETT

ROME, April Especial to the Publish
ers Press)-The Campanie OF ST Marks
Of Venice viii be completed within a year,
according TO reports just received here.
When the old Campanile OF St Marks
collapsed on July "A, 1902, after an eN-
istence Of 1.Ol4 years, the general feeling,
at least among the people Of Venice, was
that the tower must go Up again.
The strength Of the popular feeling was
recognized and interpreted by the town
council when it voted the reconstruction
Of the Campanile dove era e come era, W
where It was and as It was" and it is
difficult not TO rejoice at the triumph Of
the better vulgar" and TO hope that, now
the tower Is approaching completion, the
business Of their view win be recognized.
Faithful Reproduction.
The intention was to reproduce the old
tower as faithfully as possible, both in
structure and in color. With that object
in view the bricks have been specially Sc
lected and laid as in the original Cum
panile. the modelling Of the windows and
the internal arrangement Of inclined planes
have been preserved. The walls Of the
outer shaft are six feet thick. and the in
terror Of the tower presents q fine piece Of
brick construction. almost Roman in its
lHIIekkANtlltbE III utoAEl VI Inv AAAiAN
shaft offers the only important structural
change which d-ifferentiates the new tower
from the old; for the sake Of lightness the
double arch on each of the four sides has
been replaced by a single span from angle
to angle. The inner and outer shafts are
bound together at each angle by iron rods,
running through the cement of which the
corner landing places are made, while the
pilasters al the angles Of the inner shaft
are similarly united by iron rods running
through the cement, which forms the basis
Of the inclined plane. The whole tower is
thus solidly linked together, and, should it
ever fan again, it will not sit down gently,
as did the old tower, causing comparatively
little damage. but must inevitably fall in
one block. crushing whatever it touches.
Difficult Work at Hand.
The brick shaft was finished about four
months ago. and the more difficult part OF
the reconstruction, the stonework Of the
bell has now been reached; the
arcade Of four arches on each side is all
but complete. The lions heads in the
spandrils and the capitals Of the columns
are new, though both have been faithfully
reproduced from surviving specimens of
their predecessors. The two figures Of
Justice which adorned the east and west
sides OF the square attic. above the bell
chamber, are intact and viii be employed
when the reconstruction of the attic is
reached; the lions Of st. Mark, which
originally occupied the center of the north
and south sides Of the attic were defaced
during the French occupation Of Venice,
but are to be restored to the modern Cam
panile.
Unlike the Campanile. the Logetta is not
being rebuilt: though shattered by the fall
Of the tower its fragments were not ground
to powder and now. by a triumph OF
patience, labor and intelligence the grace
Sansovino's masterpiece will once more
decorate the base Of the Campanile. The
same patient care has been bestowed or
Sansovino's terra Gotta group Of the Ma,
donna and Child with St. John, which oc-
cupied the interior Of the loggetta. The
statue was reduced 10 a thousand frag.
ments. but has been most successfully re-
composed, with the unfortunate exception
OF the st, John which is past mending.
Worry over Queens Health.
Some concern is felt for the health OF
Queen Elena, She has been suffering from
a severe sore throat and bronchial trouble
which for a time threatened 10 develop into
pneumonia. Her majesty was obliged e
suspend all audiences. She seemed par.
ticulsrly worried for fear she would no.
be able TO meet former President Roose
welt on his visit here. Her majesty is very
anxious to meet the famous American.