Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-04
GENOA, A RICH PORT
WeaIthiest City in Italy Con-
tinues Its Growth.
NOBLEMEN ONCE PIRATES
Magnificent Palaces Built With Pro.
ceeds Of Loot.
NOW OWNED BY THE CITY
Beautiful Collections Of Paintings
Are Hidden Away In Private
Houses.
NoBLEMEN ONCE PIRATES
NOW OWNED By THE CITY

By WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
GENOA. April l, 1910
Genoa is growing in wealth, population
and Importance. 1t Is now the greatest
port and the richest city In Italy. The early
Inhabitants, we are told. were pirates
and freebooters, and frequently are re-
ferred to with hatred and foreboding by
the ancient Greeks. Several Of tho rich
est families inherited fortunes made In
that manner. and the money that paid
for the palaces on the Via Garibaldi
and other Of the famous streets was &C
quired by methods that were considered
legitimate in the middle ages but are
obsolete now. outside Of Wall street.
Genoa has always been famous a. a
seaport and has retained its commercial
Importance through twenty centuries or
more. Three centuries before Christ the
Genoese fought a war with the Romans
over the control Of the road along the
coast which leads to Spain. Genoa was
one OF the fitting-out places for the Cru
saders, and had colonies at CONSTANT
nople. in the Crimea. in Syria and Cyprus
at the beginning of the Christian era.
The local dialect still contains words
learned from the Arabs, the Phenicians,
the Carthagenians and the Turks. The
Genoese fought with the Venetians for
the control OF the Black and Caspian
seas. and carried on an enormous COM
merce with India.
Haxbor Worst on Coast.
But during all this time Genoa has
had the worst harbor on the coast. In
the year 1887 a bre3kwater was built by
Frate Oiiviero. and 1t was extended In
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
What is known as tho new pier was
built in 1895. and 1t extended out into the
bay on the windward side in order to
create a basin for the protection Of the
ships. During the cruSades several ex-
petitions to the Holy Land were fitted
out here and here was landed millions
Of dollars worth of loot brought from
the cities Of Palestine and Syria. In all
these centuries Genoa has probably han
died moro commerce than any other
Mediterranean port, but this fact - due
more to the enterprise of her citizens
than to her harbor facilities. for there
was practically no harbor until 1876.
when the Duke Of Galltera left a legacy
Of 100000 to build breakwaters to In
with the understanding that the govern
ment should appropriate q sum suf1cient
to carry out the scheme. a special COM
mission was organized which supervised
the construction Of the present harbor,
which was outgrown in ten years and al
ways has been very awkward for ships
to maneuver in. because 1t is SO mar
row and 80 small.
There are two fine dry docks capable Of
receiving vessels 76O feet long and 100
feet beam, and thirteen stone piers for
loading and unloading cargoes. which
are equipped with travelling cranes and
other landing machinery OF the most
elaborate description. There is series
of warehouses Of the most improved type,
belonging to an English company. They
are lighted with electricity and furnish
ed with electrical cranes and elevators
Of all kinds.