Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-29
WAS ONCE ROMAN CITY
Durazzo Has History Extending Far
Into Past.

Durazzo, the Albanian port which
has attracted international attention
on account Of its occupation by the
Servians in opposition to the wishes OF
the Austrians, Is just such an outlet to
the sea as the Servians have long CO.
veted, says the New New York. AS a
Turkish port 1t has been badly run
down in the last quarter OF century,
for the railway from Salonica to Me-
trovitza had diverted much Of the
trade that 1t once controlled in the in
terror Of the country southwark to the
AEGEAN. The harbor Is filed with big
rocks-if you were to trust the stories
Of some Of the Albanian patriots the
Turks dumped them there purposely to
ruin the harbor-and 1t has become
silted up. Steamers Of the Austrian
Lloyd stop there twice a week and
carry away olive oil, cotton and fruits,
which are abundantly produced on the
rich lands Of the neighborhood.
DurazZo was a port more than six
centuries before the Christian era and
became a populous and important city.
When the Romans came they didn't like
the sound Of its ancient name, Epida-
mus-it was too much like their word
damnum-and they changed 1t to Dyr-
rachium, which time and later occu-
pants corrupted to Its present name. It
was the beginning Of a Roman road
southwark along the coast and of the
great military road, Via Egnatia, run
ming through to Salonica and the Hell
lespont. 1t has been the scene Of much
strife, and Slavs, Normans and Vene-
tians had been masters Of its port be-
fore the Turks took 1t in 1901. An
earthquake destroyed Durazzo In
1878, and the only traces Of Its ancient
buildings are in broken columns and
marbles where the city once stood.
The city, which was formerly an is
land, is Joined to the mainland by a
huge marsh, over which Is built a
bridge 75O feet long. The marsh Is
partly salt where the government salt
works are situated and partly fresh
and haunted by 'storks, frogs and fe-
vers." Durazzo Is scarcely more than
a shadow of it's former self The old
walls are dilapidated, plane trees grow
on the ruins of the ancient Byzantine
citadel and many of the Roman re-
mains, funeral slabs, columns and In
scriptions have been smashed up by
the Turkish government to build a
road around the point projecting out
into the bay.
The port is fifty miles south Of Sou
tart and Is 400 miles nearer the Medi-
terranean tnan Trieste. Inc population
of the place is about 5000. The Ro-
man Catholic religion through the hard
work of priests trained in Austria has
made considerable headway. The Ger
man or Slav languages are spoken by
as many persons as Is the Italian.
Durazzo has dreamed for years Of a
railroad that might help 1t back to its
lost glory. The people, though, had
expected that 1t would be built from
Monastir They had not contemplated
that the port might fall into the hands
of Albania's hereditary enemies and
that they should carry out the pet pro-
ject. Should the Servians manage to
retain this port they would be forced
to make railway communication and
do a great deal Of hard work upon the
harbor, consuming in all two or three
years before they could send their pro-
ducts to foreign market by this route.