Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-16

! ROME, Feb. 2.-The Ttber continued 10
! rise today and reached maximum
height Of fifty-seven feet The rain
rain stopped at noon and the sun came
out. Hope began to increase that the
worst was over. It was argued that the
| extraordinary rapidity of the current OF
the Tiber would subslde rapidly to reduce
| the flood stage.
At several street crossing around the
Vatican soldiers had built temporary
wooden bridges These, with the pass
ing of boats up and down the flooded
thoroughfares completed the impression
that a section of Venice had been
brought up TO Rome.
There is much anxiety concerning the
embankment on the right side of the
Tiber near SAINT Angelo bridge which is
showing several cracks This embank-
ment is closed to tho public and guarded
ny troops.
King Visits District.
King Victor Emmanuel visited the
Hooded district today and gave instrue-
tions that the needs OF those sufferinE
from want of food be supplied. He also
motored out to the country districts,
where many people had taken refuge on
the roofs OF their homes. 4,
Many cattle have been drowned. but up
TO the present time there has been no
report of the loss OF human lives.
The embankment near the military col
lege, which was still in course of con-
struetion, collapsed this afternoon.
Flood About st. Peters.
The flood waters in the streets around
st. Peters have risen TO a height of four
feet and eleven inches. Several wallis
have collapsed, but without serious conse-
quences.
In the low-lying quarters. the people
have been driven from their homes or
are prisoners in the upper stories OF their
homes. The military authorities have
taken cognizance OF the situation and
troops have been sent to aid in rescue
work and TO provide food to sufferers cut
off from supplies.
In Rome the river Tiber is more than
fifty feet out Of its normal banks and is
rising at the rate OF two inches an hour.
The one bright spot IN the situation is
I that the weather early today showed
signs of clearing and this gives hope
that the waters win soon recede.
Vatican Quarters Flooded.
The Leonine City, as the Vatican quar-
ter Of Rome Is called. is in the lower
} part of the town. and this section u
! generally flooded. The water, however,
has not reached the Apostolic palace or
st. Peters. Pope Benedict is taking a
sympathetic interest in the situation and
has instructed all the parish priests TO
display tho greatest energy In aiding
their distressed parishioners. The pope
himself spent good deal of his time
Sunday in watching the rising waters In
the quarters just below the Apostolic
palace.
Two hundred patients I'm the hospital of
santo Spirito. near the Vatican. have
been removed to upper floors OF the build
ing because Of the flood Some fear is
expressed that the rising water may
cause the building to collapse
The authorities have closed the road
from Rome TO the sea. in which there are
several deposits OF carbide and lime.
Some of these. through influence in fill
teration from the flooded Tiber, have al
ready exploded and caused nearby build
ings TO collapse. Fortunately there were
no victims. as the people, fOreseeing dan
ger. had left tha place.
Deep snow I'm Northern Italy.
TURIN (Via Rome). FEB. l5.-The snow
fall in the Piedmont region this winter is
heavier than any heretofore known. ao-
cording to available records. This is es-
pecially true in the Alps where all the
wires were down and even the telegraph
poles are invisible because of the depth
OF snow At the famous st. Bernard
Hospice the snow is more than twenty
five feet deep.