South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-09
LITTLE DAMAGE IN
AERIAL ATTACK ON
VENICE TREASURES
Austrian AerOpIaneS Drop
Bombs But Destroy Few
HOuSeS-City Well Protected
Against Such IntTuderS.

NEW YORK. July An 'Ameri-
can traveller who had Just returned
TO New York and who CHANGED 10 be
IN Venice at the time Of the declara-
ton Of war by Italy upon Austria
tells the following story of happenings
which ne witnessed:
Some little time before the actual
declaration Of war IL was very evident
that the event was imminent. The
authorities were busy preparing in
every possible way 10 safeguard treas
ures OF art. The wonderful quadriga
over the great central door of st.
Marks was taken down and carried
away 10 some place of safety on the
mainland. The whole facade Of the
church underwent a great change.
being entirely covered by scaffOlding.
braces and sand bags, the latter piled
go feet high. The DOges palace was
similarly treated and in addition each
OF the hundred arches which held up
the famous balcony received the sup
port Of a pylOn of brick, six feet
square
All movable objects OF art, paint
ings. sculptures and so forth, were
removed from the museums and
churches and taken away TO some city
in the south.
on the Campanile. the highest
structure in the city. on the roof of
the Dogma. and on the tops of many
of the highest palaces, platforms were
erected, on which anti-aircraft guns
of the latest designs were stationed.
The Campanile, in addition to the
guns. had a specially constructed
mountaineering mortar. This elects
huge illuminating bombs a thousand
Yards into the air, where they burst
and float for a quarter Of an hour or
more, lighting up the surroundings
with a magnesium glare of tremend-
GUS intensity.
Lights Ordered Out.
Lights were ordered out at 8 O'Clock
in the evening and the streets cleared
of every living soul at Q. Warning
of the approach of hostile aircraft
was TO be given by the screeching Of
the huge siren at the government
arsenal
Immediately on the declaration Of
war. all foreigners residing in Venice
las I'm all other cities of Italy-wcre
required To- report to the police. If
their passports were in order, they
received formal permission to remain.
j was warned to be careful on the
streets. for the populace was Obsessed
with the SPY craze and several lnnO-
cent foreigners had been attacked
and beaten. Stories Of spies caught
giving poisoned CANDY to children on
the streets and of German and Aus
trian women who had remained in the
city ready TO signal the hostile air
craft had added 20 the excitement and
the once peaceful Nenetians had COM
pletelv lost their heads.
Scarcely had the war begun
before il was my fortune TO
witness a truly thrilling night attack
hy Austrian aeroplanes. ] was out
on the Grand canal in gondola with
some American friends, when we no
dced a sudden activity i'm the watch
towers. Men were shouting from one
to another We suspected something
unusual was about TO occur and inn
mcdiately headed back for our hotel.
Hears Buzz % Engines.
arcely had we arrived there when
.he unearthly screech OF the arsenal
siren verified our suspicious. An air
attack was about TO take place. As
The shrek OF the siren gradually died
lway. the buzz Of an aeroplane en-
kline like the droning of a monster
bee became audible.
The siren burst forth again and at