The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-14
MEAN VILLAGE
ONCE SECOND
CITY OF ITALY
Few Ruins Only Mark it as
Former Great Seaport
Near TrIest.

WASHINGTON, June 14.-Asqu1-
leia. one of-the first towns captured
by the Italians In their storm across
the Austrian borders at the head OF
the Adriatic stands foremost among
the Austrian Italian-speaking posses
OF the patriotic sons Of Italy Why
the Italian takes so-deep an interest
in this decaying little frontier village
is told in statement on war geo
.graphy, recently prepared by the ma
.tiona1 geographic society. This
statement reads:
.-Asqulleia. situated six miles back
from the Adr1atic sea. at the edge
Of the lagoons, in the Austrian pro
once great and hourfShing seaport.
at one time ranking as the second
city of Italy. It was, in those days.
one of the mightiest bulwarks of
the Roman empire against the press
ing hordes Of outside barbarians. y
city Of proud walls and wide be-
spoken splendor.' As late as the end
OF the fourth century. Ausonius
placed it ninth on the list OF the
great cities Of the earth.
Fabulous Sp1endor Gone
To-day. Aquf1eia IS a mean. pow
erty-marked, dwindling fishing VII
lage. with a few thousand inhabi-
tants The wonderful structures or
its heyday have served for centur-
les as stone quarr1es, and nothing
now remains Of their fabulous splen-
dor Aquileia. regal city of the en-
pire, and. later, great seaport and
industrial city. has vanished, In al
Likelihood, for good. There remains
from its golden days merely hetero-
igenous mass OF relics, statues. mo
saics, columns. friezes, from its parks
and buildings; lamps from its once
famous factories; besides many
lhomely surviva1s and nicknacks.
Trfest. the great seaport OF today.
| is about twenty-five miles distant.
to the southwest. All the marks OF
AQuileia have fed to Triest, in the
east. and to Venice, in the west The
once busy harbor, is choked with
silt and drifting dunes, while rats
and fishing boats are almost the only
crafts that now thread the varying
channels. The modern village. count
ing $500 people, is unhealthy on
account OF its rice fields. is neglected
and forgotten.
Rich Field for Scientists
"Asquileia Is a grave Of past
| achievement. and much weathereo
monument Of the world of the Roman
age It's museum is~rich in trophies
| of Roman times, and Its ancient ca
thedral and the remains Of the Pat
riach's palace are its most eloquent,
concrete memories. Aqui1eia, as Is
much of the northern and western
coast Of the Adriat1c. is a rich field
for archeologists and antiquarians-
<'The city is said to have been
o1onizezd by the Romans as from
tier fortress against the celts In 1SS
B. c. In LES a. D., Marcus Azure
lius made it one Of the strongest for
tiled positions in the empire Dur
ing Hadrian's reign. its population
reached the 500. 900 mark Atti1la de.
stroyed the city IN 452 a D.. and II
never recovered its greatness. Aqui-
LEILA was great and strong only
throughout its Roman history, when
during its prime, it ranked imme-
diate1y after the eternal city itself.
| Its fortunes were those Of the Roman
world: and modern Italy. looking
back over the gulf Of centuries. feels
itself, not only the descendant, but
also the heir Of Latin Rome