Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-16
WAR HAS BROUGHT
ODD CHANGES TO
CITY OF VENICE
Grand Canal a Navy Yard
Campanile a War Observa-
ton T~ower-Bridge of
Signs Is a Hospital.

Venice, Dec. 15.--War has brought some
strange changes and vicissitudcs to this
wonderful old storehouse Of art, the
greatest probably In all Europe. now in
the heart Of the war zone and In a state
Of siege. with bomb attacks frequent and
the enemy frontier only thirty miles
a vast navy yard, and the whole city
has taken on a warlike aspect Of prepare
ton and defense.
Three warships. one Il d~readnought,
swung In the Grand canal just off the
arsenal on the left. They were putting
black smoke. and their grey hulls were
crowded with sailors. A destroyer was
nearby ready to dart out for Austrian
submarines. Rising from the arsenal was
a huge dirigible balloon on the watch
for enemy aeroplanes. Two italian mono
planes took flight from st. Georges Is.
land. circling over tho ana and quays.
There vas no siren alarm from the
arsenal. SO that people knew they were
friendly aircraft On tho watch for the
enemy.
The Campanile. one Of the architectural
wonders Of the world, was piled with
sand bags reaching 30 feet high around
the base-a protective armor against
bombs. a great wooden rack had been
built to hold the sand bags. II they
rae a solid wall 20 feet thick. All Of
the famous bronzes and marble reliefs
we're shut of from view by the armor of
sand bags, but the great bell tower rose
above the sand bags. 320 feet, still ar open
mark for bombs. The Campanile is now
rigidly closed to visitors; the only ones
going to the top are the military observ-
ers. watching day and night. One Of the
Austrian bombs has already struck only
800 feet and another 300 feet away. The
first struck on the stone quay. suuarely
between the granite column topped by the
winged lion Of San Marco, the emblem OF
Venice. and the other column with the
statue Of Theodore, patron of the Venetian
republic. This bomb did not explode; If
It had, 1t probably would lave shattered
these columns and might have reached
the Campanile. The other bomb fell in
the grand canal and exploded under
water.
These two bombs were within 80 feet
Of the Palace OF the Doges. And so the
palace also was armorcd eve more SOL
Idly than the Campanile. The beauti-
full building would not be recognized in
It's war dress. A solid brick wall ten
feet through has been built around each
corner. thus defending the sculptures
of Adam and Eve. which Ruskin in his
Stones OF Venice. says are the finest in
Europe. All the other famous sculp-
lures are similarly sheathed with the
front Of brick. The remarkable arcade
has been solidly built in with brick, so
that, even II a bomb demolishes the top
OF this famous monument. the founda-
tiona are sure to stand for two stories
up. Above, huge timbers are laced
across the galleries. as buttresses and
support.
All the movable contents Of the Doges'
Palace-the great collections OF paint
ings-have been taken to Florence and
other points far enough away from the
frontier to be out of reach OF aero
planes. But some Of the best Of these
paintings by Titan. Tintoretto and Paul
Veronez are on the ceilings and side
walls and cannot be removed. The
splendid cathedral windows around the
grand council chamber of the Doges are
boarded up with an outside sheathing
of canvas
IL CIuTCH VI odU MATCO Is similarly
stripped like a battleship ready for ac-
ton. The four bronze horses. of heroic
size, standing above the main entrance.
ave been taken down and are removed
far from the frontier.
The Byzantine front Of the church
has been given a defensive army Of
heavy timbers. The movable pictures
and mosaics have beer removed. but
here, az In tho Doges Palace. many Of
the finest art works are on ceilings and
sidewalks and must stay to take the
chances Of bomb raids.
The Piazza OF San Marco, in peace
time the centers OF life and gaiety. is
now almost deserted. and at night is
shrouded In darkness. At five p. nj.
every window and store front Is heavily
curtained. Out in h middle of the
are two little war fountains"
One runs down 104 metres in the
ground the other ESQ metres. Fin
fresh water gushes from them. They
are another war emergency so that II
the regular water supply of Venice is
cut off. these emergency fountains will
keep people in water from the deep
wells below. This water supply of
Is n serious wal question as the
water is brought from Castelfranco
"a miles to the north. and within a few
miles of the Austrian borders. That Is
why these emergency war fountains,
from local wells, are now dotted ali
over Venice.
The Bridge of Signs. which crosses
one Of the canals thanking the Doges'
Palace. also gives evidence Of the war,
rs Red Cross flags are hanging from
It's windows. and n OF the principal
Cross hospitals Is in the old prison
to which the Bridge OF Signs leads.