The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
I Z

"a ." j. rare treat IN tins NU.ums .
FOR the g,ographer and for the stuGrat
= civic growth. There has always
been harbor on ihe cove between tho
EiSaLno and the Polceverd, always a
pair of facing promontOrIes to shut
Out the tumult OF the sea. always I've
steep uprit of the hills to block the
blast u Ia, GUSIy airs from the Penniue
Alps. always a beach along the slivrr
strand O,Ler ports there have been.
ruI's which by nature We're fitted 10
shelter the nav'CS OF the world. but
Genoa stands Almost alone among tie
Na'nurs where the genius OF man n,s
been 'mroycd To- keep the harbur work :
tb.,d>t of the advances IN the art OF
sh.tpuldlrg. From tn I0erest refuge
= crazy coasters in remote antiquity
10 ,Ie rrtat harbor nf ocean lrsrs
tn.s po"t has remained from the begin
nins Of ,.me Genoa the Superb
When LrN. cation il practlsed in shall
low N,E.".s under oars or scanty sails
tine 2r.inc requisite OF "A port is the
beach o., which the vessels may be-
drawn beyond the waves: a protected
stretch Of sand serves every need. DE-
ging anywhere on the crowded water
front of Porto NeCchio soon discloscs
the sands ~ the ancient beach and cs-
tablishes the fact that II was truly a
strand a. is san Pier d'Arena which
Hes open to the sea between The Capo
del Faro and the Polcevera. Such ha.-
Dor equipment of nature sutiiced into
the cary Roman period. for the early
ships OF war for whose use the de-
stroyed town was rebuilt were shallow
ana fiat hottomed and took their rest
upon the sand rather than at anchor.
Genoa ltficed for the next great de-
mshd of a hsrbor. the ability 10 serve
as the refuge OF keeled ships of greater
burdCn which were not meant 10 go
aground. Before this development ~
ships II ] ad been sufficient TO utilize
the simple means OF avoiding the force
OF the waves by the device Of going
high above the surf level. When ships
ceased 10 be amphibous the protection
from the storm waves rested upon the
presence OF smooth water under tho leo
OF some point, But as waves come now
from one direction and now from an
other and 1t is inconvenient to shift
an unloading ship from side TO
side OF a point in order to find
the lee, even II II were possible to
use one side as we'll as the other, tine
next great deslderatum in a harbor 10
double lee, that Ia two points which
suffice to give still water no matter
which way the wind blows. Beach FIRST
and facing promonotories determine the
value OF harbor site. Genoa had this
equipment. Against the westerly winds
II was sheltered by tho Capo del Faro;
opposite this was the less conspicuous
yet still satisfactory cape which Is tho
backbone OF tho Molo Vecchio which
has been constructed upon It. The sit
uation OF the two is such that the har-
Dor Is sheltered from the southwest
around by north TO the east in the
outer port: protection from the some
times violent winds OF tho southea II
and south was obtalnable by entering
the inner harbor under the lee OF the
Molo Vecchio point, In effect the con-
tour OF the harbor as II existed In a
state OF nature was helical expanding
westerly, and very singularly resembles
the hellcal form OF the ancient harbor
OF Messina In which the curve was Of
opposite sign. 1t was in this inner col
OF tho helix that the town began to
grow.
The steepness with which tho hills
come down to the Tuscan sea was oper-
ative IN forcing the building OF ware
houses and markets along the western
shore OF the port. therefore into region
exposed TO the southern winds. At this
stage arose the Necessity fOl. port i'm
provement in order to meet the needs
OF increasing commerce, This period OF
expansion lies outside the limit OF the
present work Yet it may be well to
sketch It in "a brief summary in order
to exhibit the continuity of cause which
has made Genoa great port in the
present as we'll as in the opening OF
history,
The first step was the extension ~
the natural cape into the Molo Vecchio
in order to Increase the protection which
it afforded TO the commercial centre.
The final stage Of this construction of
he old mole dates from 1884; 1t was
sufficient protection for tho type OF
vessels in use in The middle ages The
second Improvement Vas the Molo