Evening star., 1915-02-15
Of ITALY
FACING NEW PERIL
Floods Threaten Country SO
Recently Victim of De- 1
structive Earthquakes. (,

ROME. February IL. 2:55 a.m.-ltalv.
having just passed through a period OF
grave anxiety as a result Of destructive
earthquakes. is now facing new peril
in the form OF foods. Everywhere
streams are out of their banks. due to
heavy rainstorms which have contin-
ued for several days.
In the low-lying quarters the people
have been driven from their homes or
are prisoners in the upper stories OF
their houses. The military authorities
have taken cognizance of the situation.
and troops have been sent to aid IN
rescue work apd to provide food to
sufferers cut on 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 situ-
alton Is that the weather early today
showed signs of clearing, and this gives
hope that the waters will soon recede.
"Leonine City" Inundated.
The Leonine City, as the Vatican
quarter of Rome is called. is in tho
lower part of the town. and this Sec
tion is generally flooded. The water.
however. has not reached the Apostolic
Palace or st. Peters. Pope Benedict is
|
situation, and has instructed all the
parish priests to display the greatest
energy in aiding their distressed par
ishioners. The Pope himself spent a
good deal of his time Sunday in watch
ing the rising waters in the quarter
just below the Apostolic Palace.
Two hundred patients In the hospital
OF Santo Spirito. near the Vatican.
have been removed TO upper floors of
the building 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 infiltra-
| ton from the flooded Tiber. have
already exploded and caused nearby
buildings to collapse. Fortunately
| there were no victims, as the people.
foreseeing danger. had left the place.
Famous Bridges in Danger.
Great anxiety is felt today for the
famous St. Angela bridge, originally
erected by Emperor Hadrian, and which
connects his tomb with the city. The
| water is already over the pillars of
the bridge, and troops, engineers and
| hremen are at the scene doing what Is
possible to check the peril. Milos
OrlQRS, Oullt over lOo years peA0aN
| Christ, is inundated and water also
surrounds the imposing bascilica OF 81.
Paurs. The Sublicus bridge, the struc-
ture supposed to have been defended
| by Horatius and two companions, Is
also under water. This is the Oldest
1 bridge in Rome. having been built In
the year $50 B. c.
The bridges which have shown signs
| of weakness have been closed TO traf-
| fic.
| Many houses in the immediate neigh
borhood of St. Peters have from three
to four feet of water In the lower
stories, and the inhabitants We're
obliged to remove their possessions 10
the upper floors.
| The Hoods have turned the lowlying
quarters Of the city into a second Ven
| ice as the streets are now all water
ways and boats are the only means OF
nrogression Crowds OF persons spent
| the night watching the rising tide. and
many recalled how few we're the MOODS
| in the memory Of man in tins section
which have eQualed this
MANY congratulated themselves on
| the protection afforded by the magnih-
cent embankment, which is one OF the
great works that Rome owes to modern
Italy.
Streets Around St. Peters Flooded.
ROME, February Is. 1:35 p.m.-The
| flood waters in the streets around st.
| Peters have risen to a height of four
| feet and eleven inches. Several walls
have collapsed, but without serious
consequences.