Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-21

the attacks ceased, suggesting that the
Austrians had been impressed with the
desirabilty OF sparing Venice.
Then came the attacks OF October, and
anxiety was renewed.
From the day the war broke out the
Italians made feverish preparations To
protect the monuments of Venice, realiz
ing that they were in terrible danger
Piles of sandbags were placed in front
OF the famous Campanile which fell in
recent years and was rebuilt by subscrip-
lions from the whole world and other
structures. Brick work was built under
and around delicate stone work. such as
the Colounade OF the DOges' Palace.
One OF The most remarkable features
o. these protective measures is that the
famous altar Of st. Marks has been COM
pletely hidden by q pile of sandbags.
The most precious adornmcnt OF this
altar is caskct containing relics OF St
Mark. among which are said 10 be pieces
OF the hand OF the Apostle The wcr-
shipper is now obliged 20 incel and pray
pathetically before pile OF ugly sand
bags AMI imagine the unseen gloies OF
the altar. ~
An English cores pondent describing
the measures which have been taken to
protect the Venetian monuments, writes:
The venerable nosaics on the lunettes
OF st. Marks are plotted out by modern
less bags. the pillars and arches have be
come Il brick fortress that goes on TO en-
gulf all that fairy pOrticO Of the DOScS
Palace hard by Perhaps the worst
shock OF all-where are the four famous
horses ri golden bronze brought from
Constantinople to defy the world through
seven centuries from the portals OF 81
Marks? 1t was sad scene the other day,
when a silent crowd watched their de-
scent for conveyance to 5aier stable.
recalled their last and only descent when
they were stolen by Bonaparte, the Attila
o: another age. recalled also and antici-
patcd the Joy Of their glorious IestOra-
ton. And the horses seemed TO share in
the humiliation, anxious, though still
proud as they swung through the air,
then mockcd-in q Calvary OF cavalry
on trcstles rs though they stood part OF
merry-go-round.
The interior of the cathedral is pain.
ful in a different way. Those fourteen
peerless statues on the architraVe--St.
Mark, the Blessed Virgin, and the twelve
Apos;les-migi:t be fat white sluss or
crawling caterpi!ars or chrysalids OF
giant moths or piles OF swallows nests
or formless babies or stalagmites III
shrouds; anyhow, something more suited
t. charncl-house. Everywhere all the
apparatus OF street fighting, heaps anc
heaps OF heavy sandhags, damp ant
swollen and unpleasant, crawling
plague Of fat white rats that huddit
against the porphyries and maiachite:
and administers. throttle the carved col
u!nng scale walls, bury pulpit, choir
affairs and baptistery
~. you mur1nur at the way in whicl
thcy have smothcrcd and boxed and sand
bagged the divine iOggctta Of Sansovin'
at the foot Of the immortal Campanilo
recall how very lately both loggetta AM
Campanile we're but q heap Of crumbiin
dust, every fragment of which was col
lectci and numbered ana put togethe
until the knowing ones-thc cono$cchL-
Yow the new is better than the Old
Wander where you will in Venice no"
from gandbag TO aandbag, and you cal
not refuse the highest praise to the ar
which has been used TO conceal Venetian
art from the cncIny'B aim. Dome3 nav
hneu aurmounied by roofs that slope a
ar angle OF sixty degrees; for there b
two gorig of bombs, and the sort use
against cathcdrais can be made
rcochet harmlesBly away. sixty me
have been hard al work for nearly thrc
months at the Dogea' Palace. which /
now jugt Ike any other fortrcas. Every
thing beautiful or delicate has been in
Copyright. 1915. by the Star Co