El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-23
VENICE loses
NONTED GAYETY
Grand Canal Has Few Con
dolas, Churches are Hos
pitfalls, Palaces Empty.

Venice, Italy. Dec. 23-Take a gon-
| dOla for a trip through the Grand
I Canal during these war days and one
sees many changes in the centers of in
! terest well known to travellers and
readers-the war dress OF the homes
! Of Lord Byron and the composer Wag-
I ner, Of the poet Browning and the
American writer, ". D. Howells, the
romantic palace where Desdemona
waited for Othello. and further along.
| in the market quarter near the Rialto
! bridge, the house Of ShylOck, the quaint
| building standing there unchanged to-
! day, but now used as a butchers shop
where lusty Italian butcher eXacts
! ShylOck war prices of 80 cents a kilo
for the pounds of flesh dealt over the
T, counter.
Starting from the quay san Marco,
the broad lagOOnS entering the Grand
! Canal have an air OF martial and naval
preparation rather than the usual car
nival aspect which marks this center.
The quays are lined with soldiers an
sailors and the gondolaS are carrying
great loads Of war supplies back and
forth, and transporting troops and
marines from point to point while the
launches from the warships dart in and
out among the gondolas-
Few GOndOIas Remnin.
Ordinarily there are 2600 gondolas in
regular service-60O private and 1000
public-but only a very few of these
remain in use owing TO the terror in
spired by the bomb raids. Most OF the
wealthy residents have hurriedly left
for the south, and there are no tourists
TO make use of the public gondolas.
Only one first-class hotel remains open,
and half OF it is given over to a hospi-
tai for the wounded brought in from
the nearby fighting lines.
Great Church is War Base.
Entering the Grand Canal, the great
domes of Santa Maria della Salute
stand out on the left, but always with
HfaSu
Gated the headquarters Of the army
Red Cross. where most OF the work
OF the field hospitals is regulated.
The Palace Nenier next TO the church
is similarly used for army hospital ad-
ministratiOn, and the Red Cross flags
are flying everywhere, as a warning
OF immunity from bomb raids. Fur
Their up the Canal on the right is the
house Of Desdemona- Just what Des-
Qemona did IN her day IS a matter
Of tradition and Shakesperian romance.
Now the old place is occupied by a rich
merchant family who have fled to the
south; the curtains are drawn, the
lower windows guarded by steel shut
ters and the gardens neglected
American Palaces Abandoned.
On the left of the Canal is a row of
palaces often occupied by prominent
American families Two of these. the
palace Balbi-VaIier. and the PoIignac
are closed and closely shattered.
while most of the others in the quar-
ter are partially abandoned Opposite
this group is the palace Fallier where
W D. Howeils lived while he wrote his
scenes from Venetian life 1t is one
OF the few places still showing life
and activity, and the well kept gardens
are full Of flowers which hang into the
canals thanking 1t in front and along
one side Just across the Grand Canal
is the palace Rezzonico. where Robert
Browning lived and died. Usually this
IS very gay quarter, with crowds Of
gondolas passing and the palaces alive
with brilliant entertainment But now
all IS silent and lugubrious. and the few
gOndOlas creep along like indian canoes
on a deserted river.
Fishing Suspended.
War signs are evident in the fish
market. All fishing in the Adriatic
has been suspended owing to the fear
Of submarines and also to prevent fish
ermen from having any chance to com
municate with the nearby enemy Fish
shores and lagoOns,- and prices have
soared-abOut so cents a kilo for the
fine grades Of fish down to as little
as 10 cents 4 kilo for poor grades and /
minnoWs, which are boiled in bulk
The city has even made provision for
the school children TO get hot meals I
during war times, and shop are pro-
vided selling hot potatoes and hot
chestnuts.
Altogether Venice in its war dress
shows the plain effect of the strain IL /
is under in being the center of the war
zone, but the people are not suffering,
supplies are adequate though at con-
slderably advanced prices, and the spirit I
Of the people shares in the enthusiasm |
OF the soldiers for pressing the war IN
I'll victory is secured.