The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-10
which point 1t could continue its work
Of destruction.

which point It could continue its work
Of destruction.
The monitor was only the first of
a series. Others with lighter guns and
lighter draft were lying In reserve.
ready at moments notice to slip
through the winding channels to some
point nearer to the enemy and from
there direct an unexpected fire on his
positions.
The armament of the monitors gen.
orally became lighter. as the press
boat approached more closely to the
front lines. and similarly smaller guns
began to make their appearance az
the tortuous lagoons merged either In
the Sile river or in the Sile canal, far
to the north of Venice.
District Under Four Feet of Water.
The artificial waterway runs almost
due east and west from Porto Grande
to the sea, while the New Piave, sew
eral miles to the north. flows eastward
to the sea. The area between this
waterway. composed Of the Sile canal
and the Old Piave, and the course of
the New Piave, which normally is fer
tile and productive, is that which has
been inundated. and as far as the eye
can see the trees, houses, and farms
are standing in about four feet Of wa
ter. Some peasants, whose homes
about the canal. still occupy them.
using boats to reach the canal bank.
Most Of them, however. have departed
because of the impossibility Of OBJ
tanning food.
The Austrians have occupied the
entire northern bank OF the New
Piave. and here and there have been
able TO put little detachments across,
which have struggled through the In
undated territory and occupied farm
houses. The main body of the troops,
however, has been unable TO cross be-
cause of the activity OF the monitors
and stationary batteries, and is I'M
able TO infict any serious damage, be-
cause II ia too far away from Venice
for the big guns to be effective. The
Austrians have reached San Dons di
Piave. which Is about sixteen and
three quarters miles as the crow flies
northeast Of Venice. but the Italians
hold Musiie. on the south bank OF
the river opposite San Dona di Piave.
and have been able TO Prevsnt the
Austrians from bringing any heavy
artillery up to that point. from which
Venice possibly might be bombarded.
At Capo Size the correspondent tenn
porarily left the naval escort for a
military escort, so as to inspect the
infantry positions, which were indie
scrfbaoly muddy and bleak. They hi-
sect the ruined town. the houses of
which have BEEN destroyed by the
Austrian artillery. The infantrymAn
we're cheerful, and not dIsheartened
by the uncom Portable conditions. were
busy hettering them. despite the I'M
ceasing whine OF Austrian shells
Later the press boat again ployed
through seemingly endless mazes of
canals. meeting with more monitors
and new and cunningiy located bat
teries. which. as the afternoon ap-
preached. began to get into activity,
especially against airplanes that wars
circlinS about, The canals and Ia
goons were resounding with the ex-
plosions of shells OF all calibres as
the correspondents steamed off to the
huge shore batteries that gaze The
fiuai touch to the defenses OF Venice
The guns here made even: thosa OF
the biggest monitors LOOK like play
things
To make the trip complete the cor
respondents were treated 10 "a glimpse
of thu British monitors. which were IN
operation in unison with those OF the
Italians. The sunset had turned the
waters Of Venice into what looked Ike
a. sea OF blood as the press boat
steamed back to what proba nly ia the
best protected city threatened BY thu
war