The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-19
VENICE REFUGEES FACED TERRIBLE
CONDITIONS DURING GREAT DRIVE

CONTINUED from Page ~
ion from Ravenna to Ancona, with
Rfmini in the center. This region,
because of it's unOccupied summer
cottages, hotels and villas, had been
designated as the destination Of the
dislOdged Venetians. With the main
railroad out of Venice to Padua en-
crossed by military use, they were
taken, a thousand at a time, by ferry
to Chioggia, where trains were ready
for them. At first each carried his
own luggage, but this led to confus-
ion and was very burdensome as the
landing was about a mile from the
station.
Travel Under Difficulties.
Each family was given a bag to
put goods in, and these were Carted
from the boat to the cars. There they
were turned over to the owners, who
looked after them on the long trip,
for so congested was the travel that
sometimes two or four days were
spent in getting down the coast. In
this way, 5000 people had been
transported in the last ten days, and
the American Red Cross canteen had
fed as many as 1000 in "a hours and
provided food for them en- route. But
the stream had been held up temper
arily because of lack of food supplies
and shelter at the other end; and in
the interval there was opportunity
for q concerted program of orderly
migration to be worked out by all the
agencies concerned-in admiralty, the
provincial and municipal authorities,
the COmitato Civile and the Red
Cross. ~
- mr. ,,nuvt H. VIZ, --iz3+oa - r..,.i
Gus agencies, and the upshot was
that we left with Consul Carroll the
sum Of 100000 lire for supplies and
assistance to the migrating Venetian
groups, and to meet again the follow
ing week in Rimini, where a CO.
operative arrangement was entered
upon by which the Red Cross
instituted a hospital and health
center to serve the 10000 refugees
spread along the coast.
The impressions Of that day in
Venice stand out as a series Of pic
lures. First was the view from our
in the morning, with bright
sun taking the edge off the damp and
cold of the hotel room. had. been
the afternoon before in
my glimpse of st. Marks Place. With
the domes of the church blackened,
the red bricks of the new Campanile
out as uncompromisingly as
those Of a factory chimney, and the
ripped of the color and
motion of eager crowds, the piazza
had shrunk to the dimensions and
quality Of an American seaside resort
in winter time. 1t had seemed some
haw secondhand and pinched-up.
But here in the domes and chapels of
the island church of San Giorgio
directly before me across
the water was the enchanted city of
my anticipation,
There was the drone of a motor
overhead. The fiesta del Redentore
has not been kept up since the war,
but the sober patrol of the air-men
regatta of the sky, when, we were
told, in gala spirit they had swoop- |
ed down across the surface of the |
agoons and past the Campanile like |
gulls. In mists far to the left l could |
make out the outline of three or four |
torpedo boat destroyers. Three |
oarges, the boatmen bending their |
packs to their long sweeps, were in |
he middle distance, and near at hand |
/ launch tied up to the steps, a sailor /
Jumped out and saluted, and an offi- |
,er followed. There We're knots OIL
people along the quay and, as we left |
he hotel, gondoliers called to us from /
he waterside. One lone guide, fallen /
IN lean days, logged us with the /
empting offer to take us to the last /
glass factory on its last day In
Venice!
A Hazardous Bank.
Then comes to mind a tiny upstairs /
.nnra with red unhnISfpr-v looking ont 1
IN a narrow medieval street; this, in,
he half closed bank which had taken
,ur brief-case of wealth over night i