Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-15
HISTORIC F|UME
Every Great War Has Changed
Ruler of This Place
Of City TO-day-FOrty
Miles from Italian Irrcdentc, hut
Culture Is Italian since Vene-
tian Supremacy

Fiume the beautiful Adriatic seaport.
which is picturesquely situated at the
northeast end of the Bay of Quarnero, i'm
the present struggle now raging for it's
possession will probably find only one
more chapter added to a history which
has been repete with them. Since its
founding as the Byzantine town Tersa-
tica, throughout It's existence as the
Helenistc Vitopolis, even through its
days as the Christian city of Fanum
Sancti viii ad Flumen. from which it's
present name is derived, Fiume has had
a troublous history. 1t has been perilous
to be the natural outlet on the sea to half
a dozen ambitious countries.
First recorded among it's conquerors
Is Charlemagne, who seized 1t. sacked it,
and turned it over to the Franks in 100.
1t was later held in feudal tenure from
the patriarch of Aquileia by the Bishop
Of Pola in 1879, and then by the Counts
Of Dunno. After a few more passings to
and fro between medieval lords. it was
incorporated with the dominons of the
House Of Austria by the Emperor
Frederick III in 147. 1t became free
port under Charles VI, and Maria
Theresa in 1776 united in with Croatia.
of which 1t is geographically part
Three years later it became a corpus
| separatum Of the Hungarian crown
Frenchmen occupied it during the cam
paigns of Napoleon in 1909, but the
British took it in 1913. and Austria pre-
sently received it back. Hungary had 1t
again by 1892. and for a brief period 1t
\ became part of the crown lands or
, Croatia. In 1870 it came finally under
Hungarian control
Despite it's precarious and checkered
career. Fiume has had time to grow
beautiful. The older part of the city is
built on a hill. with crooked, narrow
streets. and the more modern city stretch-
es along the shore, with broad streets.
wide public gardens. and interesting
buildings. It's conquerors have left their
| memorials in architecture. There is a
Roman triumphal arch, supposed to have
been erected by the Emperor Claudius
Gothicus; there is the famous cathedral
founded in 1877, resembling the Pantheon
the Church of st. vitas is copy of
Santa Maria della Salute at Venice; the
Pilgrimage Church is approached by a
stairway of 400 steps It's more modern
buildings. the Naval Academy. govern
ment edfices, and municipal theatre
are also beautiful.
The total population of the city from
the last census $4,000 shows that it in
cludes 1885, persons. Italians predomi'
nate. numbering 1884. There are 14ss'
Slavs, 2,4S2 Hungarans. and 1,945 Ger
mans. The city covers about eight
square miles, and the population to-day
; is estimated as sixty thousand.
Fume has several harbors, the larg
est of which is capable of accommo
dating $50 large vessels. In 1902. 1851
vessels of 3,14,120 tons entered the port
Practically the same number cleared it
The commercial fleet of the city in pre-
war times was 140 vessels. Wine. rice
tobacco and raw jute are its chief arti
Giles of import. 1t exports -four. suga
and lumber. It is also large manufac
turing centre, having factory plants en-
gagged on a large scale in tobacco petro
} leum. refining. rice Smelling, paper max
ing, tanning. and rope making TIL
city is fully equipped with banks, indus
trial associations and commercial unions
: There is also a large torpedo factor,
there The soil of the country is stony
, but good for wine growing. The Gulf o
Quanerno yields an extensive supply o
fish. Fiume does not belong to tall
= Irredenta, which is applied to Trieste
forty miles to the northwest. and to tn
Trentino. The culture of the city, how
ever. as Ia the case with many of tn
islands of the Adriatic, is Italian, datin
from the times of Venetian supremacy /
the Mediterranean.