Evening star., 1931-04-05
MILLIONS TO BE SPENT
TO CONTROL THE TIBER
TurbulOus and Historic Old Waterway
to be Improved Between Rome :.
: and the Sea.

the Pope was scandalized by all this
/ profanity, and on the drivers beinc
| asked how they dared to use such Ian
! guage, especially in the presence of his
/ holiness, replied that otherwise their
I buffaloes would not work The Pope
I forbade them TO use any more OF such
/ language, but although the men beat
/ their beasts and pricked them with their
goads they would not move. and the
/ barge came to StandStill. The
drivers told the Pope he could now see
for himself that things were as they had
told him. We'll, as that is So" he
said, swear as much as you like as
long as we get on" So buffalo drivers
ever since have been permitted to use
any language they liked.
In the first half of last century the
bed of the river had got into such a
state that only small sailing vessels,
, or bargeS hauled by buffaloes. could
navigate it. Under the Italian gov
ernment some work has been done, so
that at present boats up to 180 tons
burden can come up to Rome.
The Present Conditions.
This is. in brief. the story of the
past. Today the Tiber presents the
same characteristics and dangers. not
withstanding the passing of the GEN.
! turieS and the attempts made to rsgu
late it. The need for a definite Sys-
temization is urgent. There has been
no coordination or logical address in
the past in the work done, and spas
modic attempts made from time to time
have produced no permanent improve
ment
OF late years some partial work has
been done to systematic the affluents
of the river and to utilize them for
irrigation, and also a start has been
made to reclaim the marshes which lie
below the level of the river. But here
an entirely wrong system has been
adopted; i. e., pumping the water out
of them with motor pumps at great
expense. instead of turning the turbid
flood water into them to fill them up
by accretion.
After the flood of 1870. when the
Italian government had taken possess
sion of Rome, experts studied the pos
slbllitieS OF finding a remedy. Gen.
Garibaldi proposed the digging of
canal. to the east of Rome, to draw off
the water of the Anio which enters
the Tiber a short distance above the
city. and which brings down a great
mass of water when in flood Other
propositions were made, among them
that of a ship canal from Rome to the
sea, but the only practical work done
founded on caiSSons, on both sides of
the river through the city for length
OF about three miles, and making
bride at the Milvio Bridge above Rome
to hold back the Wat-r from flooding
the city. But while this has served to
save the town, it has increased the
flooding OF the upper country.
The Cipoletti Project.
he
most complete and rational is that of
the late CeSare Cipoletti. c. E., well
known for his many important hydrau-
lie works, both in Italy and in other
countries. In this project, by straight
ening out the bed of the river, cutting
canals through the bends, the distance
between Rome and the sea would be
shortened by five miles, giving a free.
straight run to the water. He proposed
to build several locks, with movable
barrages which could be dismantIed
when the river is in flood, thus provid-
ing a minimum depth of IS feet for
navigation. This project was to be
completed by utilizing the fall at the
locks to create two hydroelectric installa-
tions, each to produce 5000 horsepower
to be utilized for pumping water from
the river for irrigation purposes and to
supply current for agriculture In addi-
ton to this he proposed the systema-
tization of the aff1uents of the river,
utilizing them for irrigation.
However, through the apathy of re-
cent governments, and then by reason
Of the war, the project was not put into
effect.
The Future SystematiZation.
The present government. which has
already done so much for irrigation, for
the reclamation of marshes and for
drainage in many parts of italy. and
especially in Calabria, has now come to
a determination to regulate definitely
the Tiber Valley. The immediate work
to be undertaken is that on the portion
between Rome and the sea, leaving the
upper part for future consideration
The project decided upon is the Cipo-
letti one above mentioned, with some
notifications A canal is to be dug at
Maccarese, some II miles below Rome,
from the river to the sea, thus still
further shortening the distance The
flood water will be turned into the
marshes and swamps, which are now
at a lower level than the river, SO as to
fill them up by accretion.
The cost of the work Is calculated in
l40 100000 lire, or about $4,000 900. A
concession is to be given to a company,
which the government will subSidize to
the extent of half the amount in 10
yearly payments of 100000 lire each
The company is to complete the work
in 10 years and it will receive all profits
and income for go years. after which
everything reverts to the government
The capital required is to be raised in
Italy, by the issue of public ioan.
The land, in part to be reclaimed and
in part to be acquired to intensive cul-
tivation. will approximate $4,000 acres.
Thus the eternal question of the regula-
ton of the Tiber Valley and the recla-
nation to intensive agriculture of a vast
extent of land, at present almost unpro-
ductive, will be gained to Italy by the
energy and determination of Mussolini.