Evening star., 1931-04-05
BY CAV. MARITIME LUPI,
italian Agricultural Expert.

A RAPID glance at the annals and
~ history of Rome will show how
"A the life and conditions of the
4 \ city were often and in many
circumstances closely allied with
the condition and vicissitudes of the
River Tiber. From the times of the
aborigines. of the Latines and of the
Romans the river, as much as the roads
was considered facile means of COM
munication. on many occasions it
proved itself Of great utility and bene-
Mt, as at other. times it caused great
devastation and ruin to the land along
its banks and to the inhabitants thereof.
Rome and the Tiber.
From both history or at least legend,
we know that the existence of the Tiber
was the rcason which induced Romulus
to trace the circuit of his town in prox-
unity of the bank of the river. thus
facilitating transport for agricultural
produce and for trade: opening up a
way for the inhabitants to the distant
lands whence EneaS had come. and to
other countries which were known to
them by hearsay. but which none of
them had ever visited.
Besides this means of transport the
river supplied water to the population
for domestic purposes, for their f1ocks
plains and hills surrounding Rome. and
also the commodity for bathing in the
heat of the Summer.
The city was not found ID on the
bank of the river. but on hills. rising
from it in a strategic position. from
which 1t could be dominated. and where
the citizens were in safety not only
from their foes. but also from the river
itself. and the constant floods to which
rr.l,a artr- -oI sfc
banks. destroying the crops, and often
carrying off the sheep and cattle which
grazed in the valley. From the hill
they could look down with awe on the
immense extent of troubled water
which rushed down, inundating all the
low-lying lands, destroying the property
and endangering lives.
The total length of the Tiber is 240
miles, of which % miles lie between
Rome and the sea, and it drains 6,845
square miles of country. The level of
the river in Rome is so feet above the
sea. with a fall of 260 feet per mile.
Since the foundation of Rome until
the present time more than so impor-
kant floods have been registered. One
n the first of these was the great flood
241 BIC. which inundated all the
tower portion OF the city. That of Is
BIC, which caused enormous damage
Tiber Valley. induced the Emperor tt
berius to take steps to regulate the
course of the river. For this purpose he
created the "Curatores Tiberis,' but, as
usually happens in such cases. when
the officials have no definite work
mapped out, the Curatores did little be-
yond drawing their salaries, and things
went on, more or less. in the same old
way. The Tiber continued its devasta-
st h.
perors and of the PopeS, and lately of
the italian government, and so the
river, whenever there is an exception
ely rainy season, or when, in cold Win
ter, the snow which has accumulated
On the hills melts. still floods the whole
OF the Tiber Valley.
Ostia, the principal seaport of Rome
under the Empire. and at one time con-
tanning a population Of 10000 inhabi-
tants. is now completely buried by the
silt from the river, as are also the ports
of ANGUS MartiuS, built in $40 BIC;
that Of Claudius in Al AID, and that
OF Trajan IN 96 AID, together with all
the great palaces and monuments built
there in the period of Rome's grandeur,
Of which scarcely any traces are now
left
. In 1912. the mouth Of the river hav-
ing completely silted up, impeding all
opened by Pope Plus V on the right
bank of the river from where the port
of ClaudiuS was situated to the sea.
The greatest flood recorded was that
OF 1898, when the river in Rome rose
65 feet above its normal level. In late
years the principal floods have been
those Of 1870, Of 1900. Of 1923, 1928, and
lastly that of the present year. The
reason that floods have of late years
lie Of ~ tfpd IN
cutting down of the forests on the hills
during the war
The chief cause of these floods is the
sitting up OF the bed Of the river and
the fact that the land on the coast has
risen Since the foundation of Rome
the mouth of the Tiber has advanced
over 2.5 miles into the sea.
Originally the river bed was very
much lower than it is at present. Last
year 80 miles up the river TO the north
OF Rome several wells were dug at
distance of about 1000 yards from the
river. AT depth of about 80 feet in
one of them were found the foundations
Of an old brick Aln and in others foun-
dations of buildings, and some lead
pipes which brought water to a foun-
tain. and all this at lower level than
the present bed Of the river.
Tiber Of the POpes.
Under the Popes practically nothing
was done to improve the conditions Of
the river. If we except the canal dug by
Pope Plus v. On many occasions it
served the Popes as a way for flight
when Rome was besieged by foreign
armies. Many Of the Popes went for
excursions on the river in their pleas
ure barges and once a year, on Saint
Pauls feast day, they went in state
down the river from Saint Peters to
Saint Pauls, the. barges being hauled
by the strings of buffal0es.
The buffalo drivers on the river were
renowned for their capabilities in swear