Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1889-10-05 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

THE FALL OF A PAL ACE.  A Naples eortespondent wrttes—The disused cisterns of the Naples pelaces, when not filled up, are broom.ng a peril to the city. Whether full of deviant water or empty, they are eqoally aneared for, lover re-cemented, and the ooneequenoe is that their walls crumble, or the water gradually saps the fouedations of the palaos. The frequent bursting of the defeetive tabce of the new waterworke is another sourea of danger, anal oonsequently scarcely ' a week pasaes without part of some building giving way. Recently a wing of the fine Palest of St. Severe fell to the groood. It way built early in the sixteenty century by the Prison of San &mem, and restored in the middle of the next century. In 1500 It was the scene of a tragic murder. On the 18th of May of that year Carlo Gemaldo, the third Prince of Venom and eighth Count of Costae, mnrder.d his wife in one of ita roomi. The many inhabitants of the tsarina. floors were saved from a horrible death by a strange accident. Ttie palace doorkeeper, taking a sadden fancy for eating a melon at midnight, went down into the cellar to choose one, sod noticed the Bonsai of mantels continually falling from the disused cistern. Alarmed at tine, be opened the door leading to the cistern, and saw that large stones, evidently belonging to the foundations of the palace, were continually falling. At ones realieiog the danger, he celled the pornpieri and authorities, who apse, tented that the water was more then six feet above the usual level, and that it had soaked all the metaining smite, of the left side of the palace, to which large crack, and apertures had appeared. The inhabitants of the palace were roused from their sleep, and forced to fly. There was no nose to save anything, ant half-dressed and frightened to death, the families, moat of them belonging to the aristocracy, took reface in the neighbouring houses. At 5.30 um., all were sale, and immediately afterwards the firemen were sent away for a little rest, having been at the work of inspection &ince midnight. Not ten minutes after they had left the palace) a frightful crash woe heard, and the neighbouring houses were titmicee. The whole of the left wing of the palace, five stories high, bad fallen into the abase opened by the sub terratteous water, carrying with it the furniture , and valuables. Nothing twat raved; noth ng had been excavated two days after the cat tatrophe„ The principal entlerers are the Prince of CaraMarlloll and the Doke of Mirelli. The former hue all his furniture and the jewels of hie wife under the mine ; the latter has lost 150.000 francs in i money and securities. The Chapel of San Severn, whit% contains a famoas statue of Christ, ant !others, and was joined to the palace by an archway, is so much shaken that it will be perhaps neceseary to remove the works of art it contain.. ' This saddest hay aromed great minted nt in the city. The Prefect, Syndic ant authorities are indefatigable. Signor Pergara, one of the sufferers, an engineer, has written a letter to the papers, in which he jaatly demands that a careful and thorough examination of all the buildings of the city should be made, section by notion. No one feels safe from a similar mishap. The number of 'palaces propped by wooden supports, even in the beet streets, is very great; every day floors fall in, and Inas of life is frequent.