VENICE'S FAMOUS CAMPANILLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 329, 22 January 1909, Page 4

VENICE'S FAMOUS CAMPANILLE.

Venetians arc now experiencing the joy of seeing an old friend witb. unchanged luce, while at the same time knowing that i,t has taken a new lease of life. The now cuinpanillo is not merely a copy of the old, it is the old, inasmuch as in essential points the ancient materials hare been made use of. The canipanille fell on the morning of July 14. ]'JO2, throwing the city into a panic, and l then into paroxysms of woe at the loss of their treasure, and the disligureuie-.it of their pride, the Piazza di San Marco. It was decided, almost at once, to rebuild, and the money, about ilin.OlKl. was gathered without difficulty, so that now, six years Inter,

it is almost completed, and those Venetians who have not returned to I heir city during that comparatively short period, could easily persuade' themselves that the tower had not fallen. Foreigners have been surprised at the time it has taken to rebuild, as they have not known, or have not considered, (lie extraordinary precautious taken that everything should lie without a Haw. The work has been intensely interesting from the beginning. It was obvious when the old foundations were uncovered that they had been quite inadequate for the enormous weight they were required to bold. However, examination proved that they were quite uninjured; indeed sonic of the piles showed signs of petrification, while there was no sign of d'ecay. It was decided to use them, and keep to the original method of piles, platforms, clamped stones and free stones arranged stepwise, to the level of the piazza. A ditch, 10 feet deep ami 12 wide, was dug

all around the old foundations and carefully braticcd. Into this 307(1 new lurch |jik's, fresh cut and full of resin, IS feet long iiiid B'/, ,n diameter, were driven. They wore one liy one battrni'd down, until, using tremendous force, they wore found not to yield a linir's lireiidtli. The foundations, it is estimated, wili weigh only 211,001) tons. Tlie driving was done by hand, rope, and pulley a-.id weight, eleven ropes and eleven hands to each rope. Then came the knitting of a new platform to the old, on the top of which were placed Works of Istrian stone, il feet !) inches by 4 feet 7 inches, cemented together. TJiuh the foundations- were completed.

' 'The outside of the tower is an exact reproduction of the original, while inside it has been so changed as to reduce the weight from 40,000 tons to exactly one-half. The bricks arc all specially hand made, according to ancient measurements—oM ones found intact after the fall serving as models—and baked with a wood fire, which mnk'ps them stronger. Each of the 1,200,000 bricks reipiiwd is tested before used. anil, if the slightest (law is found, is rejected. All tile stone used come from Tstria. while the Loggia di Kan Snvino, trimmings, hells, weather-vane, 'etc., are the originals restored to their one-time beaulv.

[ The work has now arrived at its most, interesting point, as the belfry is being added, and the Loggia di San Sovino, at the foot, is almost ready to lie put in place. The belfry in a few weeks will be surmounted by the golden angel, known to all lovers of Venice, which is 30 feet high, and composed of gilded copper with extremities in bronze, and which, when the tower collapsed, seemed to use its powerful wings and fly to earth, landing so gently as to be but slightly damaged. The' bells fared worse. The largest and most modern, known as the Marangona, was not even cracked, tint the others, which were Very ancient, were ruined and have been re-cast. The Venetians will have the same harmony front them, as, bv a, fortunate chance, only a few days before the catastrophe, Abbe I'erosi. composing n i s Tc Deiim to lie given in the cathedral, just across the way, wrote down the harmony ill musical notes, now available.

Last, lmt «»l, least, comes 11 m-h----ilisnissnl Nojsriii ili Sum Novum. 11. of course. suffered much .lliroii<»li Mm collapse, il hcini; tlioimlil. ill, first Ihal it whs i, liopeles-, ruin; lutf, palieiK-e .-mil (left Ihifiers liiivc worked miracles iui.l "inch »!' il has I n r<--f<uisl.i-n<-l:vl. W1.i.1. before AV„S piece is „„«' „ iiiiisiii,. of thousands „f irregular rra«incuts. This is jiarlicularlv wonderful in Hid cis,. ol' torn, colta Madonna ami fluid, thousands (,[ pieces hoia- ~r,1|,.<-t-f'll f'll from Hie ruins and like m, Chinese puzzle. Thus iioxt spring Venice will luivc ]ii>r completed tower, Avhich will speak to future fenerations of the greatness of the twentieth century engineers.