(By Associated Press)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN
ITALY, Jan. 25.—Before the menace
of the modern Hun, Venice, whose
lagoons centuries ago furnished ar
asylum of safety for refugees fleein?
from Attilla, is today almost emptied
Of the 150,000 persons who ordinarily
inhabit the city, only about 1,000 re
main. But this is not because Venice
fears for her own protection. Across
the battlefield of the reeds it is be
lieved that no invader will penetrate
to the islands of the Venetian lagoons
The city puts her trust in the lagoons
as confidently as she trusted to the
sea in olden times.
To the visitor in Venice in these
days, when the invading army lies
only a short march distant, one of the
odd memories of the war will be thai
of the music of the great guns bomb
ing from the Lidi and the nests 01
reedy islets in the northern lagoon
That music accompanies you all daj
in Venice.
The Queen of the Adriatic has hei
face to the foe. She has shut hei
shops and sent her merchandise away.
The army or the navy have taken her
young men. Those that remain have
bricked up or sandbagged her churches
and monuments and now await the
issue in entire calm, confident that
although the enemy is no "lore than
a long gunshot away, it is not at hei
own gates that Venice is menaced.
From Burano, a motor boat takes
you through a maze of channels intc
the Canal Silone, where you thread
your way between reed-covered banks
toward the mainland. You can see
nothing but the channel and the reeds.
There is not a roof nor a spire in
sight We are getting up to what may
be called the artillery defense line of
Venice. On the way we passed a Brit
ish monitor with her big guns pointed
inland. The coast batteries and big
gun monitors constitute another de
fense line. Here in the salt channel
between the islands we come suddenly
upon a floating battery or pontoon
as the Italians call them. It Is a big
steel barge mounting a gun, which
has been steadily pounding the Aus
trians on the Piave Vecchia all night.
She is manned by sailors, for the ar
tillery defense of Venice is entirely
, in the hands of the navy.
From Porte Grandl as far as the eye
can see the land is covered with a
waste of muddy water, with rows of
half-submerged willows marking out
the fields which it covers, and here
and there an isolated clump of farm
buildings emerging from the floods
We are here on the edge of the Piave
inundations, and in another naval ar
tillery defense belt. High banked
roads, dikes and farm houses are all
that remain above water. Some of
these farm-house islands are held by
Austrians and some by Italians, and
it is the aim of both sides to destroy
the farms held by the enemy. A few
nights ago some Italian sailors under
1 took a cutting-out expedition against
one of the Austrian islands, captured
I and burned the buildings and came
back with Austrian prisoners.
| Nothing more dismal can be imag
ined than this battlefield among the
reeds except the awful desolation of
the Flanders front. Unending water,
half drowned willows and farm houses
under a bitter winter sky compose
about as melancholy a picture as even
war presents. On many of the islands
formed by the release of the floods to
protect Venice are brave families
clinging to their homes in the hope
that 1918 will see the invader thrown
back.
On this sector the Italians have a
superiority of artillery. It is at night
that the Italian guns do their hardest
work. At night the Austrians always
attempt to construct field works or to
lay bridges of boats across the I’iave
Vecchia to the canals. They take a
number of boats, tie them together and
swing them out from one bank, trust
ing to the currents to float them Into
place on the other side. It is *he
business of the Italian floating lot
teries to drive away these bridge-build
ers and to destroy the fruits of their
labors, and this they do with surpris
ing success.
In Venice herself I have seen no
sign of actual damage, except a hole
torn in the roof of San Giovanni and
San Paola by an Austrian airplane
bomb. The front of San Marco and
the pillars of the Doge’s palace have
been bricked up, so that nothing of
them remains visible. The same pre
cautions have been taken with the
famous statue of Colleoni and, in fact,
with all the monuments of the town
that can be so protected.
In the Piazza di San Marco almost
all the shops are closed, but a num
ber are still open in the Merceria,
and although almost all the gondolas
have vanished, it is still possible to
find one to take you up the Grand
canal.
-*
“HOOVER” COOK BOOK
(By Associated Press)
PULLMAN, Wash.. .Tan. 25—A new
“Hoover” cook book, especially
adapted to the use of housewives of
northwestern states, is being prepared
under the direction of Miss Agnes
Craig, director of home economics at
Washington state college.
Because of different conditions in
the Northwest, the cook-book issued
by the national food administration
was found to be not adapted to use
in this section, as its recipes were
based on the use of hard winter
w'heat.
Colleges and high schools of the
state have been assigned various sub
jects for experimentation, and the re
Milts of their work are to be incorpor
ated in the Northwest cook-book. The
1 ni'ersity of Washington worked on
Sf»y beans and fish, assisted with the
'utter by the Puget Sound college;
i Washington state college worked on
"kimined milk and honey cookery,
>east and quick breads; Bellingham
Normal, poultry and game; Whitman
college, sugarless desserts and pre
serves; Tacoma public schools, cheese
and eggs; Seattle public schools, le
gumes; Spokane high schools, vege
tables and fruit; Ellensburg Normal,
i fat conservation; Cheney Normal, corn
■ and cereal puddings; Washtucna
| school, nuts.
-♦
IDAHO CENTENARIAN
IS HALE AND VIGOROUS
-—
SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 25.—Frank
Russett, who will be 103 years of age
in February, has little use for such
effete appliances as street cars. They
are too much trouble, he thinks, and
i walking is quicker.
Mr. Russett is the father of sixteen
details of running a ranch across the
Idaho line, made his first visit to this
I city in ten years recently to visit
with his daughters.
Mr. Russett is the father fo sixteen
"hildren. He was born in Monrteal,
but came to the United States before
he attained his majority, #nd cast his
first vote for President Lincoln. He
: has spent more than half his life in
I the West.
♦ -
Madame Lydia, the palmist, will be
found in the Currier & Mickelson
building on C. street. 16-tf
—-♦
NOTICE.
—
On account of the eight hour law
coal orders must be received before
1 p. m. to insure delivery same day.
No coal delivered after 5 p. m,
ALASKA TRANSFER C. 10-tf
t
- -•"“jl
When You !
Buy Fruit j
Look for this Trademark
Discriminating housewives serve
only Hunt’s Quality Fruits in
their homes. They are the choicest
of sunn California's tree ripened I
fruits, packed with scientific and
clean methods, and come to you
fresh as when picked, every day
in the year.
We carry a full line of
Hunt s Quality California
Fruits
"Iks Kimd TK*t U NOT
W( mil and recmxunutd them
1
FINKELSTEIN & SAPIRO
INCORPORATED
“The House That Satisfies”
GROCERIES 21 - PHONES - OFFICE 74
u
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP CO.
Cf,mpany re,erve* right to change schedule of ateamera
without notice
LEAVES SEATTLE LEAVES CORDOVA
January 24 Alaska January 31
February 1 Victoria February 8
lebruary 8 Northwestern February 15
The freighters Cordova, Latouche, Juneau, Valdez
and Ketchikan also make regular trips.
Tickets on sale at up-town office Alaska Steamship Bldg. Bag
gage or freight will not be received at the dock later than one hour
before sailing time.
F. B. TRACY, GeneraJ Agent; S, R. HEDGES, Agent.
—Next Steamer—
S. S. ADMIRAL EVANS
LEAVES CORDOVA FOR SEA TTLE, VIA INSIDE PASSAGE, ON
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25.
CALIFORNIA ROUTE
Spec.al Ocean Excursions from Seattle to Sunny California. $33 to
San Francisco and return, final limit of sale February 28th. $50 to
Los Angeles and return. $54 to San Diego and return. Three sail
•mgs a week from Seattle to California points. Arrange your winter
outing through your local agent.
F°R FULL PARTICULARS APPLY
. A. NOURSE, Agent. Empress Building.
DELIVERY OF COAL
On account of eight honr law, coal orders must be re
ceived before 1 p. m. to insure delivery same day. No
coal delivered after 5 p m.
Sixty Steam Heated Rooms Eletric Lighted
Hot and Cold Water in Every Room
With or Without Bath.
Cordova House
DOOLEY AND GREEN1G
Headquarters for Railroad and Mining Men
Satisfaction Quran teed
Rates Reasonable
_ ' m3
| Foos Gas Engines |
| 4 to 500 Horse Power
•> s
General Electric Motors
Roebling Tramways
Pelton Water Wheels
Chicago Oil Engines and Compressors
| HarmonMachineryCo.Ine 1
| Oxy-Aoetylene Welding and Catting |
CORDOVA, ALASKA
VA'AVAVAVAVAVA*AVAVAVAVAVAVAVA'A AVAVAVAVA'AVAVAViVAVAVAVAVA'AVA'ASYAVA'XvIvMl