VENICE, Italy USS Truckee AO-147 6th Fleet Replenishment Ship made port here in 1972 per current records on hand |
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This city never fails to
exceed expectations. the majesty of St. Mark' Square, seen left<<. The romance of gondolas
gliding along the canals. The beauty of the famed Murano glassware Venice is
possibly the world's most romantic city.
One said "There is no final solution to Venice's problems, the city will require vigilance for ever after ... But there is no point in having a wonderful ecology if the city is four feet under water." Project Moses will have 78 massive sea gates, 28 metres wide and 18 long, on the floor of the sea, at the three inlets into Venice's artificial lagoon. When tides are normal, the hollow gates will be invisible from land: filled with sea water, lying flat on the seabed. |
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But when the tide rises 110 centimetres above normal, air is pumped into
the hinged gates, driving the water out and causing the gates to lift upwards
and stop the sea coming any further. Venice's angst began in November 1966, when the city was flooded to a depth of two metres, electricity and phone services were knocked out and the entrances to the grand palazzi that line the Grand Canal were under water. Venice's survival was in question. Floods are nothing new in the city, but no one disputes that they have become worse. Some blame the British. In the 19th century they deepened the lagoon, it is said, to improve access for their deep-keeled ships. |
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