Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-04-13

'VO feet IN ienTih anu Is OF the same height
with the long part, and would contain twelve
more buildings Of the dimensions Of the Court
house, making insll 27!! Then YOU have the
sde-aisles and chapcls unoccupied. The di.
mensons Of the cu?olu are vast beyond con
ccptjon. On sotae remarks being made in pre-
sence of Michael Angelo in regard &c the size
and bcauy oftho come Of the PaiiIheon he re-
piled that "he would make as fine dome as
that and suspend it in the air." lie has kept
his word literally in the construction of the
dome Of St Peters. This gigantic dome rests
upon four enormous pillars placed ut the four
angles where the two parts of the cross inter
sect and are joined to each other by sublime
arches. Thees colossal pillars measure each
200 feet in circumference, and occtjby good
deal more space than cur Episcopal Church and
tower To the enormous height of lG6 feet, which
is higher t'an tie CoHft-honse steeplc. The
diameter of the dome is 1870 feet (nearly twice
the length Of the Lutheran Church,) ard its
whole height is $50 feet, ecfa to the tairht of
('2oanda half Lutheran Church stccpIes placed
upon each other :! To support this vast 81.
. pers,rrcturc the walls of the building at this
part arc p fec. in thickness The whole space
occupied by this stuprnGous edIice is not far
short oi being equal to two of our squares. You
ascend to the roofby stairway aide enough 10
admit a carriage. and the ascent is so easy that
"on might readily ride up, at,cast with mule.
The toP is surrounded by high parapet wall,
is paved with stones. aud r,irnj5had with nurl.
Der Of lodges for the attendants. OF which was
/ told there wc-e 800 constantly employed in va-
T rous capacities aboutthe building. You would
here rather suppose yourself in considerable
/ town than on the tcp of 81. Pctc,'s, tkcladcea
! repr,se,'ng re houses, and the domcs (f0r
there are three OF theml the churches or public
buildings. From here you ascend 5eiH'aeu the
outer and inner walls Of the cupola until you
come TO a small door which opens upon the up
per gallery, projection of rlasonrv about Two
and nalf feet wide protected by delicate iron
/ railing. Upon ths apparently insecure foo,hold
| walked around the ismcnse circumference of
RE done, suspended in ait at the dizzy anl fear
ful height of 215 feet from the pavement Per
sons below had dwindcd INTO pigmies, and the
. foolta!l ana hum OF the services in the ch1pcs
beneath fell upon the ear like the e9urmur Of
distant wgrers. II was an awiully grand md
4 hcart-stirring position We again proceeded
between the walls unit! We reached the lantern,
which is % feet IN height and is furnished with
/ numerous wiadows from which the most mag
/ nidcent views Of The city Onl surrounding coun-
try enrapture the heart. We next ascended
through the g,em Of the ball into The bsll i.sr'f
which is otsEficien, dimensions to permit me
10 walk IN It erect, and Of a capacity to contain
at least sixteen persons, Il is furnished with
openings 10 admit ligi!: and air. and from them
the Mediterranean can be Gisccrncd. oflon
regarded the ball from the piazza below, aud lis
gllsmeler did nol appear 20 my eye 10 be more
than eighteen inches. The whole internal
/ part of this immense dome is finished il spicn.
did nJsaics, and the vault is divided into COM
partmenis, gilt aud filed Ut with pictures in
mosaic, ard crowned with 4 representation OF
the Deity. On the cntabiaturc beneath the
done, in letters four aRd a halt feet IN length,
executed in lnosulc are the following words,
Iu es petrus, ct supher hGne petrlm o-d,lca5o
ecclcsiam mean, Ct l.bl 1abo c!aeca geEHi cc'
lorum.
Immease and incredibly vast as age the in
diyidual parts Of this gigantic structure, yet
50 perfect are The synWe1ry aud proportions
that the whole does not strike you very power
fully at first sight. But it is a common remark
, among strangers, that The oitencr you visit St.
Peters, the more extended and vast itappears
I Was constantly deceived in my estimation Of
the distances Of objects arcGnd me, for owing
to then immensi'y they appeared to be very near
when in reality they were at great distance.
So objects tiiat seemed small wien approached
enlarged into incredible magnitude, Oao day
/ was entering the piazza Of 81 Peters and 90.
served carriage approaching an arch on the
side Of the church opposite TO me, which appear
ed at most seven feet higE but saw the coach.
man crack his whip as he drew near it, and
supposing him to be a stranger who did not
know that he could not pass under it, stoPt TO
see the result. To my utter astonishment the
carriage entered the arch and disappeared It
seemed like miracle, aud went under the arch
TO examine It and ruund lha. | could not reach
/ its tor with my cane extended at arms length
I As YOU enter the church from the vestbue you
push aside with difficulty, the immense leathern
door.rurtain and stand in the great naVe. At