Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-11-18

turning toward the9gate, bowling and crossing
themselves. This is not the only shrine in
Moscow whose holiness irradiates a wide circle
around it. l have frequently seen men per-
forming their devotions in the market-place or
the middle Of the street, and by following the
direction of their eyes, have discovered at Il
considerable distance, the object of their reye-
renee.
At last we tread the paved court of the
Kremn. Before US rises the tower of Ivan
Wiki, whose massive sturdy walls seem to
groan under its load of monster bells. Beyond
it are the cathedral of ST. Michael, the charch
of the Assumption, and the ancient church of
the Cars, all covered with tiaras of gded
dOmes. To the right rises another cluster of
of dark blue pear-shaped domes, over the
house of the Holy Synod while the new pal
ace (Granovitaya Palata) with its heavy
French front and wings, above which
I" The light aerial gallery, golden rallied,
Burns like fringe of fire."
fills up the back k-ground The Tartar towers Of
the Kremlin wall shoot mp, on our left, from
under the edge of the platform whereon we
stand, and away and beyond them gltters the
southern part of the wonderful city-a vast
semicircle Of red, green and gold know not
when this picture is most beautiful-when it
blinds you in the glare of sunshine, when the
shadows of clouds soften its piercing colors
and eXtinguSh half its rejecting fires, when
evening warps it in a violet mist, repanting it
with sober tnts or when it lies pale and gray,
yet sprinkled with points of silver light, under
the midnight moon.
At the foot of this tower stands on granite
pedestal the Tar hoiohot, or Emperor of Bells,
whose renOwn is worldwide. 1t was cast by
order of the Empress Annie in 1870, but was
broken seven years afterwards, through the
burning Of the wooden tower in which it hung
1t is little over twenty-one feet in height,
twenty two feet in diameter at the bottom
WEIGHS l20 tons, and the estimate value of sill
ver copper and gold contained in it is 81 500,-
600. In one of the upper stories of the tower
hangs another bell cast more than century
before the Tar Kolokol, and wighing sixty
four tons. Its iron tongue is swung from side
to side by the united exertion of three men. 1t
is only rung thrice year, and when it speaks
all other bells are silent. To those who stand
near the tower, the vibration OF the air is said
to be like that which follows the simultaneous
discharge Of a hundred cannon. In the other
story hangs at least forty or fifty bells. varying
in weight from thirty-sx tons to thousand
pounds some of them are One-thrd silver
When they all sound at once, as on Easter
morn, the very tower must rock on its founda-
ton In those parts of Russia where the Eas,
tern Church is predominant, no other sect is
allowed to possess bells In Austria the same
prohibition is extended to tie Protestant
churches. The sound of the bell is part of
the act of worship, and therefore no heterodOX
tongue, though of iron, must be permitted to
preach false doctrine to half the city.
The Empress Anne seems to have had
foundnesS for monster castings. Turning to
the right, into an adjoining courtyard, we be-
hold tremendous piece of artillery, familiarly
known as the "pocket-piece of the Czarina
The diameter of the bore is three feet, but it
is evident that the gun never could have been
used. 1t was no doubt made for show, from
the bronze of captured cannon. In the same
court are arranged the SpOlls OF 1912, consist
ing of nearly one thousand cannon, French aud
German. They are mostly small field dpieces
and hence make but little display and Persian
guns some of which are highly ornamented
occupy the opposite side of the court, and are
much finest of all the trophies here.
We will now enter the churches in the pal
ace court They are but of moderate dimen-
sions, and very plain, Outwardly, except in
their crowns of fair.Shining golden domes-
Undoubtedly they were once painted in the
style of the Cathedral of st. Basit, but the
rainbow frescoeS are now covered with a uni
form coat of whitewaSh. One is therefore all
the more puzzled by the pomp and glare of the
interior The walls, the five domes, resting on
tall pillars at their intersections, the pillars
themselves, everything but the floor, is covered
with a coating OF flashing gold; the Monostast,
or screen before the Holy of Holes, is of giId-
ed silver, and rises to the roof the altars are
of massive silver, and the shrue-pictures are
set in Il blaze of diamonds, emeraldS and rub
les. A multitude of saints are painted on
the walls, and seem to float in a golden skv.
And not saints alone, but-strange to say
classic philosophers aud historians. Thucydi-
des and Plutarch, i'll company with StS An
800 figures in this church, which is much more
than the number of worSlipers who can find
place within it, | have been there on Sunday
when it was througed, and really there was
less diversity of vsage, costume and character
among the pictures above than among the hn-
man beings below. 1t was wonderful crowd.
could have picked ont the representatives of
fifty nations, and facial stamp of three centuries
The singing was sublime. The choir was un.
seen, behind the silver screen, and the sweet
ness and purity of the boy sopranos swelled
and sank Ikea chorus of angels heard through
the ftfuI gusts of a storm Devotional music
nowhere receives such glorious expression as
in the Russian churches
The Cathedral of the Archangel Michael,
but few PAGES distant from that of the AS
sumption, resembles it in its internal structure
1t is more dimIy lighted, however, the gold is
not so glaring, and, in place of the army of
saints, there are large frescoes of Heaven,
He'll, Judgment, &c On the the floor, ar
ranged in rows, are the sarcophagi of the carly
Cars, from Ivan l, to Alexis, father of Peter