Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-03-06

Auo A1Ouoeb VI FHTlIhtneUt bTe y buOTG
distance from the Queens Palace, on the
Thames. This is the largest model Of
Gothic architecture in Europe, and one Of
the finest buildings in the word. TWAS
commenced almost twenty years ago, and
will be finished in about ten years, &C Q
cost of El2,O00,0O0. Two towers are
being built at each end, which will attain
the height Of three hundred and thirty
and three hundred and forty feet The
number of statues about the building. in
honor Of distinguished EngIishmen, will
be more than four hundred and fifty.
Westminster Abbey was rebuilt, nearly
as We now see it, by Henry ILL.,, and his
son, Edward l., about the year 1890, and
has been the place of coronation Of the
sovereigns from the time of Edward the
ConfessOr to Victoria. Several chapcls
have been added, from time to time, by
the kings whose remains are there en-
t"mbed. Here rest England's most glo-
riOus ones-the founders of her national
fabric and the trainers of her Language
The visitor may spend day most agreea-
bly, in reading the curious inscriptions in
Poets Corner" and upon the mOnu-
ments and tablets in other parts of the
Abbey, and will find it difficult to avoid
losing himself amidst the almost labyrin-
thine windlngS. On the Sabbath that
attended services in the Abbey, there
were assembled about two thousand five
hundred persons, more than half Of whom
could not hear word that the minister
uttered but when the organ sent forth
its laundering notes, accompanied by
choir of youthful voices, the lOud-swelling
harmony, rolling on beneath the lofty
Notwithstanding to lose itself in the
distance-produced al impression which
the most eloquent sermon would have
failed to do.
St. Paul's Cathedral is next to West.
minister Abbey with regard to antiquity,
and far superior in style Of architecture.
1t was built in Queen Annc's reign, by
Christopher Wren, England's greatest
architect 1t is situated in the centre Of
the business quarter, at the foot of Fleet
street. I assembled to the height of four
hundred feet above the pavement, under
the ball and cross that surmOunt the dome.
The Whispering Gallery, in the dome, is
SO constructed that you may hear the
slightest whisper in any part Of the gal
lcry. Tho workmcn below were making
preparations for the charity schools an.
niversary, even while their hammers kept
an almost drafening racket, listened to
the history Of the Cathedral, delivered by
my guide opposite me, in whisper. The
monuments and groups Of Statuary placed
here by government, in houor Of English
men who ilouriShed during the last ccntu-
ry, are new and many Of them well exc
cuted. Wellington and Nelson are buried
in the vault underneath.
The Tower of London is situated on
the north bank Of the Thames, in the
eastern part Of the city. The Oldest build.
ing now standing (the White Tower) was
built about the year 1000, by William
the Conqueror. In view Of its antiquity,
Of the many tragedies that have been en-.
acted within its walls, and Of the cOnspic-
uOus place it occupied in English history
as the strongest fertilization in England
in former times, the tower affords the
place of greater interest. The ancient
mOat, about one hundred feet in breadth,
still surrounds the walls, and is used for
a parade ground by the soldiers stationed
in tho barracks within. The entrance,
after passing an iron gate and crossing
the moat, is by an archway near the
Bloody Tower where the Duke Of Clarence
was drowned in q "butt of malmsey,"
and the young princes were smothcred by
order Of Richard iii. Opposite is the
TRAITORS Gate" by which those who
were guilty of high treason were cOnduc-
ted from the river. The oldest buildings
are apparently in a state Of as perfect
preservation as those which have since
been constructed.
Most Of the curiositics are kept in the
White Tower, ESQ called on account Of its
light cOlor) which stands in the centre
Some parts Of it's walls are thirteen feet
thick. Before windows came into use,
two or three small loopholes conducted to
the inmates their portion of light and air.
Sir Walter Raleigh was confined in this
i prison for many years. The dungeon ip
which he was chained at night is about
six feet in length by four in breadth, and
scarcely high enough to permit full
grown man to stand up st aight. The
armory contains nearly forty equestrian
and pedestrian figures, showing the diff
ftrcnt kinds Of armOr and arms in use
finn the time of Edward /. to james II. :;
wax figures of Queen Elizabeth on horse
back; block on which Anne Boleyn and
Lady Jane Grey were behcaded; instru.
ments of torture and arms used by the
carly Britons, and many other people with
whom the English have been connected.
Thrre are, besides, seven other towers, to
which was not admitted; q small Nor
man Chapel; barracks built by Yelling
ton and the jewcl-hOusc, in which are
kept those gewgaws Of royalty that have
drawn from English purses Ell, 900, 900.
The Thames Tunnel may perhaps be
considered as one of the most wonderful
objects in London. II is built under the
he'd Of the river, two miles below London
Bridge. Its length, twelve hundred feet.
Operations were commenced in 1925,
after plan Of Sir Isambard X. Brunei,
and after many difficulties, and delay Of
seven years, caused by break in the
shield which protected the workmen, fill
ing the portion already completed with
water, the work was finally opened to the
public in l646. The architect il said to
have derived the idea of the shield from
the operations Of tercdO, a testaccous ami
NAL Which eats its way through the hard.
cSt boards, protected by cylindrical
shell.
Brunel's shell consisted Of twelve sera-
rate parts or divisions, each containing
three cells. In these cells the miners
worked, protected by the shield above and
in front, and hacked by the blicklayers