Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-01-19
LETTER FROM EUROPE.
PARIS, October IL, 1859.

down the Kline to Amsterdam, re-
turning through Holland and Belgium
to Paris. Good health, fine weather
and excellent accommodations dur
ing the entire trip, made it exceed
|ingIy 2leasantto me.
During these peregrinations / have
travelled thousands of miles, inclu.
ding several hundreds on foot-over
the most difficult and dangerous
passes Of the Alps, in full view Of
the most sublime scenery on each,
and ever varied by mountains and
vallies, precipitous gorges and slop-
ing lawns. To describing objects Of
interest on the route, | shall de-
pend chiefly on extracts from my
hastily-written Journal, and date each
extract at the place where the de-
scriptioD terminates. 1sTs9
CONSTANCE, Switzerland, Sept.
1S59.-We left Paris on the Goth.
inst, and arrived at Strasburg the
same day, after very pleasant ride
by rail through a beautiful and rich.
ly cultivated country. Strasburg
has a population Of sixty.ive thou
sand, is a strongly fortified frontier
town of France, having been ceded to
that kingdom uuder the reign Of
Louis XIV, in 1851. The principal
object of interes. to tourist here,
is the Cathedral, one of the finest
gothic structures in Europe, justly
celebrated for the beauty and rich
ness of its architecture. The
spire is said TO be the highest in the
world.-468 feet-higher than ST.
Paufs or the Pyramids, being made
Of open stoDe-uork, deliberately carved
and corresponding admirably with
the exterior of the main building
This church was commenced in 1015;
the Tower was not finished until four
huDderd years after. The Stained
windows are superb, but the most
interesting object about the interior
is the famous Strasburg Clock
This is truly a wonderful piece of
mechanism and dates from 1911. /
1t works most accurately, not only |
the hours bat the days OF the week,
the month, the revolution Of the
planets, the different phases of the
moon and seasons of the year. On
either side of the dial is seated a
winged chernb; one holds an hour
glass and turns it every hour; the
other strikes the alarm one minute
in advance. The hour is struck by |
the figure of Death, standing in an
apartment above, holding in one
band the seythe Of time and in the
other a hammer, The shape of hu-
man thigh-bone-then moving pup
pets come out from the interior al
ternately, and strike the quarters.-1
At l2o'clock all the machinery is put
in motion. In an upper compart-
ment is stationed the figure Of Christ,
and at ID the twelve Apostles march
out 10 single file and make their
obeisance to his tffigy; at the same
time colossal cock, seated on the
summit Of this complicated time-piece
flaps bis wings and crows Justify /
three times which closes the spectacle
and the people dispense equally graf
fled and astonished. This is GER
tainly the most curious production
of art ! have ever seen. You
probably know that Louis Napoleon
to get possession of Stras-
burg in 1886: be struck for this
place as it is, probably, the strongest
fortified town in France.
-Four hours took US to Basic BY i
all road, the point Of entrance into
switzerland. This an old town With
he walls and watch-towers in al
,ood state Of preservation. 1t isl
livided into two parts by the river
Rhine, which is Of a rich blue color.
This place is noted for its University
nd often has students from the
United States. yef m
Our next point of interest was
'baffhausen, at the western termi-
'ation OF lake Constance. The =
irst object Of interest here vas the |,
much talked of Falls OF the Rhine. (,
saw them and was Disappointed i
hey will never do after seeing our 0
majestic Niagara. They are decided. P
: tame and do not compare in nat d
raj beauty and sublimity with the :,
'lls Of st. Anthony, though they .
re the best that they can do in :
Europe in the way Of water fall, and q
course, they think them wonder b
Il. ] was much more interested inl '