The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-04-12

How O Spire Fell,

Few people who havo not visited England
can understand tho affection with which tho
people of minor cathedral town view tho
ecclesiastical edifco which is the principal
ornament OF their place. Tho cathedral
towns arO usually very quiet. clean--ruthor
sleepy places, TO toll the truth. Thore is a
bishop md number Of clorgymon, and
little choir boys, and, excepting on market
days, they are tho most prominent indiyid.
uuls in the place. There is daily service
in tho cathedral To DO suro, nobody but
the clergy and tho choir boys and few
curious strangers attond. but then il is very
gratifying to tho townsfOlk to know that
everything is going on right. Their love
for tho cathedral is latent in prosperous
times. but once lot tho old cdifico got into
trouble, and they will make lively demon.
strations of their esteem. For instance, at
York, few years ago, q maCiac set fro to
the cathedral, aud the richly carved wood
work Of tho stalls was destroyed. Tho
townsfolk at once held meeting, and sub
scribod enough to replace tho cherished or
| namunt.
In this country. Burlington. New Jersey,
with its 81. Marys church aud bishops resi-,
loco, comes the nearest TO q cathedral
town and wo arc treo to say that all the
| Burlingtonians would feel deeply grievod
should tho handsome spiro of St. Marv's
some day tumble to tho ground.
Such mIshap has, however. recently oc
Cured to tlio English town of Chichester.
Tho cathedral there. though by no means
| among tho finest of England, was old aud
| interesting. IL was begun some oight huu-
drcd years ago, Tho tower was built about
the year 1900. and the sprc, placed in tho
centre of tho building. rising to height OF
two hundred aud seventy -four fret, and
surpassed in attitude by only two other
spires in tho Kingdom, was added about
tho year 400.
| Now spire crectod noarly century
before Columbus set foot on American soil
is entitled to SONS veueration, and hereforo
its fail is worth chroncing; for fall it did,
and that on the 20th Of February last.
| 1t appears that tho tower had for some
timo shown symptoms of danger, and duli ing
recent rrpnratious made in tho interior ar
rangements of tho cathedral, it was discov-
cred that this danger was much more so.
! rious than at first supposed. On tho l4th
ult.. cracks and cIovicrs appeared in tho
piers. Imm medately after tho Sunday scrvi-
ces on tho l7th. bodies of workmen took
possession of the church, and by day and
night worked to strengthen tho towor. But
tnO immense weight OF inc 6plre was too
great. terrific storm occurred on the
night Of Wednesday, tho Goth. which shock
the tower. but the efforts of sixty workmen
appeared still TO offer somo possibility OF
ultimate success. when. at 81 in tho morn
ing, they left tho building. Az daylight they
returned to tho task. but now tho spre
tottorod. At II p. NJ, tho workmen were
ali ordered out of tho cathedral, and quar-
ter OF an hour later tho tower and spire foil
to the floor viii, hut little noise, forming a
mass of near 6000 tuns of ruin in tho con-
tro of tho church, and carving with il about
twenty feet in longth of the nave, and as
much Of tho transept and choir. "The
spiro at its fall, says an eyewitness. "at
first inclined slightly to the southwest, and
thon sank gently into tho centre of tho
building. Tho appearance of the fall was
that of large ship quietly but rapidly
| laundering at sea-"
Fortunately no one was injured by This
catastrophe, but the people of Chichester
nre inconsolable ovor thor architectural
loss, s,-Evcning POs..