The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-10-06

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To leave Heidelberg without paying a
visit to the Big Tun, in the castle cellar,
would be ike leaving Rome without hav-
ing seen the Vatican. Few people, CON-
paratively, have ever heard Of the VOLTS
Fountain. the Angels Meadow. and other
beautiful resorts in the neighboFhood Of
this quaint old town; even its University
enjoys but little popular fame in foreign
lands but, who, in the wide world, has
not heard Of the Heidelberg Tun, whose
capacious nav can hold 100000 bottles of
wine. Some, over-wise, affect to scorn
the homage paid to this Brobdignagian
feat of cooperage, but, sooner or later.
their curiosity gets the upper hand, and
they. too, make the accustomed pilgrimage
to the shrine Of the idol.
The length of the tun is thirty-two
feet; its height, at the ends, twenty-five,
and in the middle. twenty-three feet. On
one side, pair of stairs lead up TO large
rallied platform on the top, where many
merry dance took place in the CHEEKY days
of old. Now, all is silent, and damp,
and close.
The present tun is not the first of its
line. An abundant vintage in the year OF
grace 1859, induced Jonathan CaSimir,
joyial man, as we'll as an excellent prince,
to order the construction Of an immense
wine-cask, to be a memorial in all future
ages of that joyous year. The most
skillful master-cooper in the land was
intrusted with the work. Ii was COM
pleted in 1891, and filed with the best
wine in the country. The length Of this
monster of casks was twenty-Seyen feet
more than six tons of iron were employed
in the construction Of the hoops alone.
1t was, however, not destined 10 corporal
immortality. The Thirty Years War
numbered it among its most illustrious
victims. But in 1864, the Elector, Charles
Lewis. ordered the complete restoration of
Heidelberg Castle, and finding the remains
of the famous cask 10 the cellar, he re-
solved to build another, superior to the
first. The second cask arose, like
Phoenix. from the ashes of its unlucky
predecessor, decorated with greater splen-
dor. and rejoicing, if aught inanimate can
rejoice, in increased capacity for drink.
Ii was twenty feet high and thirty feet
long. Alas the French armies, to whom
we owe the runs of the Rhine, again des-
olated Heidelberg. The big tun escaped
destruction, it is true. but i, lay unused
nearly half century in the ruined castle,
and was only saved from falling victim
TO the dry rot by the interposition Of an
other Elector, Charles Phillip. who, in
1927, caused it to be repaired and reflled.
But its heart had been broken by that
long period of total abstinence, and in a
little while it fulfilled the parable about
putting new wine into old bottles, by qui-
etly bursting one night, and drowning out
the rats and mice with a food Of delicious
liquor.
In l75l. the Elector, Charles Theodore,
ordered the construction of a third tun,
which should surpass the former ones in
size and strength, and remain lasting
monument Of his reign. This is the present
Heidelberg Tun, to which thousands of
votaries make pilgrimage from far and near.
Beside the gigantic tuu lies a cask of the
ordinary size, which is great curiosity in
its way 1t is without hoops, or any other
visible means of holding itself together
The master-cooper who perfected this sin
gular specimen of his art, died without
revealing the secret TO the world, and no
one has ever been able to fathom the
mystery.
1t is now many years since the great tun
was filled with generous wine: many years
since the vintage dance sent thrill through
his iron ribs. Dismal mast be his dreams.
condemned to involuntary teetotalism of
the driest kind ! There was a project set
on foot few years ago to rejoice his
thirsty heart with new wine again, but it
fell through, and probably will not be re-
newed. He has had his day, and must
suffer the universal fate of earthly things.
1t belonged to an age of huge and gross,
though hearty, merriment, when oxen were
roasted whole in the castle kitchen, and
were served upon the royal tables with
immense platters Of potatoes and cabbage.
Royalty dimes more delicately now, and
prefers champagne to the quiet wine from
the old-fashioned tun in the cellar