North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-02-10
VOLUME XIII---N0. 2l

from the pavement below, appear so elab-
orately finished, are discovered to be in
reality executed in coarse but vigorous
style, intended to produce the proper
effect when viewed from distance.
Leaving the second or higher gallery, l
commenced to climb the dome but this
was by no means pleasant undertaking,
it being concave on the inside of the outer
wall, and convex on the outside of the
inner wall the higher / ascended, the
more I had to incline to the right hand,
and on the upper part had to support
myself with my hands on the right hand
wall, to prevent myself from falling side
ways. Around and around until, dizzy,
by>andby came to an opening in the
inner wall of the dome, protected by two
horizontal iron bars. Looking down from
this height, the people seemed almost like
ants, creeping from place to place. Still
ascending, the reclining position became
more and more unpleasant, and ! was not
is circular room, Immediately over the
center of the dome, at height of nearly
five hundred feet, with nsthing but the
floor between my feet and the pavement
below, rather uncomfortable reflection
for nervous man.
The lantern is about eighteen feet in
diameter, with plain wooden bench run
ming nearly around it, the most comforta-
BILE seat thought / had sat down on for
many day.
Here l found many travellers who,
having been into the ball, were enjoying
the magnificent sight presented from the
windows of this room. They descended,
and climbed up staircase cn the side
of the miniature dome, from the top Of
which rises perpendicular tube, leading
to the ball, twenty-five feet long, and
something less than two feet in diameter |;
against one side of this is securely fastened
an iron ladder.
When / saw the small hole had to 20
through, leading up into almost total
darkness above, began to question my
self whether it would "pay," considering
that could see nothing more when l got
there than had seen in the room just
below.
But as had set out to get into the ball,
into the ball would 90. Now, do not
consider myself by any means an obese
man, but do admit having my bones
comfortably covered with flesh and it
began to dawn upon me that there would
not be much room to spare when l got
into that tube. Suppose l should squeeze
myself up to the top and stick there Not
a pleasant reflection to man who was
expected at dinner party that evening.
l, nevertheless, began to climb the lad
| der, and rather difficult task found it,
for, after getting my full height up, l
found there was no room to bend my
knees, so was literally forced to pull
myself up, "hand over hand" hooking on
by my toes now and then. 1t was sufi
ciently fatiguinG operation, but achieving
it, finally reached the top.
| BY this time it was nearly midday ,and
what, with the heat and the exertion, l
was dripping with perspiration, and half
suffocated.
Before reaching the upper end of the
and hesitated whether should not literal
ly "back down. Suppose some one was
descending, wearing heavy boots? Or
might not some one be waiting up there to
give me a rap on the head, -ihe my pock
cts. and be off while lay insensible ?
My fears, however, vanished when got
into the hall and found nothing more
dangerous than woman, whose outline l
could just make out in the gloom. AT
first wondered how she ever got up there
and then wondered twice as much as to
how she was ever going to get down again.
| rather suspect that she, too, was wonder
ing how that feat was to be achieved.
She proved to be young American
lady, stopping at our hotel She had
slight figure, and as hoopskirts are smaller
at the top than the bottom, l could see
that she might very easily sqeeze herself
up this iron we'll but what kind OF a
figure would she cut in descending? To
tell the truth, was more occupied, while
recovering breath, with these speculations,
than with the interior of the ball had
worked so hard to get into. | found it to
be hollow globe, braced in every dir
ection with iron bars, and capable of
holding sixteen persons. The most singu-
lar thing about it is the reverheration of
sound. which is something astonishing
The lowest tone is magnlfied into shout.
1t is related that two rural priests were
in the ball some years ago when heavy
thunder storm came on, and the effect on
their nerves was so great that one died
outright from fear, and the other was
found insensible, but finally recovered
sufficiently to relate his awful experience
Having ascended the ball and 'done it,"
and found nothing in it, except the lady
and her escort, my curiosity was gratified,
and f>descended to the room at the foot of
the ladder-a comparatively easy task, as
had only to lower myself by my hands
from bar to bar. Here looked over the
names Of many royal and notable persons
inscribed on the walls, and among others,
noticed that of the Prince of Wales, who
went into the ball 10th Of Feb. 1859.
Ore of the grandest sights in Rome is
the illumination of st. Peters on Easter
Sunday and the festival of St. Peter, when
six thousand eight hundred lanterns and
iron pans, are lighted as if by magic
This is accomplished by an army Of men
while the clock is striking the hour Of
nine.
When on the gallery I had an opportu.
nifty of seeing the manner in which the
dome is lighted, the most difficult part of
the illumination, many lives having been
lost in the operation. Around the root OF
the dome are fixed rows of iron pans, at
regular intervals from top to bottom, and
intermediately between the rows of pans
are slight projections of iron serving as
steps. The men, with ropes securely
fastened around their waists at one end,
and attached at the other to the balcony,
have each lighted torch in hand, and
commence to descend, atthe first stroke of
nine, touching the wicks floating in the
pans, and saturated with turpentine, SO as
to light on the instant. On such occa-
sions the gardens on the Pincian Hill, the
squaae Of the Quirinal, and the roofs and
balconies of houses commanding view
of the great church, are crowded with
spectators, who get greatly excited as circle
after circle of fire bursts up to meet the
glowing rings from below, defining every