The Opelousas courier., 1870-10-22
The srasburg Cathedral Clock and
Library.
tFrpm the Hartford Times

One OF the most lamentabta results VI :
the seige of Strasbnrg, leaving out OF
view the loss of human life, is the injury I
which the bembardment has inflicted
upon the noble cathedral and its won-(
derful astronomical clock. The Vasts
cathedral. which perhaps more than anyA
'other one thing has made the name of
Strasburg celebrated, is one of the ftlestS
Gothic buildings in Europe. 1t was
founded A. D. 504. The choir was built
10y Charlemagne. probably about A. D. |
800, though it was not completed until
El439. The material Of which the cath +
Sedral is built is brown stone, veryI
much resembling our Connecticut Ports
(land free stone, SO extensively used lnH
Fifth avenue. It vas obtained from aS
ZQuarry at Wassebonne, in the valley on
fCouronne, few miles from Strasbnrg.l
! The architect of the existing editce was|
Erwin Won Steinbach, of Baden. One
John Huells, of Cologne, was the archi-
ktect of the peerless tower. Its spire is'
1.-THE loftiest in the world. Its leightsI
s466 feet, surpasses St. Peters, and isl
about equal to that of the great pyramid !
The greater part Of the entire struc-
Rture was destroyed by lightning in 1907, !,
! AuO klko kCStClCA CulASS wac Wy EooN 80
RlOl5 and completed in l439.-The cath
kedral is in every part richly decorated
with sculptures, and the western front'
$rising to height Of 23O feet, is, or was,
particularly fine with its wealth Of stat
Eues, ornamental carvings and basreliefs.
1t has a circular window forty eight feet
lin diameter. Tie Prussian heavy artil-
Slery has made, it is said, ruin of the
&vast building. T..
q The astronomical clock, the product OF
Ia German clock maker, in about the yeas
El55O, is a marvel of ingenuity and me.
4 2chanieal skill, and has no counterpark
RIt performs rot only the ordpay ser.
Tyice of 20 clock, but exhibits the days
and the months and the years the pro:
& cess of the seasons; the signs OF the 20.
y diac, and the names aud movements q
: the heavenly bodies. At each quarter,
abour nm angel comes ont and strikes on
& stroke on the bell; at every honr an an
3g gel comes out and strikes twice; and a
3 IL meridian, a fgure of Christ appears
i fattompafied BY the twelve appostles
81 all of whom move around central pom
and pass In out Of sight, by another doof
the stroke ef.twelve being given and
scock flaps his wings and crows. IN
kclock is enormous in size, like erythin'
else in tbs vast cathedral, and invislbt
a from the outside street.-the specfato
passing through the nave Of the cafhe
q dral to see it. 1t has suffered from hr
land violence before the present yeal
4 having been out of repair and motIonles
s2since the revolution of 1898, until tn
r 1912, when it was repaired BY q watch
|, 7maker of Bas Rhin, and has been !
..a op eratim since. 1T IL to be hoped tina
y this ingenious piece Of mechanism ha
fnot been irreparably injured by the pref
!, S,snt bonstRsdneBta -. AZ. 's.as
The loss of the Strasbourg library,
xxast collection Of 90, COO volumes 1ncls
i ding many collections Of rare :e,a.., and .n c,
i rions monkish parchments--..is3otai an
= -1irreparabIe. It can never be sreplace;
= by any collection hereafter made. !
s3yas the slow result Of 2 thousan9 year
Ill And It's destructien BY ts6rs, ossu sed by'ts
Dt Prussian hot shot, is like the burning
~ the Alexandrian library in this, tlas OF
IN great number Of works destroyed no q
4 plicate can ever be obtained. 81
>As AL Is ( ~ L ~ - y. 'FFa )