Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-10-05
The StrasBeurg Cathedral Clock and
Library.

One of the most lamentable results of
the siege OF Strosbourg, leaving out of view
the loss OF human life, is the injury which
the bombardment has inflicted upon the
noble cathedral and its wonderful astron-
omical clock. The vast cathedral, which,
pehaps, more than any other one thing,
has made the name of Strasbourg cele-
brated, is one of the finest Gothic build
ings in Europe. 1t was founded A. d.
6O4. The choir was built by Charlemague,
probably about A. d. 500, though it was
not completed until 1889. The material of
which the cathedral is built is brown
stone, very much resembling our Connec-
ticut Portland freestone, so extensively used
In Fifth avenue. Ii was taken from quarry
at Wassebonne, III the valley of Couronne,
u few miles from Strasbourg. The archi-
tect of the existing ediice was Erwin von
steinbach, of Baden. One John Huels, of
Cologne, was the architect of the peerless
tower. It's spire is the loftiest in the world.
It's height, 46G feet, surpasses st. Peters,
and is about equal to that OF the Great Pyra-
mid. The greater part of the entire struc-
ture was destroyed by lightning in 1907.
and the restored ediice was begun in 1915
and completed in 1889. The cathedral is
in every part richly decorated with sculp-
lures; and the western front, rising to
height of 23O fee:, is, or was, particularly
fine with its wealth of statues, ornamental
carvings and bas-reliefs. It has circular
window 48 feet in diameter. The Prussian
heavy artillery has made, it is said, q ruin
Of part of the vast building.
The astronomical clock, the product of
German clock maker, in about the year
1850, is model of ingenuity and mechan-
lcal skill, and has no counterpart. It per-
forms not only the ordinary service of
clock, but exhibits the days, and the
months of the years; the process of the
seasons; the signs of the zodiac, and the
names and movements OF the heavenly
bodies. At each quarter hour an angel
comes out and strikes one stroke on a
bell; at every hour another angel comes
and strikes twice; and at IL meridian, a
figure of Christ appears, accompanied by
the twelve apostles, all of whom move
around central point and pass in,
out of sight, by another door, the
stroke OF twelve beirg given, and
cock flaps his wings and crows.-
The clock is enormous in size, like every
thing else connected with the vast cathe-
dral, and is invisible tom the outside
street.-the spectator, pass'og through the
nave of the cathedral to it. 1t has suf-
loI gu from uTo ana VlOI nee before the
present year, having been out of repair
srd motionles since the revolution of
1893, until the 5ar 1912, when it was re
paired by matchmaker of Bas-Rhin, and
has been in operation since. 1t is to be
oped that this inge MUS piece of mechan-
ism has not been irreparably injured by
the present bombardnent.
The loss of Strasbourg library vast
collection of 500, 900 volumes, including
many collections of rare and curious monk
ish parchments-is total and irreparable.
1t can never be replaced by any collection
he. ,after made. 1t was the slow result of
a thousand years; and its destruction by
fire. cau~ed by the Prussian hot shot, is
Jiks the burning of the Alexandrian library
in this, that of q great number of the
works destroyed no duplicates can ever be
obtained.