Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-09-16

From the Hartford Times.
One of the most lamentable results
ofthe siege Of Strasbourg, leaving out
the loss Of life, is the injury which
the bombardment has inflicted upon
the noble cathedral and it's wonder
full astronomical clock. The vast
cathedral, which, perhaps more than
any other thing, has made the name
Of Strasbourg celebrated, is one of
the finest Gothic buildings in Europe.
1t was founded A. D. 5O4. The
choir was built by Charlemagne,
probably about A. D. 500, though it
was not completed until 1880. The
material of which the cathedral is
built is brown stone, very much
resembling our Connecticut Port
land freestone, SO extensively used
in Fifth avenue. 1t was obtained
from a quarry at Wassebonne, in
the valley Of Couronne, a few miles
from Strasbourg. The architect Of
the existing editice was Erwin Won
Steinbach, of Baden. One John
Huelis, Of Cologne, was the archi-
tect of the peerless tower. Its spire
is the lofticst in the world. Its
height, 466 feet, surpasses St.
Peters, and is about equal to that
of the Great Pyramid. The greater
part OF the entire structure was de-
stroyed by fire in 1907, and the
restored edificc was begun in 1915
and completed in 1439. The cathe-
dral is in every part richly decorat-
ed with sculptures; and the western
front, rising to a height of 23O feet,
is, or was, particularly fine with its
wealth of statues, ornamental carv-
ings and bas-reliefs. 1t has a cir
cular window 48 feet in diameter.
The Prussian heavy artillery has
made, it is said, ruin of part of
the vast building.
The astronomical clock, the pro-
duct Of a German clockmaker, in
about the year 1850, is marvel of
ingenuity and mechanical skill, and
has no counterpart. 1t performs
not only the ordinary service Of a
clock, but exhibits the days and the
months and the years; the process
Of the seasons; the signs of the
zodiac, and the names and move
ments Of the heavenly bodies. At
each quarter of an hour an angel
comes out and strikes one stroke on
the bell; at every hour another angel
comes and strikes twice; and at
twelve, meridian, 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 being given, and cock
flaps the wings and crows. The
clock is enormous in size, like every.
thing else connected with the vast
cathedral, and is invisible from the
outside street.-the spectator pass
ing through the nave of the cathe.
dral to see it. 1t has suffered from
fire and violence before the present
year, having been out of repair and
| mOt1OnlcSS since inc TcNOIutlOH u
1893, until the year 1912, when il
was repaired by matchmaker Of
Bas-Rhin, and has been in operation
since. 1t is to be hoped that thi.
ingenious piece Of mechanism has
not been irreparably injured by the
present bombardmcnt.
The loss ofthe Strasbourg library
a vast collection Of 100000 vol
umes, including many collections o
rare and curious monkish parch
mcnts - is total and irreparable
1t can never be replaced by any col
lection hereafter made. 1t was the
slow result of a thousand years; ant
its destruction by fire, caused by
the Prussian hot shot, is like tho
burning of the Alexandrian librar.
in this, that of a great number OF
the works destroyed no duplicates
can ever be obtained.